Iraqi PM Risks Iraqi Sovereignty, Assyrian Villages With Turkey Appeasement Turkish forces continue their month-long offensive across the northern fringe of Iraqi Kurdistan. As of July 15, 2024, Turkish jets and drones have carried out more than 380 bombardments and burned more than 250 miles of farmland. The Turkish attacks have been especially hard on the region's Christian-Assyrian community. After the Islamic State (ISIS) expelled Assyrians a decade ago from their traditional homeland in the Nineveh Plains, the Turkish bombardment now depopulates Assyrian enclaves in the far north of Iraqi Kurdistan. The presence of Turkish forces predates the 2003 U.S.-led war to oust Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi leader miscalculated in 1991 when, against the backdrop of the Shia and Kurdish uprising against him, he calculated that he could deploy his forces to crush the southern rebellion and simply starve the Kurds into submission. The nascent Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) filled the vacuum but Turkey exposed their weakness, establishing forward operating bases in Amedi, Kani Masi, Bamerne, and elsewhere. The Turkish bases came absent any agreement with Baghdad or Erbil. The irony of Turkey's declination to participate in the 2003 war to oust Saddam Hussein was that it had already occupied Iraqi territory for more than a decade, and on similar justifications. Weapons of Mass Destruction were not yet a factor, but terrorism was. Successive Turkish administrations argued that they needed to position their military in Iraqi Kurdish territory in order to prevent the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on Turkey itself. There was some logic here. Beginning in 1984, the PKK launched an insurgency inside Turkey, often targeting rival Kurdish groups. Within a decade, however, it had largely petered out. Prior to his death, Turkish President Turgut Ozal signaled a willingness to negotiate a resolution that would give Kurds greater cultural and political freedoms. The PKK eventually abandoned its separatist demands in favor of a patchwork of local autonomies. By the time the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, the PKK insurgency was essentially over. Although listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States since 1997, and the European Union, the PKK today is not a terror organization and poses little threat to Turkey or Iraq, no matter how Erdogan or Iraqi Kurds seek to scapegoat it. Belgium has removed the PKK from its terror list in 2019, reclassifying it as an insurgency. Its major threat is to Masoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) as Iraqi Kurds seek an alternative to Barzani's increasingly autocratic and repressive kleptocracy. Iraqi Kurds feel desperation as they feel they have no hope for livelihood unless they're a member of Barzani's family. Many refugees fleeing across the English Channel come from Iraqi Kurdistan, not from war-torn Afghanistan or Syria. Nor is the PKK an alien movement. While Abdullah Ocalan founded the PKK in Turkey, Iraqi Kurds embraced it on their own, especially after Barzani's Peshmerga abandoned Kurds in Sinjar and the Nineveh Plains to ISIS. When Barzani's sons Masrour and Waysi ordered the Peshmerga to retreat, they refused to allow Kurds and Yezidis to keep weaponry to defend themselves. As a result, Kurds turned to the PKK as their defenders. Perhaps the best analogy to the international aspect of the PKK is the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the region's second-largest party founded by the late Jalal Talabani. It was simultaneously an Iraqi movement and a member of the Socialist International; the two were not mutually exclusive. Today, as Turkish forces drive deeper into Iraq, Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani suggests that the PKK presence renders Turkey's violations of Iraqi sovereignty legitimate. He is not alone. His predecessor Mustafa Al-Kadhimi likewise repeatedly subordinated Iraqi sovereignty to Turkish demands. For the Iraqi prime minister, working with Turkey may appear as an easy decision. Iraqi oil flows northward, and Turkey controls the flow of water upon which Iraqi agriculture and hydroelectric power generation depends. Baghdad may also make the simple calculation that countering Turkey's aggression would be too difficult. Whereas two decades ago, the Barzanis and KDP positioned themselves as voices for Kurdish nationalism, today they symbolize the cynical betrayal of the Kurdish cause for personal gain. Defending Iraq's sovereignty would mean not only standing up to Turkey, but also addressing its betrayal by the Barzanis. The choices Sudani makes now, however difficult, will resonate for decades. The problem is that Turkey's incursions are not temporary. Just as with Bashiqa, an Iraqi town in which the Turks established a base and refused to leave, there is no indication that Turkey will leave Iraqi territory seized under the pretense of fighting the PKK. Indeed, evidence suggests the opposite. Upon Iraq's independence, Turkey claimed the oil-rich former Mosul Vilayet. The League of Nations found against Turkey, but Ankara has never abandoned its claims. Indeed, one of the main reasons Turkey promotes the fiction that millions of Iraqi Turkmen live in the region is to justify Anschluss. Sudani should understand the lesson of Cyprus. Turkey invaded the island twice, first in July 1974 and then a month later. The initial beachhead was enough to stop any effort by some Greek Cypriot leaders to seek unity with Greece. Against the backdrop of peace talks in Geneva, Turkey launched its second invasion, seizing nearly 40 percent of the island and ethnically cleansing it. It was a naked land grab, plain and simple. Turkey has since flooded northern Cyprus with settlers and seeks to extract gas illegally form offshore Cypriot fields. Today, Turkey demands recognition of the Turkish puppet state in northern Cyprus, a stepping-stone to annexation, much like Russia made "independence" of the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples' Republics a precursor to a fake plebiscite and annexation. The same pattern is at play in Syria, where Turkish forces entered predominantly Kurdish districts in 2018 and proceeded to ethnically cleanse them. Turkish forces destroyed graveyards, issued Turkish identity cards, linked the area to Turkey's domestic postal service, forced the use of Turkish currency and the Turkish language in school curricula, and enforced conservative Islamist dress upon a much more moderate population. Today, not only Turkish nationalists but also officials use maps that show Cyprus, northern Syria, and even Mosul as part of Turkey proper. Sudani may seek to manage Barzani's infamous temper-tantrums, but much more is at stake. If Sudani does not stop appeasing Erdogan, Iraq's future will be akin to that of Cyprus or Syria: partition and decades-long occupation. Iraq must realize: Turkey today poses an even greater threat to Iraq than Iran. While Iran interferes in Iraq's domestic affairs and abuses its sovereignty by sponsoring militias answering more to Tehran than to Baghdad, Turkey seeks territorial adjustment that will permanently change the shape and territorial integrity of Iraq. Vice President Kamala Harris slammed the "unpatriotic protesters" who burned American flags and spray-painted pro-Hamas graffiti on Capitol Hill near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Wednesday, calling their actions ''despicable." "I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews," she posted on the social media platform X on Thursday. "Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation." "I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way," said Harris, whose husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. Harris, who is expected to become the Democratic presidential nominee now that President Joe Biden has dropped his campaign, said she backs the right to "peacefully protest." "But let's be clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation," she continued. Read my full statement on the protests in Washington, D.C. yesterday. pic.twitter.com/zJpZvdQDt9 Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 25, 2024 The protesters clashed with police wearing riot gear as Netanuyahu delivered his speech to members of Congress. The demonstrators appeared to write "Hamas is Coming" on the Columbus Fountain, lowered the flags and set them on fire. Headlining reports of the U.S. and Canada intercepting two Chinese nuclear-capable bombers and two Russian bombers off Alaska have created some cause for concern, though the bombers Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have signed a declaration for the formation of a joint government in talks mediated by Beijing this week. The two factions have agreed to an interim reconciliation government should a ceasefire deal be reached with Israel in the Gaza Strip. (12 other Palestinian factors also signed the declaration). The declaration is meant to ensure that Israel has a reduced pathway to establishing an alternative structure of power in Gaza. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah in 2006, and a bitter rivalry has ensued ever since, making this Beijing-sponsored declaration an important development. Biden met with Netanyahu on Thursday (with the Israeli PM also scheduled to meet with Harris and Trump), to discuss the existing plan for a Gaza ceasefire. That tentative ceasefire deal has a 42-day first phase") that would include hostage releases from both sides. Israel is now seeking changes to the plan, which will add further complications. The markets should not hold their breath. With regards to the Houthis, after a Houthi attack on Tel Aviv last weekend, more promises of retaliation for an Israeli attack on Yemens port of Hodeida continued this week, with Israel claiming to have intercepted a Houthi missile on Thursday. Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have signed a declaration for the formation of a joint government in talks mediated by Beijing this week. The two factions have agreed to an interim reconciliation government should a ceasefire deal be reached with Israel in the Gaza Strip. (12 other Palestinian factors also signed the declaration). The declaration is meant to ensure that Israel has a reduced pathway to establishing an alternative structure of power in Gaza. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah in 2006, and a bitter rivalry has ensued ever since, making this Beijing-sponsored declaration an important development. Biden met with Netanyahu on Thursday (with the Israeli PM also scheduled to meet with Harris and Trump), to discuss the existing plan for a Gaza ceasefire. That tentative ceasefire deal has a 42-day first phase") that would include hostage releases from both sides. Israel is now seeking changes to the plan, which will add further complications. The markets should not hold their breath. With regards to the Houthis, after a Houthi attack on Tel Aviv last weekend, more promises of retaliation for an Israeli attack on Yemens port of Hodeida continued this week, with Israel claiming to have intercepted a Houthi missile on Thursday. Headlining reports of the U.S. and Canada intercepting two Chinese nuclear-capable bombers and two Russian bombers off Alaska have created some cause for concern, though the bombers did not enter sovereign airspace. Russias most recent moves in terms of rhetoric on a wider conflict level with NATO are largely distractions from a shadow war of cyber attacks, fake news war-mongering, and assassinations. Discovery & Development Bolivia's YPFB has launched drilling on the Villamontes-X7 exploratory well in Tarija, targeting the Chorro and Tupambi formations. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reverse a decade-long decline in oil and gas production, with output having dropped significantly since 2014. Despite recent discoveries like the Mayaya find with 1.7 Tcf of resources, Bolivia has increased hydrocarbon imports due to falling production. President Arce has urged YPFB to expedite development to address the country's dependency on imports. Repsol and its partners have taken FID on the Monument subsea tieback project in the US GoM. Equinor originally drilled the Monument discovery in Walker Ridge Block 316 in 2020, but control has since shifted to Beacon Offshore Energy Exploration. The development plan includes a 27-km subsea tieback to the Shenandoah FPS, which will be upgraded to handle an additional 20,000 bpd. Additionally, Repsol is advancing projects in Mexican waters, including the Polok and Chinwol developments, and the recent Yopaat discovery, estimated at 300-400 MMboe. CNOOC has commenced appraisal drilling at the WS16-5-4 well in the Beibu Gulf, anticipating it will become a medium-sized oilfield. The well, drilled to 4,185 meters and intersecting 65 meters of oil pay zones, has demonstrated high productivity, producing over 1,000 cubic meters of oil equivalent daily. CNOOC's Chief Geologist highlighted this successful well as indicative of promising exploration potential in the Wushi Sag area. This development follows recent achievements in Bohai Bay and aligns with CNOOC's 2024 strategy, including advancements in low-carbon initiatives such as the South China Sea oilfield powered by shore electricity. Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions Kuwait plans to merge four oil companies into two by 2025 as part of a major consolidation effort overseen by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). The Kuwait Gulf Oil Company will merge with the Kuwait Oil Company in the second stage of this process, aimed at streamlining operations and cutting costs. The merger is projected to save approximately $1.25 billion annually through efficiencies and reduced maintenance costs. KPC is committed to ensuring a smooth integration and preserving workforce rights, with future focus on merging companies with similar functions. Woodside Energy is advancing its global LNG ambitions by acquiring US LNG developer Tellurian for $1.2 billion, aiming to expand its foothold in the American energy market. The deal is part of Woodsides strategy to build a dream team of investors for Tellurians $25 billion Driftwood project and is expected to strengthen their position amid a consolidating market. Despite a recent cost increase of 4% in their Scarborough project due to design changes, Woodside remains optimistic about future LNG demand growth of 50% over the next decade. Rising LNG contract prices and project costs pose challenges. Earnings Beat Galp Energia reported a 16% increase in Q2 net profit, reaching 299 million, thanks to higher oil prices and reduced production costs, despite a 5% drop in output from Brazil and a steady refining margin. The company is preparing for a second drilling phase in Namibia's Mopane field, where it holds an 80% stake, and is in initial discussions with potential partners. Galp's EBITDA fell 7% to 849 million but still exceeded forecasts. The company, which has seen a 40% rise in shares this year, is prioritizing partnerships that can accelerate development and contribute capital expenditure. TotalEnergies reported a 6% decline in Q2 earnings, totaling $4.7 billion, due to falling refining margins and lower refined product and gas sales. The company's refining margins dropped 37% from Q1, reflecting decreased diesel demand and market volatility normalizing. Despite this, TotalEnergies plans a $2 billion share buyback and maintains a net investment guidance of $17-$18 billion for the year. The firm continues to invest in renewables and new exploration areas like Namibia and Guyana, while seeking a way forward for its stalled Mozambique LNG project. Repsol more than doubled its Q2 net income to $713 million, driven by higher oil prices despite lower gas realizations and weak refining margins. The company continues to focus on upstream earnings, which have benefited from improved oil prices. However, the overall earnings for H1 2024 fell 21.8% year-over-year due to lower gas prices, narrow refining margins, and weak performance in the Chemicals segment. Similarly, TotalEnergies reported a 9% drop in Q2 net income to $4.7 billion, impacted by weaker LNG sales and refining margins, falling short of analyst expectations. Valero Energy's Q2 2024 net income dropped to $880 million, or $2.71 per share, from $1.9 billion, or $5.40 per share, a year earlier. Refining income fell to $1.2 billion, while the Renewable Diesel segment saw a sharp decline in operating income to $112 million due to lower sales and maintenance issues. However, the Ethanol segment posted a slight decrease in income but saw a rise in production volumes. Valero continues to return value to shareholders with $1.4 billion in dividends and stock buybacks and is advancing its SAF project, set to start by Q4 2024. NextEra Energy reported mixed Q2 2024 results with a revenue decline of 17.4% year-over-year to $6.07 billion, missing Wall Street estimates by $1.38 billion. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.96 exceeded expectations by $0.03, reflecting a 9% annual increase. Florida Power & Light (FPL) saw a 10.7% rise in regulatory capital employed, contributing to its $1.232 billion net income. NextEra Energy Resources added over 3,000 megawatts to its backlog, with a net income of $865 million. The company reaffirmed its FY 2024 EPS outlook and expects a 10% annual dividend growth over the next two years. It's been a volatile week in oil markets as concerns over Chinese demand pressured prices despite a decline in U.S. crude inventories and wildfires in Canada. Friday, July 26th, 2024 A rollercoaster of the week has left most market watchers guessing as to what might be coming up next for oil. Canadas wildfires, continuously decreasing US oil stocks, and GDP figures in the States coming in well above expectations should have lifted sentiment, but the signals went mostly unnoticed amidst a widespread tech stock selloff and a commodity-wide disappointment in China. ICE Brent is set to finish the week below $82 per barrel, marking the third straight weekly decline. Democrats Seek to Ban US Talking To OPEC. US Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill to hold energy companies accountable if they are found by federal regulators to have colluded with OPEC, suggesting such firms should be no longer eligible for new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters. Europe in Deadlock Amidst Ukraine Transit Row. Hungary and Slovakia have asked the European Commission to launch a consultation procedure with Ukraine after the latter sanctioned the two countries main Russian pipeline oil supplier Lukoil, raising the risk of potential refinery halts in Central Europe. Shell Loses Interest in Scottish Wind. UK-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) is planning to sell development leases it won to build up to 5 GW of floating wind farms off the Scottish coast, potentially liquidating its participation in a joint venture with Iberdrolas subsidiary Scottish Power. Brazil Prepares to Buy Back Its Own Refinery. Brazils state oil firm Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is finishing up due diligence for a bid on the 300,000 b/d Mataripe refinery that it sold only three years ago to the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala for $1.65 billion, seeking to unwind the Bolsonaro-era divestments. OPEC+ Overproducers Present Their Compensation Plans. Just in time before the August meeting of the JMMC, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Russia, the largest overproducers of OPEC+, presented their compensation plans to reduce production by a collective 2.284 million b/d between now and September 2025. Indias Refining Giant Gets Exempted from Venezuela Sanctions. According to Bloomberg, Indias largest private refiner Reliance Industries has received approval from the Biden administration to resume importing crude oil from Venezuela despite the reinstatement of sanctions in April 2024. Chinese Investors Cut Stakes in Indonesian Smelters. Chinese mining companies are seeking to reduce their stakes in Indonesian nickel smelters to make their products eligible for EV tax credits in the US as the IRA restricts tax cuts to those with not more than 25% ownership by a foreign entity of concern, which applies to China. Equinor Wants Less UK Exposure. Norways national oil firm Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) is considering cutting its 80% stake in the UKs largest untapped oil field Rosebank, saying it would prefer to bring the share in line with that of other assets as Britains new Labour government is set to hike windfall taxes. India Eyes Riches of the Indian Ocean. The UN-backed International Seabed Authority has issued two deep-sea exploration licenses for India (out of a total of 31), with New Delhi planning to start mining by the end of the decade despite having no previous seabed mining expertise. White House Eyes 2035 Ban on Single-Use Plastics. The White House announced a new goal to phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics in food service operations, packaging, and events by 2027 and to eliminate the material from federal operations by 2035, triggering the ire of the US polymer industry. Russia Wants to Build a Refinery in Cuba. Revisiting long-lost ties from the Soviet era, Russian authorities have suggested that the countrys state-owned enterprises could build a refinery in Cuba, a country that mostly burns its 50,000 b/d of heavy crude oil production for power generation. Italian Oil Major Expands in East Africa. Italys national oil company ENI (BIT:ENI) was awarded the Angoche A6-C offshore block in the countrys northeast, with the African countrys state oil firm ENH taking 40% in the project, seeking to replicate the success of the $7 billion Coral South LNG project. Iron Ore Plunges on China Weakness. The disappointment from Chinas Third Plenary continues to weigh on industrial metals with iron ore dipping below the psychological level of $100 per metric tonne on the Singapore Exchange, worsened by negative steel margins and Beijing mandating new quality standards. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Baker Hughes reported a 13% annual increase in second-quarter revenues and a 41% annual increase in net profits, beating analyst expectations on its strong international business. Like fellow oilfield service majors, Baker Hughes posted a strong quarter overseas and not so much at home. The company cited deals with Algerias Sonatrach and Brazils Petrobras among the largest contributors to its financial performance during the quarter, as well as Azerbaijans state-owned energy entity, SOCAR. Baker Hughes reported a 12% quarterly increase in orders for its oilfield services and equipment unit although on an annual basis the order volume for the second quarter represented a 3% decline. Thanks to the second-quarter performance, the company revised its full-year financial performance outlook higher. Following our first-half outperformance, we are raising the midpoint of our full-year guidance by 5% and are confident in our ability to drive margins structurally higher over the coming years, chief executive Lorenzo Simonelli said. The last six months have not been particularly easy for the U.S. oilfield service industry as consolidation among exploration and production companies increased competition among service providers. It is this state of affairs that has seen both of Baker Hughes' main competitors, SLB and Halliburton, report stronger performance overseas and a weakening of the domestic business. Among them, SLB is especially well positioned, as some 82% of its revenues from overseas operations, Reuters recalled in a recent report. Investments will increasingly be targeted to in the most resilient out of the market, including key international markets such as the Middle East and Asia and in offshore globally, SLBs chief executive Olivier Le Peuch said this week. Growth is stronger outside North America because oil demand is growing outside North America and not so much in it. Even so, in a consolidating industry at home, the biggest OSPs are best placed to maintain and even expand their business. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Even as independent Chinese refiners have reduced the intake of Iranian crude amid low refining margins, China has continued to import near-record levels of Iranian oil this year as a new demand center emerged in the northeast of the country, Reuters reported on Friday, quoting trading sources and tanker-tracking firms. The port city of Dalian, which has 6% of China's crude processing capacity, has seen only sporadic shipments of oil from Iran in the past few years, oil flow tracking firms Vortexa and Kpler have told Reuters. But Dalian has recently seen a surge in cargoes discharging Iranian crude. Per Vortexa data, 23 cargoes with a total of 45 million barrels of crude oil were shipped into and discharged at Dalian and the nearby Changxing island between October of last year and June this year. Kpler has estimated that China likely imported 34 million barrels into Dalian in the period. China has continued to buy cheaper crude from Iran even after the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iranian oil in 2018. The worlds top crude oil importer is Irans key export market, and it looks like the soaring imports into Dalian have compensated for lower purchases by independent refiners in the Shandong province. Earlier this year, Chinas independent refiners delayed purchases of crude from Iran for February as the Islamic Republic is now demanding higher prices and upfront payments before loading the cargoes, trading sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. As the year progressed, deteriorating refining margins have reduced the overall oil intake of the independent refiners, the so-called teapots. Many cargoes going into China from Iran continue to be labeled as carrying crude from other countries, such as Malaysia or Oman. Chinese customs data has shown that imports of crude from Malaysia have soared. According to Standard Chartered, the latest China customs import data showed crude oil imports from Malaysia clocked in at 1.456 million barrels per day (bpd), a lot more than the country produces. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nigeria's largest refinery, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, is reselling crude oil cargoes from both the United States and Nigeria. Reuters sources indicate that this move, unusual for refineries, stems from technical challenges at the plant. The refinery, which began production in January 2024, aims to be the largest in Africa and Europe once fully operational. It's designed to shift Nigeria from a fuel importer to a fuel exporter. However, recent events suggest the refinery is grappling with operational issues, specifically with its crude distillation unit (CDU). Despite these claims, a Dangote executive insists the CDU is functional. The rare resales include Nigerian Escravos and Forcados grades and even U.S. WTI Midland crude. Constructed at a cost of $20 billion by Africa's wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility represents a significant investment in Nigeria's oil and gas sector. Dangote's ambition is to eliminate Nigeria's dependency on imported fuel, an ongoing issue despite the nation being Africa's top oil producer. This situation arises amid other significant moves by the Dangote Group, which plans to list its refinery and a fertilizer subsidiary on the Nigerian stock exchange by early 2025. This public listing strategy hopes to alleviate foreign exchange pressures on the Nigerian economy. The refinery has been importing considerable volumes of U.S. crude, with more than 16 million barrels of West Texas Intermediate crude purchased in 2024 alone. This trend is expected to continue, with increased imports slated for the coming months. While the plan is for the refinery to meet Nigeria's entire demand for refined petroleum products and generate a surplus for export, the current technical issues pose a significant hurdle. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission reached an agreement with oil producers earlier this month to supply crude oil to domestic refineries at market prices, ending a lengthy supply dispute. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday ordering state agencies and departments to "adopt clear policies that urgently address homeless encampments." His order also says they need to clear the encampents while "respecting the dignity and well-being of all Californians." A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision gives local governments the authority to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces and remove the encampments. "The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses," Gavin said. "It's time for everyone to do their part." The executive order directs state agencies and departments to adopt "humane and dignified policies" to notify and support the people inhabiting encampments prior to removing them. Newsom cannot order local authorities to take action but his administration can apply pressure by withholding money for local governments, the Associated Press reported. The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to overturn an appeals court's decision that found a law prohibiting homeless people from sleeping outside in Grants Pass, Oregon unconstitutional. The majority opinion was penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch. "Homelessness is complex," he wrote. "Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it. The question this case presents is whether the Eighth Amendment grants federal judges primary responsibility for assessing those causes and devising those responses. A handful of federal judges cannot begin to 'match' the collective wisdom the American people possess in deciding 'how best to handle' a pressing social question like homelessness." World leaders, innovators, academia, development agencies, farmers organizations, and the private sector from across Africa and beyond will convene in Rwanda to participate in the annual Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) from September 2 to 6, 2024. This years summit themed "Innovate, Accelerate, and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era," will spotlight innovations and technologies, policies and delivery mechanisms, best practices, business models and investments to accelerate food systems transformation in Africa with youth and women at the helm. "Innovate" focuses on harnessing technologies, innovative policies, and business models to revolutionize agricultural practices and food production systems. "Accelerate" emphasizes the urgency of collective action to expedite sustainable food system transformations through technological advancements and innovative solutions. "Scale" highlights the need to expand proven models, initiatives, and investments to achieve widespread impact and ensure food security for millions. These pillars together provide a comprehensive framework for driving meaningful change in Africa's food systems. Leaders at this years convening will also examine the urgent need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and meet the Malabo Declaration's commitments by 2025. The event will be graced by H.E. President Paul Kagame, along with several current and former presidents, ministers, and key players from government and the private sector. Their presence in the forum showcases the high-level commitment to addressing the critical issues facing Africa's food systems. Amath Pathe Sene, Managing Director of the AFS Forum, emphasized the importance of this year's theme; Innovating, accelerating, and scaling are not just words, they are the pillars upon which the future of African food systems will be built. We are committed to leveraging the best of science, policy, and technology to drive this transformation. This years summit provides an unparalleled platform for stakeholders to come together, share insights, and forge partnerships that will lead to tangible actions. It is through such collective efforts that we can address the pressing challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and economic inclusivity. Our goal is to create an environment where innovative ideas can flourish, leading to sustainable solutions that benefit all, especially our youth and women. he added. Rwanda Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente who officially launched the forum in March2024 called for the transformation of agriculture to make it a powerful engine of the economy. "To transform the agriculture sector into a powerful engine for economic development, our country is embracing innovation and making evidence-based-policy decisions. In this context, the Government has focused on de-risking the sector to ensure that it becomes more profitable and attractive for the youth and private sector actors," said Dr. Ngirente. The summit will feature a rich program, including plenary sessions, thematic forums, side events, and leadership exchanges. It provides a unique, forward-looking platform for actionable dialogue and peer-learning as stakeholders address the urgent need for innovative solutions to transform food systems in Africa. In "Policy and Agenda Setting," discussions will focus on highlighting progress towards transforming food systems while renewing political, policy, and investment commitments. The "Investment Facilitation & Finance" sessions will promote innovative financing models designed to unlock investments from both the public and private sectors. Knowledge sharing sessions will be dedicated to disseminating the latest research, data, and technological advancements in the field and "Technological Advancements" will showcase digital technologies and scalable solutions aimed at addressing both global and local food challenges. Participants are invited to register for the AFSF 2024 through the official website: https://agrf-inperson.com/?v= The summit will provide a platform to engage with African leaders, discover emerging trends, access the latest technologies and solutions, and build strategic partnerships. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, honored the ancestors with wreath-laying ceremonies at the W.E.B. Dubois Centre, George Padmore Library, and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra. The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Egyapa Mercer, emphasized the significance of this celebration for the nation and people of African descent. He highlighted the importance of visiting key historical sites, such as the Salaga Slave Market and Pikworo Slave Camp in the Savannah and Upper East regions, as part of the emancipation commemoration. Hon Egyapa Mercer noted the value of honoring the memories of those who suffered, celebrating progress, and reaffirming the commitment to preserving rich African culture. He stated that "Emancipation Day" is not just a historic event but a call to action and a reminder that the journey toward freedom continues. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman, added that Emancipation Day also signifies continuity. He mentioned that even today, there are mental shackles that need to be broken. Mr Akwasi Agyeman stressed the importance of reconnecting with ourselves, continuing the struggle started by our forebears, and committing to the fight for justice to eradicate poverty. Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, the Paramount Chief of Akwamu state, remarked that despite the legacy of those dark days, our resilience has proven to be our greatest asset in the journey towards building the global African community we all aspire to see. He encouraged both citizens and those in the diaspora to use Emancipation Day as an opportunity to rekindle the lost heritage of the African continent. Source: Clinton Akwasi Amoako Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Muslim Cleric, Imam Ibrahim Mutala has advised Ghanaians to remain united before, during and after the forthcoming December 7, 2024, general elections. Delivering a sermon on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Masjid Salaam at Ridge, he cautioned Ghanaians, especially political office seekers to refrain from hate speech and communicate their ideas to the masses, preaching peace. Politicians and political commentators should communicate to transform lives and make Ghana progressive after the 2024 elections. They should be measured in their utterances, avoid character assassination and personal vendetta. Imam Ibrahim Mutala further advised the youth of Muslim-dominated communities to resist pressures or attempts by some political figures to use them to cause mayhem as witnessed in the past. He said the Muslim youth should reasonably serve as peace ambassadors, underscoring the need for Muslim Clerics to intensify their prayers for peaceful general elections. Source: Abdul Karim Naatogmah - Contributor Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An 11-year-old British girl lost her entire family in a fiery head-on car crash that killed her two little sisters after she made a last-minute decision to stay behind at a friend's house. Poppie Morgan-Roller will now be raised by her aunt, following the tragic deaths of her parents, 33-year-old Shane Roller and 30-year-old Shannen Morgan, and her sisters, 9-year-old Rubie Morgan-Roller and 4-year-old Lillie Morgan-Roller Sunday afternoon, loved ones said. Shane, Shannen, Rubie and Lillie were driving down a highway near Barnsley, England, and planned on going for a walk, when their vehicle slammed head-on into a motorcycle carrying a man and a woman, who also died, according to police. Poppie was playing at her best friend's house when her family was killed. "Her mum actually contacted us and asked if we could watch Poppie because she didn't want to go on the walk that they went on," family friend Paul Hepple explained, according to the Daily Mail. "So we were watching Poppie as she's best mates with our daughter. She was with our daughter having fun. And on their way home, that's when the accident happened," he said. "We were having Sunday dinner as a family, and Poppie's auntie was with us and obviously, Poppie was as well. And then she got a phone call and she ended up leaving really quickly to go and see what happened." Hepple launched a GoFundMe for Poppie earlier this week, which has since raised nearly half a million dollars. "This global reach of compassion and kindness is truly heartwarming, and we cannot thank you enough," he wrote in the fundraiser description. "Poppie is being incredibly brave, showing strength beyond her years. She's surrounded by love and support, and we're all doing our best to keep her spirits high with fun activities and distractions. Whether it's playing games, watching her favorite shows, or simply spending time with her family and friends, we are all committed to helping Poppie find moments of joy." Hepple announced while Poppie has been staying with him and his family, her aunt, who he described as "amazing, loving, and capable," will become her legal guardian. "She will be entirely responsible for managing the donations, ensuring that all funds are used for Poppie's well-being, including her living expenses, education, and any counseling she may need. Additionally, some of the funds may be used for the funeral expenses for Poppie's family if they choose to." Meanwhile, authorities arrested a male driver of a gray Porsche 911 on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He was released on bail Thursday. The Chiefs and people of the three traditional areas in the Sissala West District of the Upper West District showered praise on Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for promptly fulfilling a promise to provide a Pickup vehicle to the only Senior High School in the district. The NPP flagbearer pledged to provide the vehicle to the Hilla Limann Senior High School in response to a request by the late Paramount Chief of Gwollu, Kuri-Biktie Limann IV. Dr Bawumia pledged when he led a Government delegation to the late Gwollu overlord's funeral at Gwollu. Less than a month after the pledge Dr Bawumia, on Thursday 25th July, 2024 handed over the keys to a brand new Nissan Navarra 44 Pickup to the authorities of the school at the Gwollu Palace, Gwollu. Reading a speech on behalf of his fellow Paramount Chiefs of Zini, Gwollu and Pulima, Kuoru Osman Deiwia Nankpa III, Paramount Chief of Pulima expressed surprise at the speed with which Dr Bawumia had fulfilled his pledge. "Your recent pledge to grant the request of our late father and colleague, late Kuoru Kuri Buktie Limann to get a bus and a Pickup for the Dr Hilla Limann Senior High School are testament of your government's and personal commitment to groom quality human resource for the benefit of our country. "So let me be fulsome on behalf of the Chiefs and people of our land, in showing our profound gratitude for such meaningful interventions. I have gathered from very reliable sources that what you told us at this same grounds, barely a fortnight ago about making the Pickup available, is most likely to come to fruition today. "I ask on behalf of our people, 'What kind of a politician is this?'. You promised and you delivered. We are deeply touched and express the same here with elation" Kuoru Deiwia Nankpa stated. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NPP presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has reminded Ghanaians of some comments former President John Mahama made against him. Addressing an enthusiastic crowd in Jirapa in the Upper West Region on Thursday, Dr. Bawumia said former President Mahama played tribal cards against the NPP saying the party would never elect a Northerner to lead them, hence it is only when the NPP gives him their top position that the people of the North will vote for him to be President. Interestingly, Mahama also made the remarks in the Upper West Region in the build-up to the 2016 elections. "When I decided to contest for the flagbearership of the NPP, many people said it was not possible. They said it won't happen. They said the NPP would never elect a Northerner to be the leader. But I told them if God says it is possible, it will be possible. "So I went for the contest and by the grace of God, I am the leader of the NPPYou will recall that some time ago former President Mahama said that if the NPP wants the North to vote for them, they should elect Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Today, the NPP has elected Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, so the North, it is now time to vote for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Bawumia said. The Vice President said with him and Mahama representing the Northerners, it will be an all Northern affair, therefore this years election as "historic election. He also reminded the residents in Jirapa how former President Mahama neglected them and all the Northern Regions, failing to provide them any tangible development during his reign as President. It is an important election and an historic election. This is the first time the two leading parties are presenting candidates from the North, so it is going to be a Northern President. It is either Dr. Bawumia or former President Mahama but former President Mahama has been President before and I have not. I have only been a Vice President and my contributions to the development of the North is there for all to see. "But do you recall what former President Mahama did for Jirapa, the Upper West Region and the entire North? He said he set up SADA to develop the North but after millions of dollars, we saw nothing. Can you point to any SADA project here in Jirapa, the Upper West and the Northern Regions? They said they invested in guinea fowls and when we asked them where are the guinea fowls, they said they have flown to Burkina Faso. "We want development and we want to go forward. We want to go forward with digitalization and modern agriculture, not lip-service and guinea fowl which Mahama represented." Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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: Examination of the inner ear of the extinct dolphin species offers insights into the animals' evolution. Photo: Senckenberg Research Institute Senckenberg researcher Dr. Rachel Racicot and her former student Joyce Sanks from Vanderbilt University have examined the inner ear of the extinct dolphin genus Parapontoporia. In their study, published in the journal The Anatomical Record, they show that the toothed whales had already developed specialized high-frequency hearing in the Miocene. The mammals also colonized rivers, which links them to today's rare and endangered river dolphins. Investigating the sensory systems of toothed whales can help to understand the influence of habitat on their hearing and the evolutionary dynamics of marine mammals. The return of cetaceans from land to the water about 50 million years ago in the early Eocene marks one of the most pivotal periods in the evolution of mammals. As a result of this change of habitat, whales, dolphins, and porpoises acquired a number of adaptations, including the relocation of their nostrils to the top of their heads and the development of a streamlined body. "The echolocation used by the animals also developed quite early in their evolutionary history. The animals emit a sound wave that bounces off an object and returns an echo, which provides information about the distance and size of the object. Today, all toothed whales use this natural sonar system," explains Dr. Racicot from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt. "Echolocation is a logical hunting and communication strategy, especially in the sea, where sound travels five times faster than in the air, while at the same time visibility is often impaired." Racicot and Sanks examined the inner ear of three specimens of the now extinct dolphin genus Parapontoporia from the collections of the San Diego Museum of Natural History, using high-resolution X-ray CT scans. With the help of 3D models, they were able to prove that the mammals already possessed narrow-band high-frequency hearing during the Miocene, around 5.3 million years ago. "What is particularly exciting is that these dolphins changed their habitat once again and left the marine environment to colonize rivers," says Racicot. Even today, there are still a few dolphins living in rivers. All six species are currently very rare and threatened with extinction. As a relative of the Chinese river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), which was last seen alive in 2002, Parapontoporia offers insights into the transition from a marine habitat to a freshwater environment. "We assume that selective pressure and/or ecological advantages caused this early and widespread evolution of echolocation in the dolphins we studied. River systems are spatially complex habitats in which this form of orientation and communication was probably advantageous for the long-snouted dolphins," explains Racicot. "Further research into the sensory systems of toothed whales can be an important tool to study the influence of habitat on cetacean hearing and to understand the evolutionary dynamics of marine mammals." More information: Joyce Sanks et al, Predicting ecology and hearing sensitivities in ParapontoporiaAn extinct longsnouted dolphin, The Anatomical Record (2024). DOI: 10.1002/ar.25538 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: Faksawat Poohphajai (InnoRenew CoE) Researchers are using biological matter to create unique new materials that can adapt to their environment and repair themselves. The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke famously said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." For Dr. Kunal Masania, an associate professor of aerospace structures and materials at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, Clarke made a huge impression. "I've always been greatly inspired by this," said Masania. "Through my research, I try to bring a kind of magic to people's lives." Living materials Masania is developing what he calls "living materials," for use in the aerospace and transportation sectors. These living materials are, precisely as they sound, literally alive. They contain microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria, which give them the capacity to sustain their integrity and self-healing. His work may seem like magic, but it is very real and advancing well. It is part of a five-year project called AM-IMATE, for which Masania was awarded a grant from the European Union in January 2023. The research team are looking at the potential of biological organisms to be integrated into innovative new materials for use in industry and engineering. "The goal is to make engineered structures that can behave like living organisms, able to sense and adapt to mechanical stresses," said Masania. 3D printed fungi The material Masania is developing is a composite that combines living fungi cells and wood. It consists of a hydrogel and mycelium, a root-like structure of a fungus that normally lives underground. "We chose to work with fungi because fungus is a really robust organism, it is tolerant to harsh conditions and is relatively easy to cultivate," said Masania. Moreover, fungal cells have a great ability to connect. Mycelium can grow a vast sensing network that allows it to send signals throughout the organism. That means the scientists can distribute only a few cells throughout the material, and these cells will reconnect and form a sensing network. To produce these living materials, Masania has developed a special 3D printing method and a new 3D printing ink. "We are making good progress in this regard, and we are already able to 3D print our material," he said. Sustainable space Biological materials could help to improve the performance and durability of critical structures used in areas like aerospace and transportation. For example, Masania and his team are exploring using their composites as the core material for the interior of airplanes. "Our materials are very lightweight and more sustainable than currently used materials," said Masania. "Right now, the interior of aircraft is made largely of plastic and metal. If we replace these, we no longer have to rely on fossil fuels and we can offer better end-of-life solutions. If we use living materials, the aircraft components could be dismantled and returned to nature." Masania's research may even be looking to make what seems like sci-fi a reality. "It could be very interesting for building in space and on other planets," he said. "Our living materials could form the basis of new habitats because you could use the local materials and bind them together using the fungi." Bio-based building skin Closer to home, bio-based materials are also being used to develop a new ally for sustainable construction. Dr. Anna Sandak is an expert in materials science with a special focus on wood. She is an associate professor at the University of Primorska, in Koper, Slovenia, and deputy director and head of the materials department at the Slovenian InnoRenew Centre of Excellence. InnoRenew was set up in 2017 with the help of EU, international and national funding to build on Slovenia's strengths in forestry and wood research. The aim was to investigate innovative renewable materials for sustainable building. In 2022, Sandak and her InnoRenew research team were awarded a five-year EU grant to further develop the concept of a bio-active living coating system for use in the construction industry. Thanks to this funding, they are developing a "live" biofilm able to protect various built surfaces, including concrete, plastic and metal. The idea is that this living skin could be applied to protect construction materials and make buildings more resilient and sustainable. "Instead of using synthetic chemicals, biocides and mineral oils that are not always environmentally friendly, we are focussing on developing natural solutions," said Sandak. By using living organisms, scientists are creating new functionalities that cannot be found in conventional materials. "We are adding a new dimension to materials that has not existed beforelife," said Sandak. "In nature, cells have many fantastic properties which are very difficult and costly to achieve in synthetic materials. Living materials are more environmentally friendly, they can self-heal, have the potential to clean air and come at a lower cost." Fun fungi Like the AM-IMATE project, Sandak's team works primarily with fungi. "They have a huge potential," she said. "They grow fantastically, have a high survival rate and don't need many nutrients. Fungi are fun." Fungi already occur on construction sites, but are usually not desirable because they can damage materials. Sandak's team, however, works with a specific fungus that isn't harmful and doesn't degrade materials. "We are using the "good guys" to stop the "bad guys" from spreading." To ensure their research makes it to practice, the scientists are creating a biocoating that is not only effective, but also visually appealing. They are testing it on a variety of materials and working on adding different colors. "Because aesthetics is important in architecture," said Sandak. The resulting product is envisaged to be a water-based coating that can be sprayed, brushed or rolled onto a wide range of surfaces. ARCHI-SKIN runs until 2027, and according to Sandak, the research is progressing quite fast, and it won't be too long before their coating can be applied to the first buildings. "I believe it will be possible to use our solution within the next decade," she said. Societal impact In the case of both projects, scientists are gaining valuable fundamental knowledge about microorganisms, but as both project coordinators say, the main outcome of the research should be real-life applications. "We want to make our world a better place," said Sandak. "I believe we will definitely start to see many more applications for bio-based materials, such as in buildings and the built environment, as well as consumer products," said Masania. "As our understanding of these materials develops, more and more applications will follow." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A member of a team taking part in the Elf Authentique Aventure raid crosses the Lencois Maranhenses National Park in Maranhao State, northeastern Brazil, on April 25, 2000. The Lencois Maranhenses National Park, known for its endless dunes and dazzling natural pools in northeastern Brazil, was declared a World Heritage site by Unesco on July 26, 2024. The decision was taken during the 46th annual meeting of the United Nations World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India's capital, which is considering applications for recognition from 28 sites around the world. Brazil's Lencois Maranhenses National Park, famed for its white dunes that fill with blue and emerald lagoons in the rainy season, was on Friday declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vast park, named for the dunes' resemblance to a bedsheet spread across the landscape"lencois" means sheets in Portugueseis located in the northeastern state of Maranhao, in a transition zone between the Amazon, Cerrado, and Caatinga biomes. The decision was taken during the 46th annual meeting of the United Nations World Heritage Committee, which is taking place in India's capital New Delhi. Lencois Maranhenses is the 24th site in Brazil to make it onto the list of places of significant cultural or natural significance. The national park was created in June 1981 and covers an area of 156,000 hectares, more than half of which offers a landscape of dunes and multi-colored lagoons, which attract more than 100,000 tourists each year. According to UNESCO, it is the largest expanse of dunes in South America. The Lencois Maranhenses are a protected area "where the desert meets the sea, creating a unique landscape," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a letter sent in early 2023 to UNESCO to urge the site's inscription as a World Heritage Site. The park has also hosted several Hollywood film shoots. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Average annual nutrient loss within all deer count areas from deer carcass removal for each land classification type. Credit: Ecological Solutions and Evidence (2024). DOI: 10.1002/2688-8319.12356 The removal of deer bodies following annual culls in Scotland may be depriving the environment of essential nutrients, according to a new study published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence. Ecologists estimate that the clearance of deer carcasses prevents hundreds of thousands of kilos of vital minerals from re-entering the environment every year. This loss could undermine the long-term success of habitat recovery efforts, experts say. Environmental benefits In Scotland, deer populations have been actively managed since 1959, primarily to control over-browsingeating shoots and leaves of trees and shrubs. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Yale University used nationwide cull data on red, roe, fallow, and sika deer between 2010 and 2022 to calculate annual nutrient losses. They estimated levels of phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium for each deer species based on their average body and antler size. They calculated that 251,188 kg of calcium, 195,652 kg of nitrogen and 152,834 kg of phosphorus are lost across Scotland each year. The research team says that the loss of calcium has a bigger environmental impact than loss of nitrogen or phosphorus. Low-calcium soils can hinder commercial and native woodland regeneration, and can have knock-on effects for birds, which experience declines in shell thickness in low-calcium environments. Carcasses also bring other ecosystem benefits, such as being a food source for small predators including pine martens. Carcasses have also been shown to distract predators from ground-nesting birds, such as capercaillies, during the breeding season. "The results of our study call for deer managers to reconsider current practices and integrate approaches that retain a proportion of deer carcasses within ecosystems. "While we specifically look at nutrients and do not assess other environmental impacts of carcasses or make a value judgment on deer culling, our findings will help guide evidence-based recommendations for deer and nutrient management to better protect Scotland's plans for large-scale ecosystem recovery and sustainable wildlife management," said Chris Hirst, co-author of the study, from the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute. Possible solutions The researchers propose two solutions for retaining nutrients from deer carcasses in the environment. The first is for culled deer carcasses to be left where they fall. An alternative method is to reduce the number of culls and allow deer to die naturally in the landscape, potentially through the reintroduction of natural predators to manage deer numbers. "Through predation, both the consumed carcass and what is left behind would ultimately remain in the ecosystem. Further, due to the way in which predators hunt, they would also create heterogeneity in carcass distribution on the landscape, creating hotspots of nutrients that would be difficult for human-hunting to replicate," said Kristy Ferraro, lead author of the study, from the Yale School of the Environment. The researchers warn that their findings are estimates, and future experiments are needed to analyze carcass decomposition and environmental features to directly evaluate ecosystem impact. They add that their outcomes are likely to underestimate actual nutrient losses, because the records of deer culling in Scotland exclude deaths, for example, from vehicle accidents. More information: Kristy M. Ferraro et al, Missing carcasses, lost nutrients: Quantifying nutrient losses from deer culling practices in Scotland, Ecological Solutions and Evidence (2024). DOI: 10.1002/2688-8319.12356 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: This handout image released by BC Wildfire Service shows smoke columns from the Truax Creek wildfire, Ontario, on May 12, 2024. Rain and cooler temperatures are helping firefighters battling a huge forest fire that has devastated part of the popular tourist town of Jasper in western Canada, authorities said Friday. The blaze has ravaged a large section of Jasper National ParkCanada's largestwhich is famed for its scenic mountains, lakes, waterfalls and glaciers, drawing some 2.5 million visitors a year. The fire has so far caused no casualties, although as many as 25,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate quickly starting late Monday as the conflagration suddenly spread. Still described as out of control early Friday, the blaze has destroyed more than 36,000 hectares (90,000 acres) of land, including 30 to 50 percent of the town of Jasper. "There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community," said Danielle Smith, Alberta province's premier. 'Heartbreaking' damage Rain and cooler temperatures in the national park will likely "keep fire behavior low for the next 72 hours," said Parks Canada, which oversees the country's national parks and coordinates firefighting efforts. Canada has mobilized troops to help its overtaxed fire crews, and has turned abroad, requesting a total 400 foreign firefighters from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Africa. The fire entered a by-then deserted Jasper on Wednesday evening, fanned by strong winds in a region hit by severe drought and record heat in recent days. Firefighters were still working in the town on Thursday. A video circulating on social media showed the city's streets covered in ash, with cars turned to charred carcasses and buildings reduced to rubbleimages Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called "heartbreaking." 'Feeling of devastation' The fire was started by lightning strikes Monday, said Parks Canada, adding that fast-moving flames had reached a height of up to 120 meters (390 feet). Powerful wind gusts Wednesday saw the ferocious blaze advance by five kilometers (three miles) in less than 30 minutes, said Mike Ellis, minister of public security for Alberta province. The authorities have said it could take several weeks to completely subdue the blaze. Lightning strikes have ignited several other forest fires across western Canada, amid drought and high temperatures. In all, there are 170 active fires in Alberta, authorities said. Neighboring British Columbia province has also been hard-hit, with 400 active blazes, half of them still out of control. Fifty-six new fires have been counted there just in the past 24 hours. Climate change has left Canada increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events. There are growing fears of a repeat of 2023, the country's worst fire year in history, when 15 million hectares were burned and more than 200,000 people had to evacuate. The Jasper fire forced some residents to flee hundreds of kilometers in search of shelter. One Jasper resident, who had driven hours to escape the advancing flames, told AFP: "Everyone has a total feeling of devastation. Many people are feeling very helpless. Because there's nothing that we can do." 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Hunga Tonga volcano, pictured during its eruption on January 14-15, 2022. Credit: Tonga Geological Services / ZUMA Press / Zuma / REA, Dr. Mark Schoeberl New research from a collaborative team featuring Texas A&M University atmospheric scientist Dr. Andrew Dessler is exploring the climate impact of the 2022 Hunga Tonga volcano eruption and challenging existing assumptions about its effects in the process. The remarkable two-day event, which occurred in mid-January 2022, injected vast amounts of volcanic aerosols and water vapor into the atmosphere. Historically, large volcanic eruptions like Tambora in 1815 and Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 have led to significant cooling effects on the global climate by blocking sunlight with their aerosols. However, Hunga Tonga's eruption presented a unique scenario: As a submarine volcano, it introduced an unprecedented amount of water vapor into the stratosphere, increasing total stratospheric water content by about 10%. Because water vapor is a powerful greenhouse gas, Dessler says there was initial speculation that it might account for the extreme global warmth in 2023 and 2024. Instead, the results of the team's research, published Wednesday, July 24 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, reveal the opposite: The eruption actually contributed to cooling the Earth, similar to other major volcanic events. A volcanic eruption's cooling effect The team's paper, titled "Evolution of the Climate Forcing During the Two Years after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Eruption," includes insight and analysis from Dessler, a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies; first author Dr. Mark Schoeberl, chief scientist at the Virginia-based Science and Technology Corporation in Hamburg, Virginia; and multiple scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Their methodology involved analyzing NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite data observations of aerosols and water vapor, among other variables, to estimate the energy balance of the Earth's climate system. Their analysis revealed that the eruption resulted in more energy leaving the climate system than entering it, thereby inducing the slight cooling effect. "Our paper pours cold water on the explanation that the eruption caused the extreme warmth of 2023 and 2024," Dessler explained. "Instead, we need to focus primarily on greenhouse gases from human activities as the main cause of the warming, with a big assist from the ongoing El Nino." Implications and future research According to Dessler, this research has important implications for both scientists and the general public. By dismissing the volcanic eruption as a major factor in the recent warming, the team's study reinforces his point that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of climate change. This focus is particularly relevant, given the ongoing debate and misinformation about the causes of global warming. Moreover, Schoeberl says the study underscores the importance of continued investment in satellite-based stratospheric measurements. "Our understanding of the Hunga Tonga eruption is largely thanks to the investment in stratospheric satellite measurements by NOAA and NASA over the past two decades," Schoeberl added. "However, we need to be cautious about a potential 'stratospheric data desert,' as some of the most critical instruments are not being replaced." The challenging path ahead While this paper answers several important questions, Dessler acknowledges that it simultaneously introduces new ones. For instance, the researchers highlighted some unresolved issues related to the Hunga Tonga eruption, such as the unexpectedly low levels of sulfur dioxide produced by such a violent eruption and the minimal impact the eruption had on the 2023 ozone hole. The 2023 ozone hole refers to a significant thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica, which allows more harmful UV radiation to reach the Earth's surface. Additionally, the persistence of water vapor in the stratosphere beyond what was predicted by models suggests that there is still much to learn about stratospheric circulation processes. As scientists work to resolve ongoing questions and deepen our understanding of the stratosphere, Schoeberl says the team's work highlights the critical need for continued research and precise data to tackle the challenges of climate change. More information: M. R. Schoeberl et al, Evolution of the Climate Forcing During the Two Years After the Hunga TongaHunga Ha'apai Eruption, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024JD041296 Journal information: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A brush fire that ignited during the afternoon of July 24 from a lightning strike, burning hundreds of acres north of Palomar Mountain and triggering evacuations, is expected to last several days, a fire official said. The blaze, dubbed the Grove fire, charred 900 acres and was reported to be 10% contained, Cal Fire reported shortly before 1 p.m. July 25 on X, formerly known as Twitter. Firefighters are battling flames under hot and humid weather conditions in steep terrain, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said. The fire was reported around 1:15 p.m. July 24 in the area of Dodge Valley near the rural community of Sunshine Summit, and it spread quickly. It is located east of Oak Grove and burning to the southwest, Cornette said. Around 5:25 p.m. that evening, officials announced evacuation orders for the areas around Chihuahua Valley Road, east of state Route 79 and south of the San Diego-Riverside county line. Evacuation warnings were issued in the area of Stone Ridge Estates. "All the evacuation orders and warnings are still in place," Cornette said. "The fire is threatening homes off of Chihuahua Valley Road." Cornette said firefighters are working in challenging conditions as they climb steep hills to try to put down containment lines. More than 230 firefighters have been assigned, along with 35 engines, eight water tenders, six helicopters and six dozers. Several air tankers also were expected to make fire retardant drops on the fire, Cornette said. Officials planned to get firefighting aircraft in the air early to get a better view of the fire's size. "Last night the fire activity died down, so we were able to get some good work in there around the fire," he said. "This morning, we will have our aircraft out early to strengthen the control lines so we can try to button this thing up." He said officials expect the fire to last "several days." "The weather is hot again," he said. "It is going to be humid They are expecting less rain today, so that's going to increase the fire activity." Forecasters said they expect to see fewer thunderstorms in the area on Thursday. A temporary evacuation point was set up at the Warner Springs Community Resource Center, 30950 Highway 79 in Warner Springs. Small animals are welcome at that location. On Wednesday it was at Warner Spring High School. Anyone fleeing the fire with large animals is being directed to Ramona High School, 1401 Hanson Lane in Ramona. 2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. 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: Analysis of sewage sludge for the formation of glyphosate in Professor Carolin Huhn's laboratory at the University of Tubingen. Photographer: Friedhelm Albrecht. Credit: University of Tubingen A research team at the University of Tubingen has found that most glyphosate that ends up in European rivers likely does not come from herbicides, as previously assumed; instead, it may be the result of additives to detergents. For the study, Professor Carolin Huhn of the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and colleagues from the Geo- and Environmental Center conducted a large meta-analysis on data from European and US water protection authorities. The study has been published in the journal Water Research. Until now, the use of glyphosate as a herbicide in agriculture was considered to be the main reason for its presence in bodies of water worldwide. However, European reduction measures have not led to any noticeable reduction in the environment. Professor Huhn's study suggests that another source has been overlooked for decades. The hypothesis is that certain aminopolyphosphonates used, for example in laundry detergents, are converted to glyphosate in the sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plants. A wealth of measurement data In order to trace the pathways of glyphosate into rivers, the working group at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and colleagues from the Department of Geosciences analyzed a long-time series of glyphosate concentrations in rivers gathered mainly from authorities responsible for water protection in Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Luxembourg, the UK, the Netherlands and the U.S. Some of the data sets reached back to 1997. The researchers included data from about one hundred locations in their study. The starting point for the study was the observation that glyphosate concentrations in European rivers show a strong seasonality with high concentrations in summer and low concentrations in winter. Yet, with agriculture being the dominant source, we would expect increased concentrations from agriculture during the main application phases in spring and autumn, as well as increased concentrations after rain events. Glyphosate is used to prevent unwanted plant growth in agriculture, as well as in residential areas and in rail track beds. "In soil and water, glyphosate is partly converted to aminomethylphosphonic acid, or AMPA. Both substances can be mobilized by precipitation and find their way into rivers," says Huhn, who is also the spokesperson for the Environmental Systems Platform, part of the University of Tubingen's Excellence Strategy. This seasonal profile is known from substances entering surface waters from wastewater treatment plants, such as pharmaceuticals and household chemicals. Calculating the amount of glyphosate being transported in a river per day, a fairly constant input is derived from the data. The concentration peaks expected from agricultural sources were only observed at very few, exclusively agricultural, measuring points in Europe. Furthermore, the input pattern of other herbicides is almost opposite to the one of glyphosate. Thus, the study, carried out with Tubingen geoscientists Dr. Marc Schwientek, Dr. Hermann Rugner, Professor Stefan Haderlein and the chemistry Ph.D. students Sarah Bieger and Lisa Engelbart, showed that the main source of glyphosate and AMPA in rivers must come from wastewater from sewage treatment plants. "A survey of literature data shows that glyphosate is found in all the wastewater treatment plants examined in Europe, and its concentration was remarkably constant throughout the year," says Huhn. A source from households? "The detailed analysis of the millions of individual values shows us that municipal wastewater plays a role. And some of the findings of the study also show us that we have to locate a source for glyphosate close to households," says Huhn. The researchers believe there must be a dominant input separate from the use of herbicides; the patterns in concentration could not be explained any other way. "However, everything we cannot explain about the data disappears if we assume that we are not really looking at glyphosate which was previously used as a herbicide, but instead at glyphosate that has formed from a larger substance," says analytical chemist Huhn. The researchers compiled a list of criteria from their data, and identified a substance chemically related to glyphosate, which would resolve all the questions raised from the meta-analysis. Their hypothesis is that glyphosate is a transformation product from aminopolyphosphonates which are used extensively in Europe and especially in laundry detergents. Initial laboratory tests have now been completed and confirm the hypothesis of glyphosate formation in wastewater treatment plants from this laundry additive. However, there is also some good news: "We do not see glyphosate formation when we simulate conditions directly in the washing machine." The results may explain why it has not been and will not be possible to reduce glyphosate pollution in rivers in Europe through herbicide reduction strategies, Huhn summarizes. The new glyphosate source must be verified in independent studies. Authorities must discuss how to continue surface water monitoring and how to possibly regulate the aminopolyphosphonates or improve elimination rates in wastewater treatment. "We are aware that our findings may have far-reaching implications, including for industry and policymakers, but also for how surface water monitoring can be improved. The situation in the U.S. is different from that in the EU; concentration patterns of glyphosate in U.S. river water closely follow those of other herbicides, indicating a dominant agricultural input. In contrast to Europe, aminopolyphosphonates are hardly used in the U.S. in laundry detergents. More information: M. Schwientek et al, Glyphosate contamination in European rivers not from herbicide application?, Water Research (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122140 Journal information: Water Research Melania Trump is selling a "collector's edition" of her self-titled, debut memoir slated for release in the fall. Fans willing to pay $250 will receive a signed version of Melania, bonus photographs and a digital collectible, according to her website. An unsigned version will cost readers $40. Melania, released in partnership with Skyhorse Publishing, tells the "powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has defined personal excellence, overcome adversity, and carved her own path," her website read. "The former First Lady invites readers into her world, offering an intimate portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life." The book, announced Thursday and now available for pre-order, will make its debut on store shelves Sept. 24, and includes stories and never-before-seen images. "The book is a diligent and historically important record of the turbulent recent past of our country, seen from Melania Trump's unique vantage point," Skyhorse President Tony Lyons said, according to CNBC. "It conveys her core beliefs of unity, hope and kindness, and whatever you thought you knew about this intensely private woman, these pages contain something more and something deeper." Similarly, the former first lady's husband Donald Trump also announced Thursday his plans to release a new book. "I'm pleased to announce my new Book, 'SAVE AMERICA,'" he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. "As everyone knows, the first two, 'Our Journey Together' and, 'Letters to Trump,' have been spectacular successes, and this is the BEST OF ALL, especially in light of the fact that we are now living in a Failing Nation, but it will not be failing for long. We will soon, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" The now-iconic photo of Trump pumping his fist in the air following his attempted assassination will adorn the cover, according to the post. 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: Schematics of phase-space objects. (a) Quasipotential landscape of a saddle fixed point. Gray dot: unstable fixed point localization. (b) Quasipotential landscape of a ghost state. Note the absence of a fixed point. Inset: time course of a trajectory with slow transition through the ghost. Schematic diagrams of scaffolds of connected (c) saddles ( ), i.e., heteroclinic channel, and (d) ghosts ( ), i.e., ghost channel. denotes the ghost-attracting set of , and its basin. (a)(d) Black, gray, and magenta arrows represent (un)stable manifolds, flow direction and example trajectories, respectively. Credit: Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.047202 Scientists all over the world use modeling approaches to understand complex natural systems such as climate systems or neuronal or biochemical networks. A team of researchers has now developed a new mathematical framework that explains, for the first time, a mechanism behind long transient behaviors in complex systems. They introduce ghost channels and ghost cycles as novel objects that explain how natural systems can be stable over prolonged periods of time, yet still be able to rapidly switch to another state. This new approach challenges the traditional concept based on stable or unstable equilibria and might help us to better understand how transiently-stable neuronal dynamics governs sensory information processing, or how to potentially predict tipping cascades, such as those driving the loss of biodiversity. The joint study by the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behaviorcaesar, the University of Leicester, and King's College London has been published in the journal Physical Review Letters. When you find yourself in a new city and ask for directions, your working memory temporarily holds chunks of information such as turns or landmarks, that you follow in a specific sequence. Once you make it to your destination though, you will forget about the details. In order to perform this task, the neuronal networks in your brain have the opposed abilities to transiently stabilize neuronal activity in order to remember information, but also to quickly switch to a different state in the sequence. Similar dynamics can also be observed in ecology. In competing microbial populations, one species often dominates for a long time and appears to define a stable equilibrium when suddenly, for no apparent reason, another species starts to take over, leading to a decline of the previous species. Such transitions can even lead to extinctions and biodiversity loss. In order to predict whether and when such a tipping event might happen, the observed dynamics before the shift are often analyzed. The difficulty with such predictions is that they require prior knowledge about whether the state is indeed stable or comes from a long transient, to successfully interpret the statistics of the recorded data. However, for economically important ecosystems such as coral reefs, it is necessary to identify whether reefs that appear to be a healthy ecosystem may in fact be in danger of tipping into a degraded algae-dominated state. Challenging traditional dynamics models Classically, dynamical states of any complex system have been described as attractors, or equilibriaabstract mathematical objects expected to be observed for an infinitely long period of time and where the system returns to after a small perturbation. These states, however, do not capture how transient stability, as well as rapid transitions can be achieved. To introduce both features, sequences of dynamical saddles have been previously considered. Akin to the shape of a saddle, it stabilizes the dynamics along one dimensionalong the seat, but is intrinsically unstable and can fall off along the orthogonal dimension. Therefore, if the unstable dimension of one is connected to the stable dimension of another saddle, a channel of saddles, called a heteroclinic channel, can emerge, such that the dynamics of the systems can switch between states in a sequence. In a study led by scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior in Bonn (MPINB), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Leicester, and King's College London, the team has now shown that heteroclinic channels cannot fully capture the dynamics observed in real-world, noisy systems. The capability to generate transiently stable states along the saddle is lost as soon as the system encounters even small perturbations. In contrast, they have identified special types of instabilities, called ghost channels and ghost cycles, explaining how complex systems can display robust transiently stable behavior, after which they would quickly transition to another transiently stable state that can have very different properties. The ghost structures are a feature that emerges at criticality, when a system is balanced at the boundary between two or more qualitatively different regimes. Such organization allows systems to exploit qualitatively different regimes, and thereby also effectively balance between opposed features. Dr. Akhilesh Nandan from MPINB explains, "Changing the framework that the dynamics are governed by stable states, or attractors, to a framework where the dynamics are dictated by formally unstable structures such as ghost-based scaffolds, enabled us to obtain a potential description for what has been experimentally observed across broad range of systems. Crucial for defining this framework was the mathematical characterization of these abstract ghost objects." Understanding degrading ecosystems or climate change In their publication, the scientists demonstrate that ghost-based scaffolds better capture the properties of long transients in noisy systems compared to traditional models. Instead of relying on precise knowledge or the existence of (un)stable fixed points, this novel framework centers on slow directed flows organized by ghost sets in ghost channels and ghost cycles. An exciting implication from this study is that ghost structures seem to underline many different processes across biological and natural systems once you know what to look for. "We have identified ghost channels in models relevant for cell fate decisions during development, but also models of tipping cascades in climate systems that are used to explore how tipping, e.g., of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could affect the dynamics of other climate sub-systems," says Dr. Daniel Koch. Therefore, these new findings open many doors for future research, from a theoretical understanding of how neuronal networks encode smell or taste, to a potentially better prediction of shifts in ecosystems or the climate. "What we are most excited about, however, is the potential this powerful theoretical framework can bring for biological and artificial intelligence research," says Dr. Aneta Koseska, who leads the group of Cellular Computations and Learning at the MPINB in Bonn. "We already started investigating how ghost scaffolds can aid learning of natural and artificial neuronal networks, and use them to overcome the current obstacles of catastrophic forgetting." This framework, therefore, could possibly provide a potential umbrella to study long transients, but also to identify the limits of the current mathematical frameworks and where further expansions are necessary to tackle long-standing open questions of quasi-stable transient dynamics across living, natural and man-made systems. More information: D. Koch et al, Ghost Channels and Ghost Cycles Guiding Long Transients in Dynamical Systems, Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.047202 Journal information: Physical Review Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The earliest datable sunspot drawings based on Johannes Kepler's solar observations with camera obscura in May 1607. Credit: Kepler, J. 1609, Phaenomenon singulare seu Mercurius in Sole, Thomae Schureri, Lipisiae. Using modern techniques, researchers have re-examined Johannes Kepler's half-forgotten sunspot drawings and revealed previously-hidden information about the solar cycles before the grand solar minimum. By recreating the conditions of the great astronomer's observations and applying Sporer's law in the light of modern statistics, an international collaborative group led by Nagoya University in Japan has measured the position of Kepler's sunspot group, placing it at the tail-end of the solar cycle before the cycle that Thomas Harriot, Galileo Galilei, and other early telescopic observers later witnessed. The group's findings, reported in Astrophysical Journal Letters, offer a key to resolving the controversy on the duration of solar cycles at the beginning of the 17th century, which are associated with the transition from regular solar cycles to the grand solar minimum, known as the Maunder Minimum (16451715). A grand solar minimum is an abnormally prolonged period of low sunspot activity, which is important for telling researchers about solar activity and its effect on the Earth. Kepler's important observations Kepler, renowned for his historical achievements in astronomy and mathematics, made one of the earliest datable instrumental records of solar activity in the early 17th Century, before the earliest telescopic sunspot drawings. He used an apparatus known as a camera obscura, consisting of a small hole in a wall to project the sun's image on to a sheet of paper, which allowed him to sketch visible features on the sun. In May 1607, he recorded what he mistakenly interpreted as a transit of Mercury across the sun, later clarified to be a sunspot group sighting. Sunspots are areas on the sun's surface that appear darker because of intense magnetic activity. Their occurrence, frequency, and latitudinal distributions appear in cycles that affect solar radiation and space weather. Hisashi Hayakawa, the lead author of the study, believes that researchers have underappreciated the significance of this finding. "Since this record was not a telescopic observation, it has only been discussed in the context of the history of science and had not been used for quantitative analyses for the solar cycles in the 17th century," he said. "But this is the oldest sunspot sketch ever made with an instrumental observation and a projection." He continued, "We realized that this sunspot drawing should be able to tell us the location of the sunspot and indicate the solar cycle phase in 1607 as long as we managed to narrow down the observation point and time and reconstruct the tilt of the heliographic coordinatesmeaning the positions of features on the sun's surfaceat that point in time." Based on Kepler's observation, researchers suggested the cycle-boundary range between Solar Cycles 14 and 13 as indicated in red lines, in comparison with the sunspot (group) number reconstructions based on the sunspot records in blue curve (Svalgaard & Schatten, 2016) and tree-ring 14C data in black curve (Usoskin et al., 2021) and green curve (Miyahara et al., 2021). The authors' reconstruction contradicts controversial claim that an extremely short and an extremely lengthened solar cycles (green) and conforms to the regular solar cycles (black). Credit: Dr. Hisashi Hayakawa The 17th century: A key time for astronomy The observations were important because the 17th century was a pivotal period in the solar cycle, not only as the time when sunspot observations had just begun but also when solar activity transitioned from normal solar cycles to the Maunder Minimum, a unique grand solar minimum in observational history. It is not fully understood how the pattern of solar activity shifted from regular cycles to the grand minimum, other than that the transition was gradual. One of the previous tree-ring-based reconstructions claimed a sequence consisting of an extremely short solar cycle ( 5 years) and an extremely long solar cycle ( 16 years), associating these anomalous solar-cycle durations with a precursor of the transition from regular solar cycles to the grand solar minimum. "If true, this would indeed be interesting. However, another tree-ring-based reconstruction indicated a sequence of solar cycles with normal durations," said Nagoya University's Hisashi Hayakawa. "Then, which reconstruction should we trust? It is extremely important to check these reconstructions with independentpreferably observationalrecords." Four key findings Kepler's sunspot record is a key observational reference. By analyzing Kepler's records and comparing them with contemporaneous data and modern statistics, the researchers made several important discoveries: First, after 'deprojecting' Kepler's sunspot drawings and compensating for the solar position angle, they placed Kepler's sunspot group at a low heliographic latitude. This suggests that the famous schematic drawing of the solar image that Kepler diagrammed in his book is not consistent with Kepler's original text and the two camera obscura images, which show the sunspot in the upper left portion of the solar disk. A naked-eye sunspot group on 11 May 2024 as photographed by E. T. H. Teague, one of the authors of the said article. Credit: E. T. H. Teague Second, by applying Sporer's law and the knowledge gained from modern sunspot statistics, they identified the sunspot group as being probably located in the tail-end of solar cycle -13 rather than the beginning of solar cycle -14. Third, their findings contrast with later telescopic observations, which show sunspots at higher latitudes. "This shows a typical transition from the preceding solar cycle to the following cycle, in accordance with Sporer's law," Thomas Teague, an observer for the WDC SILSO and a member of the team, said, referring to the German astronomer Gustav Sporer who described a migration of sunspots from higher to lower latitudes during a solar cycle. Fourth, this finding allows the authors to approximate the transition between the previous solar cycle (-14) and the next solar cycle (-13) between 1607 and 1610, narrowing down the possible dates when it occurred. On this basis, Kepler's records suggested a regular duration for solar cycle-13, challenging alternative reconstructions that propose an extremely long cycle during this period. Kepler's legacy "Kepler's legacy extends beyond his observational prowess; it informs ongoing debates about the transition from regular solar cycles to the Maunder Minimum, a period of extremely reduced solar activity and anomalous hemispheric asymmetry between 1645 and 1715," Hayakawa explained. "By situating Kepler's findings within broader solar activity reconstructions, scientists gain crucial context for interpreting changes in solar behavior in this pivotal period marking a transition from regular solar cycles to the grand solar minimum." "Kepler contributed many historical benchmarks in astronomy and physics in the 17th century, leaving his legacy even in the space age," said Hayakawa. "Here, we add to that by showing that Kepler's sunspot records predate the existing telescopic sunspot records from 1610 by several years. His sunspot sketches serve as a testament to his scientific acumen and perseverance in the face of technological constraints." Sabrina Bechet, a researcher at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, added, "As one of my colleagues told me, it is fascinating to see historical figures' legacy records convey crucial scientific implications to modern scientists even centuries later. "I doubt if they could have imagined their records would benefit the scientific community much later, well after their deaths. We still have a lot to learn from these historical figures, apart from the history of science itself. In the case of Kepler, we are standing on the shoulders of a scientific giant." More information: Hisashi Hayakawa et al, Analyses of Johannes Kepler's Sunspot Drawings in 1607: A Revised Scenario for the Solar Cycles in the Early 17th Century, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2024). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad57c9 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain There needs to be "significant improvements" to the way data is collected across UK Government to prove if major changes to legal aid have delivered value for money to the taxpayer, a new report says. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act of 2012 was intended to make significant savings to the cost of the civil legal aid budget. The previous government was unable to provide evidence for this. The report argues there needs to be more systematic collection and analysis of quantitative data across government and local government. This would then show if legal aid cuts have led to savings to the public purse, of if the costs have been passed on to local authorities and other organizations via legal or housing costs associated with the slowing down of court cases, or by people waiting for judgements not being able to work and pay tax. The report, authored by Emma Marshall, Samuel Engle and Sian Pearce from the University of Exeter in partnership with Public Law Project and Migrants Organise, spells out what data Government needs to collect to work out the actual costs of the 2012 LASPO Act legal aid cuts and if, as current evidence suggests, the cuts were a false economy all along. It says without information about the full costs of LASPO, it is impossible to know whether better value for money has in fact been delivered. Better data would enable a better understanding of the impact of changes to immigration legal aid under LASPO, and would also improve understanding of the wider impact of changes to the scope of civil legal aid. The report says Government has wasted nearly 400,000 a year assessing immigration legal aid applications that fall under Exceptional Case Funding, even though almost 90% are approved. Dr. Marshall said, "Improving the sustainability of legal aid must now be a priority for the Government. We currently have a legal aid system that is neither fair nor fit for purpose and it is putting a considerable strain on many areas of governance. "Reinstating immigration legal aid would help the whole immigration system to function more fairly and efficiently, as well as reducing costs across other parts of government." Public Law Project's Dr. Jo Hynes, said, "Immigration legal aid is now available to only a fraction of the people who need it. The appalling injustice and harm this causes is well known to anyone working in immigration. "But putting the price of injustice to one side: are cuts costing more money than they saved, and could we in fact have a fairer and more efficient system by spending money in different ways? "This report clearly spells out which data the incoming Government needs to keep track of in order to find that out. "There are clearly false economies in play. The tax-payer has just sunk 320 million on the Rwanda plan. That is 21 years' worth of the total reduction in spending for immigration legal aid caused by LASPO. "We are at a point where the need for evidence to demonstrate the full costs of LASPO is embarrassingly urgent. By collecting the data points we identify, the Government will be able to start building immigration legal aid policy on a sound evidence base." "Immigration Legal Aid and value for money" points to existing evidence which shows that: Legal aid cuts have led to increased spending in other parts of government and public services, placing pressure on courts, health services, local authorities, prisons and social services. Reducing immigration legal aid has impacted local authorities who have legal duties to support those who cannot access other public funds. Where immigration legal aid is inaccessible, costs are shifted to other government departments, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department of Health and Social Care. New calculations contained in the report show that the Legal Aid Agency spends nearly 500,000 a year on assessing applications for immigration legal aid through the Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) scheme, even though 87% of applications are approved. More information: Immigration legal aid and value for money: Identifying the missing data (2024). publiclawproject.org.uk/conten riefing-paper-AW.pdf 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: Woman collecting coffee cherries. Credit: Deniz Sanin Economist Deniz Sanin was at Starbucks when a bag of specialty coffee from Rwanda caught her eye. "I Googled it right away," she recalled. "It turns out, there's been a coffee boom in the country." Four years later, the Economics Department visiting scholar is finishing up a domestic violence study inspired by that chance encounter. Her research was made possible by the rapid expansion in the 21st century of Rwanda's cooperative mills, which hire women as seasonal workers to help process coffee cherries. Sanin's analyses show these wage earners are subject to less abuse by their husbands during the harvest season, just when they're busy at the mills. "The results are not all cheerful," said Sanin, whose working paper is under review with the American Economic Review. "But the good news is, now we can use them to shape policy." The development economist brings a longtime interest in women's issues, particularly outside of wealthier countries like the U.S. She grew up in Istanbul in an environment of "female empowerment," with an academic/public health expert mother and financial analyst father. The family proved a rarity in Turkey, which has persistent gender gaps in education, by prioritizing their daughter's schooling. Sanin dove into the scholarship on domestic violence and women's financial empowerment while pursuing her Ph.D. at Georgetown University. She found a 2010 study which confirmed higher earnings meant lower rates of domestic violence for women in California. But in the developing world, research showed the threat of violence can actually increase for women with access to more moneyvia family resources or anti-poverty programs that offer cash transfers. "I was heartbroken to learn it can go the other way," said Sanin, who vowed to find a natural experiment to investigate the benefits of women earning money outside the home. In late 2019, Sanin was researching the impacts of Rwanda's 2008 domestic violence law, which criminalized spousal abuse while allowing women to unliterally divorce violent husbands. Then a trip to that Washington, D.C., Starbucks sparked her curiosity about the country's coffee industry and gradually pieces started to fall into place. Sanin immediately found a 2011 case study detailing Rwanda's shift to higher-quality coffee production, with farm communities building more than 200 cooperatives in the East African country between 2002 and 2012. She also learned women traditionally did the cleaning, drying, and sorting of coffee cherries during the spring-summer harvest in home operations. Meanwhile, researching the 2008 legislation brought Sanin into contact with Rwanda's newly digitized records on monthly domestic violence hospitalizations. She was already acquainted with the country's Demographic and Health Survey, a source of robust self-reported data collected every five years on domestic violence, labor market outcomes, household spending, and more. "All of a sudden, I had my natural experiment," said Sanin, now an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina. A male coffee farmer in Rwanda, she learned, traditionally sells the family's yield at a local market. But those fortunate enough to live near one of the growing number of neighborhood mills earn much more because the membership-based entities export to foreign countries. Wives still had to help their husbands harvest. The facilities, however, needed laborers to help with the processing tasks that hadn't been mechanized, and women were the obvious choice. "Since the tasks are female-dominated," Sanin writes in her paper, "a mill enables the wife in the catchment area to transition from an unpaid family worker in the couple's plot to a wage worker in the mill for the same tasks as before." In other words, the mills doubly tie a husband's economic interests to his wife's ability to perform labor. Looking at data as far back as 2005 allowed Sanin to confirm that domestic violence had decreased for couples living in areas served by a newly opened mill. Wives in these neighborhoods became 29% less likely to self-report an incident over the previous 12 months. Further analysis revealed this was particularly true during the harvest's June-to-July peak, with hospitals in catchment areas showing a 14% decrease in domestic violence patients. "I was not expecting this," Sanin said. "When I first requested the data from the Minister of Health, I thought I probably didn't need the monthly data." She then broadened her examination, performing a similar analysis with data on Rwanda's potato farming regions, where women lack the same opportunities to monetize traditional tasks. "I found no change in hospitalizations in these areas during the potato harvest," Sanin said. She also looked at nearby Ethiopia, where social acceptance of domestic violence is highand divorce remains far more stigmatized. "There was recently a randomized control trial there, with factory jobs randomly given to women," Sanin said. But within that cultural context, she explained, "researchers did not find an effect on domestic violence." Sanin's paper parses several possibilities for the variations. One is that women with income have increased bargaining power in their marriages. To test this theory, Sanin analyzed self-reported household decision-making, traditionally left to the husband under Rwandan social norms. Women living in the mills' catchment areas proved slightly more likely to make financial and contraception decisions either alone or jointly with spouses. A wife's income could also relieve financial stressors on the couple. Sanin tested this by comparing self-reported monthly household consumption to the domestic violence hospitalization data. "I find that monthly consumption was higher right after the harvest season relative to the pre-harvest, although the domestic violence hospitalizations were the same before and right after the harvest," said Sanin, who continued work on the paper as a 202122 visiting research fellow with the Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Program. Separate analyses were used to test the "exposure reduction" theory (that is, the simple fact that working outside the home means less time with abusive partners). "The majority of the couples here are coffee farmers, but there are some where the wife is a coffee farmer and the husband is a truck driver or construction worker," Sanin explained. "They plausibly did not see each other during the work hours both before and after the mill opening. But once she started earning more, there was still a decrease in domestic violence." The bottom line, she concluded, is that her study shows domestic violence rising and falling according to men's economic self-interests. "During the harvest season, when a husband's income is a function of the wife's labor, it's really costly for him to incapacitate her," Sanin said. But her analysis also points to two conditions necessary for female employment to reduce domestic violence. "You need a context in which divorce is a credible threat, where women can walk out of the marriage," Sanin said. "And in such a context, it also matters whether the husband derives some kind of economic benefit from the wife's physical productivity at work." Provided by Harvard Gazette This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Sierra Spaces LIFE habitat following a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Credit: Sierra Space An element of a commercial space station, Orbital Reef, under development by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, recently completed a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test as part of the agency's efforts for new destinations in low Earth orbit. This milestone is part of a NASA Space Act Agreement awarded to Blue Origin in 2021. Orbital Reef includes elements provided by Sierra Space, including the LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat structure. Teams conducted the burst test on Sierra Space's LIFE habitat structure using testing capabilities at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The inflatable habitat is fabricated from high-strength webbings and fabric that form a solid structure once pressurized. The multiple layers of soft goods materials that make up the shell are compactly stowed in a payload fairing and inflated when ready for use, enabling the habitat to launch on a single rocket. "This is an exciting test by Sierra Space for Orbital Reef, showing industry's commitment and capability to develop innovative technologies and solutions for future commercial destinations," said Angela Hart, manager of NASA's Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Every successful development milestone by our partners is one more step to achieving our goal of enabling commercial low Earth orbit destinations and expanding the low Earth orbit marketplace." NASA, Sierra Space, and ILC Dover teams conducting a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test on Sierra Spaces LIFE habitat structure using testing capabilities at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Credit: Sierra Space The pressurization to failure during the test demonstrated the habitat's capabilities and provided the companies with critical data supporting NASA's inflatable softgoods certification guidelines, which recommend a progression of tests to evaluate these materials in relevant operational environments and understand the failure modes. Demonstrating the habitat's ability to meet the recommended factor of safety through full-scale ultimate burst pressure testing is one of the primary structural requirements on a soft goods article, such as Sierra Space's LIFE habitat, seeking flight certification. Prior to this recent test, Sierra Space conducted its first full-scale ultimate burst pressure test on the LIFE habitat at Marshall in December 2023. Additionally, Sierra Space previously completed subscale tests, first at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and then at Marshall as part of ongoing development and testing of inflatable habitation architecture. NASA supports the design and development of multiple commercial space stations, including Orbital Reef. The current design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies. NASA's goal is to achieve a strong economy in low Earth orbit where the agency can purchase services as one of many customers to meet its science and research objectives in microgravity. NASA's commercial strategy for low Earth orbit will provide the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions. Provided by NASA This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A web of roads encircles the Earth and stretches 40 million miles. In Crossings, a new book by environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, tarmac is exposed for the planet-shaping force it isone that has polluted rivers and the air, emptied soils and woodlands, and struck fear into wild animals. Roads are one of the most ubiquitous man-made features, existing on every continent and in most habitats. Their effects don't end at the paved periphery either. While roads cover 1% of land in the US, their ecological effectsdisruptive noise, foul air and habitat fragmentation, to name a fewextend over 20% of the country, according to Goldfarb. Furthermore, transport is among the fastest-growing contributors to climate change, wildlife collisions with vehicles cause more than 59,000 human injuries in the US each year, and road design disproportionately burdens the health and welfare of low-income and minority communities. As an ecologist who studies their effect on wildlife, I applaud Goldfarb for weaving such a rich commentary on roads. Crossings could not be more timely: the biggest expansion of infrastructure in history is underwayand road networks are growing fastest of all. An estimated 25 million miles of new road lanes will be built worldwide by 2050. Roadbuilding will have to change drastically for any hope of preserving biodiversity and halting climate change. But first, we must face some uncomfortable truths. Vehicles are modern super-predators Roads bring us into contact with animals we rarely see. Unfortunately, they're usually dead. Despite roadkill being a common sight, its consequences are easily ignored. Vehicles directly kill more land-based vertebrate animals than anything else humans do, be it poaching, hunting, trapping or causing fires. Roads and their effects are so pervasive that they even leave a mark in DNA. For example, after years of flying in between and over cars, cliff swallows have evolved shorter wings to nimbly avoid getting hit by them. Swifts are, in one sense, a success story. Other species haven't been so lucky. Throughout Crossings, roads are described as knives, scalpels and guillotines that carve up the landscape. Nor are waterways spared: culverts (tunnels that carry streams and rivers under roads) are so ubiquitous and faulty that they have thwarted fish migrating upstream to breed, and caused populations to collapse. Even the sounds that roads create can dramatically change animal lives. Robins, wrens and great tits raise the frequency of their calls to be heard above cars. One study found that some birds spent so much additional energy around noisy roads, trying to listen for predators, that they were too tired to forage and starved. 'A road is never just a road' Highways and dirt roads enable deforestation, hunting, urban sprawl and tourism. More than 50 studies have shown what this means for wildlife. Elk, bears and wolves have learned to associate cars with the hunters they carry. These animals avoid roads not because of the vehicles, but because of the people inside them. Roads have created a new "landscape of fear," according to ecologists; one that governs how animals behave in an environment. Species may avoid being killed by remaining on one side of a busy roadbut by clinging to safety like this, they increase the rate at which natural habitats are being broken up. Goldfarb also explores the racist legacies of interstate highways that were bulldozed through predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in his native US, dividing families and causing extensive economic damage. One such neighborhood in the Bronx is tightly bound by three expressways. Here, asthma kills three times more people than the national average. And a paper published by the Paris regional health agency calculated that even the noise from roads shortens the lifespan of some Parisians by up to three years. Redesigning roads Solutions in road ecology have, to date, been more reactive than proactive. This is because many roads were built long before their harmful effects were understood. For example, the US Forest Service has only recently started to remove a proportion of the 370,000 miles of road it manages. The difficulty with mitigating the effects of roads is in changing driver behavior. Road signs rarely slow drivers down. In fact, some people intentionally swerve to hit animals. The best solutions remove choice altogether. In one example, Goldfarb praises the SP-139 highway in Carlos Botelho state park in southern Brazil. When I worked there in 2015 and 2016, I saw how this highway was closed at night, and that the road was designed to wind and undulate, forcing drivers to slow down. The Brazilian government dared to inconvenience drivers, and wildlife was the better for it. The dream of road ecology is a dream of connectivity. Wildlife crossings, bridges and other man-made structures that go over or under roads offer an opportunity for animals to cross safely. They are, as Goldfarb says, "the work of literal and metaphoric bridge-building." In Banff National Park, Canada, 44 wildlife crossings have helped cut the number of collisions between cars and large mammals by more than 80%. Goldfarb proposes building more of these. But, while there are several case studies demonstrating their success, I doubt that crossings are a panacea for the coming infrastructure tsunami. Research shows that what works for a handful of species may not work for others. Foxes and feral cats in Australia used road crossings on average three times more frequently than scientists expected. In stark contrast, 40% of surrounding animal species were not detected at a crossing at all. Whether effective or not, wildlife crossings could become a new form of greenwashing that excuses more roads and more destruction. To wildlife, roads spell death and division. People are the causebut they can also be the solution. I share Goldfarb's optimism and hope road ecology will grow into a global campaign for a kinder, more connected world. In the meantime, I urge you to read Crossings. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers at Michigan State have shown how bacteria like the MRSA cells shown here in purple can slip between biological environments. Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases It's an unpleasant fact that most of us are happy to ignore: Our mouths and noses are the natural homes to infectious and antibiotic resistant bacteria. The good news is that our nasal and oral environments are usually equipped to keep these germs in check, said Gemma Reguera, a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology at Michigan State University. It's when these microbes, such as Staphylococcus aureus and its antibiotic-resistant variant MRSA, move deeper into the airways or into other body sites, like the heart, that they can cause serious, even fatal, infections. Reguera and her colleagues have now shown that our bodies can unwittingly create conditions that usher staph, including MRSA, right into those danger zones. "You know the people who wave the sticks to direct planes at the airport? It's like that," said Reguera, whose team published the new research in the journal mBio. The flip side is that this report also provides new insights and techniques that can help researchers prevent our natural inhabitants from spreading to places they shouldn't. "These are organisms that we harbor," Reguera said. "It's like having neighbors you don't like. We need to learn to live with them." Michigan State University researchers discovered that Staphylococcus aureus spreads more readily in the presence of proteins made by the mucus membrane called mucins. Credit: Kristin Jacob, Ph.D. A Staphylococcus slip 'n slide Understanding how these bacteria move into different parts of the body is a complex puzzle underscored by two simple facts. One, the microbes obviously move around and make people sick. Two, they aren't well equipped to do so. Staph, MRSA and their ilk lack the appendages, such as tail-like flagella, that help other types of bacteria get around. Confronting these two seemingly conflicting facts is a problem that's new to Reguera's group. She and her team are perhaps best known for their extensive work with soil bacteria that they've shown can do things like sop up radioactive elements. But, with support from the Office of Naval Research, the researchers have brought a unique ecological perspective to the studies of staphylococcithe plural of staphylococcusand other bacteria inhabiting our noses, mouths and middle ear. "What's fascinating to me about the perioral environment is how environmentally diverse it is and how much its chemistry can change within such a small space," Reguera said. "This was new territory for me and a huge intellectual effort because of the impressive body of literature about human-associated bacteria. But we did what we do best: We looked at these microbes through the lens of microbial ecology." Kristin Jacob, who worked on this project as a doctoral student, and Santiago Hernandez-Villamizar, a visiting Ph.D. student from the University of Los Andes in Colombia, helped forge the lab's path into this new realm. The team first discovered that certain proteins called mucins made by our mucous membranes acted as lubricants for colonies of Staphylococcus bacteria. These mucins made it easier for the microbes to spread, but it still wasn't enough to explain how well they got around in worst-case scenarios. The Michigan State University research team found that multiple species of staphylococcus bacteria make their own lubricating peptides to aid their spread. Credit: Santiago Hernandez-Villamizar, Ph.D. Adapted from K.M. Jacob et al (2024) mBio. 0:e01562-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01562-24 "We found that the colonies can passively expand when there's enough lubrication," Reguera said. "But you need more than something passive to enable an infection. That's much more active and coordinated." By culturing different strains of various species of Staphylococcus isolated from healthy human volunteers, the team systematically cultivated a pool of contestants with diverse genetics to see which could actively spread in a simulated biological environment. They found that, in the right conditions, the winners were Staphylococcus aureus and a species known as Staphylococcus epidermidis. When colonies of these bacteria grew large enough, the microbes in the crowded periphery would signal to each other that it was time to make their own lubricants and slide away fast. To dig deeper, the group teamed up with Neal Hammer, an associate professor at MSU and an expert in staphylococci. The team worked with MRSA strains that had certain parts of their crowd-sensing systems deactivated. In doing so, they identified peptides that the bacteria were making that also acted as lubricants to aid their movement. The right combination of mucins and secreted peptides threw open the doors, almost literally, to the spread of the bacteria. "We basically have chemicals in our mucus surfaces that are like rolled out red carpet for these bacteria toward our most vulnerable sites," Reguera said. "All of a sudden, the bacteria start making their own peptides and they're unstoppable. They can colonize new areas and grow." Although this discovery begets a host of new questions that need to be answered before providing new therapeutic ideas, it also provides new tests and techniques to aid researchers in that quest. "The clinical and therapeutic aspects of this work will really drive how we look at this phenomenon going forward," Reguera said. In the meantime, Reguera is enjoying a sense of personal and professional accomplishment with her lab's growth into a new research area. She credits that success to the teamwork of industrious and fearless graduate students, as well as a generous and collaborative co-investigator in Hammer. "Never in my whole life did I think I'd work with staphylococci," she said. "I'm very proud of my students and grateful to my colleague and now collaborator, Neal Hammer, for his expert insights." More information: Kristin M. Jacob et al, Mucin-induced surface dispersal of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis via quorum-sensing dependent and independent mechanisms, mBio (2024). DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01562-24 Journal information: mBio This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In problem 1, the flow around a blunt body subjected to the supersonic flow is solved. Problem 2 presents the shock wave reflection on the wall involving complex interaction phenomena. For both problems, this hybrid method shows accurate solutions without serious errors. Credit: Yokohama National University A team of scientists has developed a novel hybrid scheme for both steady and unsteady single-phase compressible flow simulations. Their scheme has potential applications in real-world scenarios, offering a promising avenue for future research. The team used a finite volume method called monotonic upstream-centered schemes for conservation laws (MUSCL) to create a novel scheme. Their novel scheme offers a more precise and high-resolution alternative to conventional MUSCL for compressible flow computations. Their work was published in the journal Physics of Fluids on April 10, 2024. Finite volume methods are numerical methods that scientists use to solve fluid dynamics problems. MUSCL is a finite volume method that can provide accurate numerical solutions for partial differential equations. Scientists use compressible flow simulations to study compressible flow of gases that experience significant changes in their density. These numerical simulations can be used to solve many kinds of research problems, ranging from aerospace or mechanical engineering. Yet it has been challenging for scientists to accurately simulate flows because of complex phenomena, such as shock waves and discontinuities. MUSCL is especially useful in aerospace engineering because of its straightforward mathematical expression and accuracy in fundamental flows featuring shock waves. However, it often produces dissipative solutions for complex flows, which deteriorate the accuracy of simulations. "Although a lot of methods have been recently proposed, there is still a gap between the recently-developed, complex methods for academic interests and the widely-used methods that are actually used to handle engineering problems. To fill the gap and contribute to the engineering, we proposed a new method with accurate and stable simulations for compressible flows using simple expressions," said Keiichi Kitamura, associate professor, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University. The research team used the MUSCL method along with the tangential hyperbolic interface capturing (THINC) method to create a novel hybrid scheme they call T-MUSCL. Their hybrid scheme optimizes the process based on the degree of nonlinearity and discontinuity around the target cells. They designed the scheme to provide an appropriate balance of nonlinearity between the physical phenomena and the reconstruction process. This solves the weak shock waves sharply and the strong shock waves robustly within the hybrid scheme. The team used two key parameters: a nonlinearity-weighted parameter and a slope-ratio-weighted parameter. Their T-MUSCL scheme provides enhanced accuracy for continuous flow simulations with smaller errors than conventional MUSCL. It is capable of precisely capturing extremely weak moving and stationary shock waves. These cases were challenging for the conventional MUSCL to resolve accurately because of excessive numerical dissipation. The T-MUSCL scheme also provides improved convergence behavior in steady two-dimensional blunt body problems and the lessening of unstable numerical behaviors in the presence of strong shock waves. This hybrid scheme can be easily adopted in place of conventional MUSCL in a range of practical applications without adding unnecessary complexity to existing algorithms. "The punchline of the paper is that we obtained high-resolution and robust results for complex compressible flows using simple expressions. Our method is constructed within the so-called (spatially) second-order scheme, which is the most popular type of the numerical method. We believe that our method is accessible by a lot of users because of this feature," said Kitamura. Looking ahead, the researchers' next step is to apply the proposed method to an actual engineering problem. They hope that their method will be widely used by researchers studying fluid dynamics. "Our ultimate goal is to deepen our understanding of compressible flow dynamics and shock waves by our method and contribute to accelerating the development in a variety of industries, such as aerospace and mechanical engineering," said Gaku Fukushima, researcher, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University. More information: Gaku Fukushima et al, Improved hybrid approach of monotonic upstream-centered scheme for conservation laws and discontinuity sharpening technique for steady and unsteady flows, Physics of Fluids (2024). DOI: 10.1063/5.0198163 Journal information: Physics of Fluids 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: Samuel Gilvarg, a graduate student from the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), holds up an ethanol vial containing a tick specimen. He and a group of SUNY ESF interns have been collecting ticks at Brookhaven National Laboratory to look for a connection between wildland fire history and relative tick abundance. Credit: Kevin Coughlin/Brookhaven National Laboratory The morning alarm goes off, and it's time to get ready for work. Ph.D. student Samuel Gilvarg has already pretreated his clothes with permethrin insecticide. All that's left is to pull his socks up and over his pant legs. This routine is a daily occurrence this summer for Gilvarg and his seven interns from the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) to keep them safe while collecting data on the local tick population. Gilvarg has spent the past two summers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory trying to understand how tick populations react to wildland fires. These are naturally-fueled vegetation fires that include both classic wildfires and prescribed burning, in which humans use fire as a management tool. "I didn't just choose SUNY ESF interns because I go to SUNY ESF," he said. "These students are what some call passionate and others call crazy enough to want to go work with ticks for an entire summer." For intern Melanie Costello, the research topic is personal. "Part of the reason I really wanted to do this internship is because my mom had Lyme disease for over 20 years," she said. Research probing the relationship between ticks and wildland fires might offer a new direction for managing the unruly disease-carrying pests, Gilvarg said. Gilvarg's seven interns, plus an additional helper, trek through the Long Island Pine Barrens to sample ticks on an experimental plot. Credit: Kevin Coughlin/Brookhaven National Laboratory Small bite, big impact The problem is getting more urgent, he noted. "Tick-borne illness is really bad, and tick numbers are going up," Gilvarg said, rattling off a list of debilitating tick-borne diseases: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the alpha-gal allergy. Some of these conditions are associated with serious implications, including painful symptoms and mortality without proper medical treatment. Alpha-gal syndrome, for example, transmitted by the bite of Lone Star ticks, induces an allergic reaction to mammalian products in certain people who've been bitten. Sometimes this can lead to delayed anaphylaxisa constriction of the airway that makes it difficult or impossible to breatheeven hours after eating an allergen (e.g., red meat or dairy). In a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study of 300,000 specimens from American patients suspecting they had alpha-gal syndrome, more than 30% tested positive. To add to the challenge, most tick diseases are not passed directly from tick to tick or from mama tick through her eggs to the larvae, explained Timothy Green, Brookhaven's on-site tick expert, who works in the Lab's Environmental Protection Division. Instead, they pick up and pass on diseases as they feed during various stages of their complex life cycle. "Tick larvae feed on small rodents, from which they pick up disease, then they molt to the nymph stage, get another blood meal from another host, and molt to the adult stage. As adults, they mate, and then the female must have another blood meal [likely on a deer] before laying eggs," Green said. A tick that bites a human at any one of these stages could pass on the bacteria, viruses, or parasites that cause the tick-related diseases, he explained. That means it's not just the ticks that require study, but rather how they interact with other animals and the whole ecosystem around them. "If you can break the reproductive cycle at any point, you can start managing for tick populations," Green said. "Reduce mice, reduce ticks. Reduce deer, reduce ticks. Manage habitat, reduce ticks." Interns Eric Jergensen (left) and Luke Myers (right) scan corduroy fabric they've dragged through the underbrush for any ticks that have latched on. They use this "corduroy on a stick" technique to census tick populations on plots that have experienced different burn histories. Credit: Kevin Coughlin/Brookhaven National Laboratory Time is ticking What Gilvarg wants to know is whether fire can be part of a plan to execute that last option. Using prescribed fire, he asks, "Can we build a forest that is not good for ticks?" Brookhaven is a good place to find out. Undeveloped pine barrens forest makes up over 3,000 acres of the Laboratory's 5,000-plus-acre property. In careful coordination with the Brookhaven Fire Rescue Group, the Lab's Prescribed Fire Program, led by the Environmental Protection Division's Kathy Schwager, regularly conducts prescribed burns. These fires decrease the amount of wildfire fuel on site, help prevent future out-of-control fires, and restore the ecosystem. "Without periodic fire, we will lose pine barrens," Schwager said. She explained that this is a fire-adapted ecosystem, meaning it "requires fire for its very survival." That leaves two options in her eyes: "Either we put fire on the landscape on our terms, or we wait for another wildfire that, if it burns under extreme conditions, may put people and property at risk." No one wants a repeat of the infamous 2012 Crescent Bow Fire or the Sunrise Fire of 1995. By collecting ticks from different burn locations at different intervals after wild or prescribed fires, Gilvarg and his interns have been assessing the impact of wildland fire on the tick populations. "Fire should deliver a one-two punch," he said, elaborating that it directly kills ticks and destroys some of the places they hide out and latch onto animals. Indeed, past evidence suggests that, right after a forest burns, leaf litter that has been charred black holds heat, leaving ticks with nowhere to take cover. 'Corduroy on a stick' Gilvarg and his interns take precautions, like wearing permethrin-covered clothing, to avoid getting tick bites while collecting the data they need to test their hypothesis. To gather ticks, they use a method fondly called "corduroy on a stick." A pair of interns drag large swaths of the textured fabric across 16-by-25-meter plots of underbrush. The interns then pluck hitchhiking ticks off the corduroyand themselves, if applicabledepositing the specimens in ethanol vials for later counting. By sampling multiple sites with different burn histories, they can estimate relative tick abundance, which describes the presence of ticks actively out seeking a blood meal at the time of sampling, in each location. An intern uses tweezers to pluck a tick off the corduroy. Credit: Kevin Coughlin/Brookhaven National Laboratory Some plots they sampled this summer had burned recently; others burned years ago. Some had burned several times, and some have never burned at all, according to the Lab's records. That variation helps Gilvarg's team tease apart the relationship between fire management and tick population density. The scientists must also account for meteorological conditions during their tick-sampling studies. This is because an ideal tick habitat may return no ticks at all on a hot, dry day. Or an abysmal tick habitat could still be chock-full on a wet, cloudy one. "It can get extremely hot and uncomfortable working in those conditions, but it's great tick weather," intern Erin Peskin said of the steamy heat and humidity. Brookhaven has many policies in place to ensure that interns and Lab staff stay safe while conducting research and during other activities on site. Intern Eric Jergensen agreed, "It takes some getting used to [the weather], but regular meetings assessing the heat risks and precautions that can be taken to avoid such risks really ensure our productivity throughout the day and fortify our efficiency as a team." To collect the relevant weather data, the team carries devices called Kestrel Dropssensors that sample temperature, relative humidity, heat index, and dew point every five seconds. At the end of each day, roughly 500 weather data points get delivered right to Gilvarg's phone. He can then use statistics to filter out the impact of weather and see the true effect of wildland fire history on tick survival. Fire's bad reputation It will be a while before Gilvarg's team has analyzed enough data to draw conclusions. But even if they demonstrate that prescribed fire can be used as a tool to fight ticks and disease, they still have a public relations hurdle: People generally see fire as bad, as previous environmental education studies show. Intern Melanie Costello holds an ethanol vial against her hand to make the tick within more visible. The team tallies specimens back in the lab. Credit: Kevin Coughlin/Brookhaven National Laboratory "There's this whole culture predicated on Smokey the Bear fighting forest fires and fire as the enemy. While it's well-intentioned, it's misguided," Gilvarg commented. Aside from fire's potentially positive role in mitigating tick populations, blanket anti-fire sentiment doesn't consider nuances of local ecology. For instance, in Upstate New York, fire truly is damaging for beech and hemlock forests. But "It's totally different here," Gilvarg stressed. "Pitch pine and oaks are built to burn, survive, and thrive after fire," he said. In fact, some pitch pinecones even rely on fire's heat to release seeds for reproduction. Again, as Schwager noted, this is a fire-adapted ecosystem that needs fire to survive. But because the Long Island Pine Barrens, where Brookhaven is located, is a naturally moist ecosystem, fires ignited by lightning strikes aren't common. In addition, due to long-term fire suppression and climate change on a larger scale, many forests in the Northeast are becoming wetter. Without fire, Gilvarg explained, other trees take root, creating moist shade. And shade and moisture are exactly what ticks like. By using fire management, he said, "You can sort of reverse this process." But the solution isn't as simple as setting the Barrens ablaze. "Previous studies suggest that if you burn a place once, or only a few times after a long absence of fire, it is actually going to increase ticks," Gilvarg pointed out. That's because the first thing to grow back is a flush of plants such as blueberry and huckleberry, which attract intermediary hosts for ticks to pick up disease. "To a deer, all those tender shoots are like an all-you-can-eat buffet." This map illustrates where the study's 23 plots are in relation to areas of previous fire. The experimental plots are marked with green, orange, or red dots depending on whether they are control/no-fire sites, infrequent-fire sites, or frequent-fire sites, respectively. The wildfires are denoted by amorphous shapes on the map, and the prescribed burns are identifiable as rectangles. The name and year of each fire, excluding the two most recent ones, are recorded in the legend. The bold, black line represents the border of Brookhaven's property. (Created by Gilvarg using Geographic Information System software and data courtesy of Prescribed Fire Program Manager Kathy Schwager). Credit: Created by Gilvarg using Geographic Information System software and data courtesy of Prescribed Fire Program Manager Kathy Schwager To account for the long, multistage lifecycle of the ticks and their relationship with deer and rodents, Gilvarg suggests the prescribed burn solution must be long-term. Repeated fires over a period of years, perhaps every three to five, might be what's needed to keep ticks at bay, he said. Gilvarg noted that Indigenous people in the Northeast historically used and still use such routine prescribed fire practices. "It's people that kept the flame here," he said. He highlighted the Mashpee Wampanoag's fire management practices in places like upper Cape Cod as exemplary and said he considers restoring Indigenous practices of fire for forest management as a human rights issue, too. Even in the best-case scenario, though, under a robust fire management program replete with regular burns, "We're never going to completely eliminate ticks," Gilvarg said. Instead, "Our goal is to reduce tick populations and disease risk." One way toward One Health If burning adds a layer of protection against tick-borne disease, that would tie directly into One Health, a CDC framework for connecting ecosystem resilience, animal well-being, and human health. Green appreciates Gilvarg's work as an example of One Health studies related to tick management. "This One Health approach joins with our efforts to improve our ecosystem through management of the deer population," he said. It further complements other methods for controlling vegetation, such as mechanically grinding up plants before implementing prescribed burns. "The use of mechanical treatment and prescribed fire to improve ecosystem health also has an effect on the number of mice," Green added. Figuring out how fire management affects incidence of tick-borne illness in rodentswhile creating conditions that are less favorable for tick survivalwill be key, he said. This aerial image displays a section of Brookhaven's property before (left) and after (right) a prescribed burn. A firetruck drives on the service road in the after photo. (Provided by intern Luke Myers from Nearmap, an aerial and satellite imagery service). Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory It all comes back to ecosystem interconnectedness. "That is why we are working with SUNY ESF and Sam to better understand the dynamics," Green said. Gilvarg said, "I genuinely believe that fire management for tick control could save a lot of lives and prevent a lot of sickness. I really think this could help a lot of people." Only timeand the datawill tell. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Map of western Canada showing active fires in the last 24 hours, as of July 25 at 0800 GMT. An "out of control" wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said Thursday, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze. While the fire has so far caused no casualties, as many as 25,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from the area before the conflagration suddenly grew in size, overtaking firefighters. "There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community," said Danielle Smith, Alberta province's premier, adding that damage to the town was estimated at between "30 to 50 percent." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called images of the damage "heartbreaking," and said his government had asked more than 400 firefighters from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Africa to aid local authorities. "Thank you for your courage, and for working non-stop to fight these wildfires," he said in a post on social media platform X. A video circulating on social media showed the city of Jasper's streets covered in ash, with cars turned to charred carcasses and buildings reduced to rubble. Mayor Richard Ireland wrote in an online post of a sense of destruction and loss that was "beyond description and comprehension." On Thursday, firefighters were still hard at work in the town, with much-anticipated rain having "no significant impact" on the blaze, according to Jasper National Park authorities. "Jasper National Park received a small amount of rain overnight. While the rain helped reduce fire activity slightly, it is not enough to have made a meaningful impact to the overall wildfire situation, which remains out of control," read a post on the park's X account. In places, the flames reached a height of 120 meters (390 feet) and were moving at a speed of 15 meters per minute. The fire entered the deserted town on Wednesday evening after advancing very rapidly late in the day, pushed by strong winds in a region hit by severe drought and which has seen record heat in recent days. Jasper National Park, Canada's largest, is known for its mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, and attracts 2.5 million visitors every year. 'Devastation' "Everyone has a total feeling of devastation," said Pattie Pavlov, a Jasper resident who drove for hours on Monday night to escape the advancing fire. "Many people are feeling very helpless. Because there's nothing that we can do." The general manager of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce said she had taken refuge with friends more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) away from her home. In tears, Alberta Premier Smith provided an assessment of the damage and recalled that "for many generations" the town and Jasper National Park were "a source of pride." In recent days, numerous fires have been started by lightning in western Canada. In Alberta province, more than 170 fires were active on Thursday, including more than a dozen in the Fort McMurray region, a hub of oil sands development. British Columbia, Alberta's neighboring province, was grappling with 400 active fires, more than half of which were burning out of control. Fifty-six fires have started in the last 24 hours alone, authorities said. 2024 AFP An annoyed Donald Trump has lashed out on social media insisting he was struck by a bullet in the assassination attempt against him after the head of the FBI noted that he may have been hit by "shrapnel." The FBI has asked to interview Trump in its investigation of the attack at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, the New York Times reported Friday, citing an unnamed agency official. FBI investigators are also examining "numerous metal fragments" found near the rally stage to determine if Trump was struck by a bullet or "potential debris," the newspaper added. Trump emphasized in a post on Truth Social Thursday night: "The hospital called it a 'bullet wound to the ear,' and that is what it was." The hospital has not said publicly that Trump was injured by a bullet because Trump has not allowed the release of his medical report by Butler Memorial, the nearby hospital that treated his injuries, which has raised questions. "It was unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard," added Trump, who has characterized his near miss as divine intervention. Trump has said he felt a bullet from the shooter's assault-style rifle "ripping through the skin" of his ear, though he needed no stitches to repair the damage. Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, killed former Pennsylvania volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, and seriously injured two others attending the Trump rally. FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee that the agency is not certain Trump's injury wound was caused by a bullet. "There's some question about whether or not it's a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear," Wray said. At another point he noted that it was his "understanding that either [a bullet] or some shrapnel is what grazed his ear." Trump's former White House doctor and ally Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago days after the shooting and affixed a bandage to Trump's ear before the Republican National Convention. Jackson said in a memo issued last Sunday by the Trump campaign that the former president suffered a gunshot wound that came "less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear," leaving a "2 cm wide" wound. Earlier Jackson had said in a podcast interview that Trump was missing part of his ear, a "little bit at the top." According to the Florida Department of Health website, Jackson's medical license is conditioned on serving in the military and only authorizes him to practice in a military facility. He left the Navy in 2019. Jackson's board certification in emergency medicine is valid through the end of next year but he needs a license to practice medicine, the Dallas Morning News reported in September. A local police source reportedly told Newsmax after the shooting that Trump may have been hit by glass fragments from a shattered teleprompter. But sources have told the Times that all teleprompter glass was intact, and they are instead examining metal fragments. VENTNOR After his wife, Marjorie, died in April at 71, city resident Leonard Ariff sought a way to pay tribute to her that reflected her passion for reading and her career in special education. The family considered a variety of memorials, including benches and bricks, but the long waits for those things made them look at other options. Ive got three children that are going, This isnt working, Dad, so my daughter Jessica goes to the Brigantine and Margate libraries a lot and had noticed the wonderful murals sitting on the walls of each, so she took the names of the artists and we reached out, Leonard Ariff said. As a result, the Ventnor branch of the Atlantic County Library will dedicate a mural to Marjorie Ariff in a ceremony from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sept. 14 at the library at 6500 Atlantic Ave. Cassandra Shober, a Realtor in the region who has been involved for 20 years in different community art projects, including library murals, helped the Ariffs achieve their vision, along with Philadelphia artist Shari Tobias. The Ariffs and Shober sat down and put together a list of books that Marjorie had used in class as well as some of Shobers and the library staffs favorites. Characters from childrens literary classics like Frog and Toad, The Cat in the Hat and Curious George now dot the back wall of the childrens section of the library. Galloway Township library to close for HVAC work The Galloway Township branch of the Atlantic County Library System will close July 15 for cleaning and preparation for upcoming HVAC replacement work. The team made an effort to portray characters as close to their original depictions as possible, as opposed to leaning into later animated versions that the likes of Disney and other studios have put out, Shober said. We tried to make something really special not just in honor of an extraordinary woman but to also hopefully inspire the community and all the local children, said Shober, who has lived in Ventnor for close to 20 years. Both Marjorie and Leonard Ariff grew up on Absecon Island, graduating from Atlantic City High School together in 1970. The two married in 1974 and went on to raise their children in Owings Mills, Maryland, but spent their summers in Ventnor for several decades. The couple retired and relocated year-round to Ventnor in 2019. Marjorie Ariff was a reading specialist and spent the last years of her career working in special education at Winand Elementary School in Pikesville, Maryland. The last 15 years (of her career) she was in heaven, it was special ed 3- and 4-year-olds, she was helping to identify autistic children. It was a mixed class, but this is what her job was and she just loved the challenge, said Leonard Ariff. The fun book at school was The Three Billy Goats Gruff book. I remember that because she would be the voice and the kids just loved that. The majority of the mural was finished this week, with only background color and crayon-proof varnish to be glazed on ahead of its dedication. A plaque with Marjorie Ariffs name will be displayed and hung next to the mural after its installed. The plaque will feature a quote from Dr. Seuss honoring her work with reading. GALLERY: New mural underway at Ventnor library Vice President Kamala Harris is in a statistical tie with Donald Trump, according to a new poll, and has gained ground among voters compared to the survey's results from earlier this month that show President Joe Biden trailing the former president by six percentage points. Trump leads Harris 48% to 47% among likely voters and 48% to 46% among registered voters in a New York Times/Siena College poll taken after Biden announced he was ending his 2024 campaign. The poll, taken between July 22-24, has a 3.3 percentage point margin of error. Democrats are also coalescing around Harris, with 79% of her party saying she should receive the nomination and only 14% saying she shouldn't, the poll found. And 70% say the party should "unite" behind Harris, while 27% favor a competitive nomination process. The poll also has good news for Trump. His favorability rating has risen to 48% among voters, a 5 point increase since the last poll that conducted before his assassination attempt at a campaign rally July 13 in Butler, Pa. The poll also found that the vice president's favorability rating is climbing, going from 36% in February to 46% in the latest survey. At the same time, Biden's favorability rating has been falling, hitting 43% in the latest poll. Asked about the president's decision to quit the race, 65% strongly approve and 22% somewhat approve. Only 9% either somewhat or strongly disapprove. Search crews have found and recovered the body of missing hiker Dylan Honnoll from the Beartooth Mountains northwest of Red Lodge. His body, which was completely submerged under the fast moving water, was located by ground search crews on Tuesday, July 23. Early Wednesday, search and rescue team members met a specially trained crew from Two Bear Air Rescue from Kalispell to coordinate the recovery. The skilled helicopter crew was able to hover over the rapids in the steep canyon and lower a rescuer to recover Honnoll's body. Red Lodge Fire Rescue Search and Rescue teams along with the Carbon County Sheriff's office had been searching for Honnoll since he fell into East Rosebud Creek on July 12. "Locating Dylan in the fast moving river was very challenging, Assistant Chief Jon Trapp said in a statement. With the dedicated work of our Search and Rescue Team and help from many of our partners, we are honored to be able to help return him to his family. A Carbon County Sheriff's Office coroner met the helicopter Wednesday morning at East Rosebud Creek Trailhead to begin the arrangements to return Honnoll to his family in Minnesota. Honnoll suffered fatal injuries after falling into the rapids below Rimrock Lake as he attempted to cross East Rosebud Creek near the lake's outlet. He and a friend were hiking the well-known Beaten Path trail from East Rosebud Lake to Cooke City. He had just completed his sophomore year at Montana State University, was active in sports, and had spent a lifetime in the outdoors with his family and friends. "Our thoughts go out to Dylans family, friends and fellow students during this difficult time," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Red Lodge Fire Rescue and the Carbon County Sheriffs Office would like to thank the many agencies and volunteers who assisted with this search, including the helicopter support provided by the Montana Army National Guard, Two Bear Air Rescue, and the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Department." A former Russian deputy defense minister has been arrested on corruption charges, the latest high-ranking official being purged from the military as the war in Ukraine drags on, according to reports. Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov, 69, who had been in charge of troop logistics, was taken into custody as "part of a criminal probe into corruption" to a pre-trial detention center in Moscow, Russian state-owned media outlet Tass reported, citing the Federal Security Service. It said an investigation is underway into Bulgakov's alleged "unlawful activity." The Moscow Times said neither the FSB or the Investigative Committee specified the crimes Bulgakov has been accused of committing. Bulgakov, who received the Hero of Russia title in 2016, was in charge of military logistics from 2008 until he was discharged by President Vladimir Putin in 2022. He is the latest defense official charged with corruption, Reuters reported, as Russia's new defense minister, Andrei Belousov, has been ordered to rid the ranks of corruption and get a handle on finances amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Since April, at least five military and defense officials have reportedly been arrested. Bulgakov is accused of working with a food company to create a system that replaced high-energy food items for Russian troops with lesser quality rations at inflated prices, Tass reported. "At the same time, servicemen did not receive quality food products even in the conditions of a special military operation," Tass reported, quoting a source on the Investigative Committee, using the Russian term "special military operation" to describe the Ukraine war. A Texas official declared a state of disaster on Friday after the area experienced dozens of earthquakes over the past week. Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks issued the order after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake this morning. Thousands of people across Texas and Oklahoma reported feeling the latest earthquake. There were initial reports of items falling off of shelves and a broken window. He says there have been 61 earthquakes in the past seven days. The United States Geological Survey, which measures quakes across the country says there could have been more than 75 connected tremors. Damage has been fought throughout Scurry County in businesses and residences, he announced. Hicks is asking for assistance from the Texas state government state officials to monitor the damage. Here you'll find answers to common questions about our products, services, and policies. We encourage you to explore these FAQs before contacting us, as they may provide the information you need. We're always happy to help if you still have questions or need further assistance. What are the store's opening hours? The BFI Shop is open every day from 12 PM to 8 PM. Occasionally, our hours may change, so we recommend checking our homepage or looking for updates to stay informed. I am unable to log in to my account. What steps should I take? If you're having trouble logging into your account, try resetting your password. 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The BFI Shop sells DVDs and Blu-rays that are compatible with players in the UK and Europe (Region 2 for DVDs and Region B for Blu-rays). Be sure to check your players compatibility before purchasing. I saw this poster at the BFI Southbank. Do you sell it? Unfortunately, the posters displayed at BFI Southbank are not available for sale. They are provided by our marketing team specifically for events and seasons. How can I purchase or hire films, stills, and archive content? The BFI Shop doesn't handle these requests. For all licensing inquiries, please reach out to Archive Content Sales and Licensing. Theyll be happy to assist you with your needs. Anthony Goodshield, 41, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to eight years in federal prison on one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user. There is no parole in the federal system. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Goodshield was taken into custody on a state arrest warrant and found in possession of drug paraphernalia and the firearm, which he had attempted to hide in an air vent. In addition to the previous federal firearm conviction, his criminal history includes burglary, going armed with intent, eluding and drug possession. What happens when you take a disease that is infamous for affecting a particular demographic and turn it into a superpower? Well, you might get a hit show, for one. Supacell, Netflixs recent Black British superhero series, defies the notion that audiences have had enough of monotonous heroes on the small screenit boasts a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and reached the No. 1 spot on Netflixs top 10 global television list, where it still remains in the top five nearly a month after its premiere. Created by Rapmanan English rapper turned screenwriter famous for creating Blue StorySupacell feels like a much more PG version of The Boys crossed with the gritty Black British crime drama Top Boy. The show has all the personality of its predecessorsand where Top Boy is concerned, the same setting of East Londonbut it provides something new for fantasy and drama lovers alike. Obviously, a show focused exclusively on supercharged Black people living in a poor neighborhood is already a rare thing. But Supacell stands out even more due to the culturally specific origin story it offers for its heroes: sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell diseasea disorder that complicates the ease of blood flow throughout the body and, at times, to vital organsis one of the top five most common genetic disorders in the U.S. In the U.K., SCD is the most common genetic disorder, affecting about 17,000 people in England alone, per the National Health Service. Of these numbers, the disease is disproportionately found among the Black population, some of whom fully possess the disorder and some of whom carry the recessive trait. The genetic lottery of SCD, and the fact that it is so prevalent in a particular community, makes it an inspired starting point for superhero lore. Advertisement In Supacellperhaps the name now makes a little more sense?we meet five main characters in East London, all of whom are down on their luck and each of whom carries the recessive trait for sickle cell. Right on cue, one day they find themselves randomly and inexplicably able to wield a superhuman power. Theres Tazer (Josh Tedeku), a young gang leader embroiled in a turf war who realizes he can turn invisible when he suddenly cant see himself in the mirror; Rodney (Calvin Demba), a small-time (like, very small-time) drug dealer who actualizes his superspeed when he accidentally runs all the way to Scotland in a matter of seconds; Sabrina (Nadine Mills), a deftly competent yet oft-microaggressed nurse who finds out she is telekinetic when she accidentally slams her cheating boyfriend against a wall; and Andre (Eric Kofi Abrefa), a financially unstable father struggling after recently getting out of prison, who first awakens to his superstrength when he bursts open a wall-embedded ATM. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then theres the groups ringleader of sorts, Michael (Tosin Cole), who starts off as a deliveryman trying to save up to better provide for his longtime girlfriend, until he accidentally time-travels to the future. There, he finds out not only that he can manipulate time but that he will wind up aligning himself with the other four in what appears to be a good-vs.-evil supe war. Of course, because Michael is the only one aware of the future, it becomes his job to find the other fourstrangers to him in the present dayand persuade them to team up against a looming evil theyre unlikely to believe is actually out there. Perhaps more interesting than their powers, though, is the fact that each of our heroes is a sympathetic underdogeven Tazer, whose moments on-screen involve multiple stabbings in smaller battles within a larger gang war. Although many supe origin stories involve underdogs finally possessing something that helps them come out on top, Supacell maps its narrative onto realistic socioeconomic concerns. Every main character in the series is struggling with a lack of money and the impacts of systemic racism; for instance, Andres criminal record hinders him from finding gainful employment even though he maintains that hes innocent of the crime he was incarcerated for. And when our heroes wake up with their powers, they dont then try to heal the world at largeinstead, they apply those powers to the everyday world we know. Tazer uses his invisibility as a trump card in retaliatory knife-outs; Sabrina taps into her powers to save her sister from sexual assault outside a nightclub; and Rodney deploys his to finally get his literal drug-running scheme off the ground in record time. Life continues to happen as usual in the small community bound by its position below the middle class. Everything is connectednow its just also superhuman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supacell also manages to tackle more specific issues that marginalized and impoverished communities face. Somewhat akin to Netflixs great satirical blaxploitation homage They Cloned Tyrone, the show has a subplot of a clandestine operation that has identified the supacell phenomenon and aims to kidnap the Black people bearing it and subject them to a torment of relentless testing. In the real world, which is yet unaware of the existence of powers, the kidnapped are considered missing people, and only Michaels girlfriend, an embattled social worker, seems to care about tracking them down. Though little is revealed of the group conducting the tests, this subplot is a powerful reminder not only of the dark history of governments unethically running studies on innocent Black people, but also of the numerous Black people that go missing every year, whose families have to nearly beg law enforcement to try to find. Advertisement But for all the seriousness of its themes, Supacell still manages to be occasionally funny and often gripping. Sure, the CGI sometimes leaves a bit to be desired, and yes, some of the characters feel frustratingly stereotypical (like Andres ex and mother to his son, who wants nothing to do with him unless it involves child support). But then, superpowers always come with super problems, dont they? And as we find out early on, it stands to reason that if our ragtag group of heroes receives powers from the sickle cell trait, they are likely not the only ones. With such a rich and specific premise and setting, Supacell is clearly primed to tell many more stories. Showrunner Rapman says he has plans for three potential seasons in total, and there are many places for the show to go next if it gets the chance. But theres one core idea thats certain to remain the same: the genetics that threaten to kill you, or the place that seems as if it might stifle you? These are also the things that vitally, maybe even powerfully, set you apart. Scott Sheffield, then-CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, in 2023. Michael Wyke/Contributor Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, talks to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during the Republican National Convention on July 17. Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press Texas oil and gas billionaires are mobilizing to stop Vice President Kamala Harris from becoming president, and for one father-and-son duo, its personal. Attack dogs from the American Petroleum Institute and the Texas Oil and Gas Association have slammed President Joe Biden and his administration. Never mind that under Biden, the United States has produced more oil and gas than ever in the nations history. Taking the throne as the worlds largest energy producer is not enough for these conservative businesspeople. They want higher profits, even if it hurts consumers and emissions from their products overheat the planet. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My colleague James Osborne recently reported from Washington on why the industry hates Harris. As the California attorney general, she prosecuted oil and gas firms for criminal negligence and supported a lawsuit accusing Exxon Mobil of misleading investors on the financial impact of climate change. As a U.S. senator, she wanted to ban hydraulic fracturing, the rock-shattering technique that breaks oil and gas molecules from shale. She also supported the Green New Deal, which called for the end of the fossil fuel industry and a transition to zero-emission energy sources. While industry cheerleaders claim the world as we know it will collapse without burning fossil fuels, recent data from Texas main electric grid tells another story. When I took this job in 2014, Texans relied on burning coal for 36% of the electricity supply and natural gas for 41%. Today, coal provides only 11% of the states electricity supply and natural gas 42%. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Clean wind, solar and nuclear energy supplied 47% of the grids electricity in the first half of 2024. Because wind and solar energy are cheaper than natural gas, guess which fuel source will be displaced next? For all their self-important bluster, oil and gas leaders are scared that electric vehicles, renewable energy sources and new storage technologies will reveal how little we need oil and gas. If former President Donald Trump loses, fossil fuel executives will spend the rest of their careers managing a declining industry. One of the leaders of the fracking revolution and his son have stepped up political giving to protect their business. Scott Sheffield, former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, and his son Bryan Sheffield, an oil and gas investor, have spent more than $6 million on state and federal politicians since 2010, according to a report from Public Citizen. The elder Sheffield is especially eager to see Trump in the White House because the Department of Justice is investigating an allegation by the Federal Trade Commission that he colluded with OPEC and Russia to drive up global oil prices. He denies he did anything wrong. The case is pending and at the discretion of whoever is attorney general next year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Scott Sheffield grew Pioneer into Texas' largest oil and gas driller and was outspoken about industry tactics and geopolitics. When fracking companies like Pioneer flooded the world with crude oil and prices plummeted, he called on all producers, including the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, to cut back production and restore lost profits. When he sold his company to Exxon for $60 billion, the FTC stipulated that he not take a seat on the Exxon board because of his calls to raise oil prices and hurt consumers. Bryan Sheffield has worked closely with this father and leads the familys political giving. Since 2010, the two men and their wives have donated $2.4 million to conservative candidates and Republican causes in federal races. As of May, the younger Sheffield had donated $420,000 to funds designated by the Republican National Committee to support Trump and $6,600 to his campaign account, the maximum allowed by law. Texas billionaires Tim Dunn of CrownRock, Kelcy Warren of Energy Transfer and Houstonian Jeffrey Hildebrand of Hilcorp and their spouses are among oil and gas donors whove given the Trump campaign and their allies $16 million since October, the Wall Street Journal reported. Most energy-related political action committees, though, give to conservative groups that support Trump indirectly. The total does not include donations to so-called dark money groups that are not required to disclose donors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump has not raised the $1 billion he requested from the oil and gas industry in return for supporting their policy priorities, but he might. And just like that, we have a completely new election cycle. What is this whole thing going to look like with Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate? How will the Trump camp respond to a brand-new, upturned 2024 presidential campaign? And what the heck will voters do now? These are just some of the known unknowns of our current moment. Well get plenty of answers in the coming weeks. (There are still more than 100 days until the election.) But as it stands, heres all the stuff we really just dont know yet! What kind of campaign will Kamala Harris run? In her first few speeches on the stump, Harris leaned into her background as a forceful prosecutor, declaring that she had taken on perpetrators of all kinds while serving as district attorney in San Francisco, then attorney general of California. This was a role she shied away from in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, unsure about how her record as a member of law enforcement would play among the party base. But now shes in the completely different environment of a general election in its final months, trying to convince a different, broader pool of voters. Will we see a return of a law and orderstyle antihero on the campaign trail? Do we have to call her Momala, like Drew Barrymore did? Lets not. Who will be Harris VP? How will that affect everything? Advertisement The competition to be Harris running mate is in full swing and on a tight deadline, and the plan is to nominate a VP candidate alongside Harris during a virtual roll call on Aug. 7. The Harris campaign has already requested vetting materials from at least seven possible VPs, including North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and former Louisiana congressman and Biden White House aide Cedric Richmond. Theres also a good amount of excitement around Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. And maybe one-time Slate blogger Pete Buttigieg will be up for consideration too. Who knows? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Slatester Ben Mathis-Lilley put it, the categories from which Harris can choose boil down to the swing-vote governors, the replaceable senatorsas in they could be replaced by another member of the Democratic Partyand the big names. But how Harris (and an army of Democratic consultants) will balance these considerations is anyones guess. Does the electoral map to victory change with Harris? Advertisement Some of Bidens sharpest declines in polling this year relative to his 2020 performance came with younger voters, Hispanic voters, and Black men. That meant that he was most sharply off pace in the booming, diverse Sun Belt swing states he won in 2020: Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona. The Biden campaigns narrow path to victory, then, focused on retaining three older, whiter swing states farther north that he carried that year: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, the piece of the erstwhile Democratic blue wall that Trump had swiped in 2016. Harris coalition could look a little differentmore reliant on those young and diverse voters with whom Biden had lost his connection, and weaker with older white voters. Does that make Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada top priorities? Are Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania out of reach? Could Harris be in a position to win them all, or is she in worse shape than Biden to win any? Well have to wait for some fresh polling for the path to reveal itself. Advertisement Advertisement How much will some of Harris leftmost positions in the 2020 Democratic primary come back to hurt her? In Harris 2020 presidential campaign, she made a hard push to earn support from the left. It went nowhere. In the process of doing sotypically on national televisionHarris left behind a wake of clips and positions that Republicans will feast upon in this general election. She endorsed Medicare for All legislation and melted down when asked follow-up questions about eliminating private health insurance. There was no question she supported banning fracking. (If youre wondering why a pro-fracking governor of Pennsylvania is on her vice presidential short list ) Advertisement The border is Democrats worst issue, and Harris raised her hand in a 2019 debate when asked who supported decriminalizing illegal border crossings. When asked in 2018 about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she said, We need to probably think about starting from scratch. Republicans are already running ads about these things. It remains to be seen how well Harris can defend herself on these matters after getting tongue-tied into oblivion during the 2020 campaign. OK, but the memes. Those will definitely help her, right? Advertisement There is, without a doubt, a ton of enthusiasm about the Harris candidacy right now, and it is playing out in funny ways on the internet. But dont be fooled by your social media bubble. The memes are flying from all sides. One of the most viral Harris-related clips, which first went viral on TikTok and Twitter back in 2023, is a digitally altered voice-over of a speech at Howard University that makes her appear drunk and incoherent. The audio has been removed from TikTok but remains on Twitter, where Harris continues to be portrayed as wacky and idiotic. (The altered version has her saying Today is today, and yesterday is today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow, so live today so the future today will be as the past today, as it is tomorrow.) And right-wing commenters are in overdrive, pushing a narrative about Harris that paints her as a childless, oversexualized idiot who slept her way to the top. (This is incorrect and also incredibly sexist and racist, for what its worth.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In many ways, the right is still beefing up its attacks on Harris and still throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. So the nature of all these attacks could change. In general, its good to remember: The fallout from Trumps presidential win in 2016 left people wringing their hands about disinformation and the role of social media in voter turnout and the election at large. But technology has only advanced since then. Now voters are swimming through not just disinformation but also A.I.generated content, deepfake images and videos, and even more precise targeting. OK, but Charli XCX did say kamala IS brat, right? She did. Advertisement How will Harris do against Trump in an eventual debate? Advertisement Advertisement Harris is considered a seasoned and fierce debater, fueled by her time as Californias top prosecutor. When she was in the Senate serving on the Judiciary Committee, she earned a reputation for delivering excruciatingly sharp questioning. And in 2020, when she debated former Vice President Mike Pence, she famously said, Mr. Vice President, Im speaking, when Pence tried to interrupt her. The line went viral for its relatability in the everyday power struggle women face. Meanwhile, Trumps debate style has been likened to bullying. He frequently interrupts, shouts, and distracts his opponents by talking over them, lying, and hurling insults. Back in 2016, Trump circled Hillary Clinton during one of their debates, stalking her as she spoke. And in 2020, Trump completely overtook Biden in a debate that devolved into a shouting match and pushed the president to say, Will you shut up, man? Advertisement A debate between Biden and Trump was scheduled for Sept. 10, but the Trump campaign has argued since the Democrats candidate switch that it should be hosted by Fox News, not ABC. Thats unlikely. Trump, nevertheless, has said hell absolutely debate Harris. Advertisement How will Harris campaign the war in Gaza? Can she distance herself from Biden on this? Advertisement Advertisement There have been reports that Harris could try to distance herself from Bidens policy toward Israel, however slightly. Harris, after all, called for an immediate cease-fire in early Marchmonths before Biden came around to thatand has talked tougher in public about Israels deadly campaign in Gaza. Her national security adviser, Phil Gordon, is known in foreign policy circles to be more progressive than Biden and his team. And this week, Harris pointedly refused to preside over Congress during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus chest-beating address to Congress. (She did, however, meet with Netanyahu the following day.) Advertisement But this doesnt mean shes about to start fundraising for Palestinian relief organizations alongside her famous stepdaughter. Harris has a long, friendly relationship with the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC and introduced and supported pro-Israel legislation while in the Senate. She has met with Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog over the years. And she certainly understands that the Democratic Party contains not just those who call Biden Genocide Joe but also voters who have kept We Stand With Israel signs planted in their lawns since Oct. 7. The Biden campaign was in trouble in Michigan, in part because many of the states Arab American votersand its young voterscould not support the man whom many held responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including, for some, their family members. But this was going to be a problem for Biden nationwide. A July poll of about 1,800 people, conducted by the Century Foundation and Morning Consult, found that 38 percent of voters had reconsidered their support for Biden due to his unconditional backing of Israels assault on Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris 2020 campaign foundered in part because she tried to appeal to everyone in the Democratic tent, from Bernie Sanders supporters to those who backed Joe Biden (if not all the way toward Joe Manchin). In doing so, though, she wound up pleasing nobody. So her task with this issue is a matter of looking decisive and sympathetic, both to the Palestinians who have suffered immensely under Israeli fire and to the Israelis and hostages in Gaza and their family members. If her 2020 campaign taught us anything, its that shell try to strike a balanceand its impossible to take a position on this issue that doesnt piss off somebody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What will be the influence of Silicon Valley money on the race? Is it all in for Vance and Musk? Or will Harris ties to tech scramble things? This is the big question mark from progressive policy groups in D.C. Biden has been willing to tangle with Big Tech and its monopolistic excessesnowhere is that more evident than his appointment of Lina Khan to the Federal Trade Commission. But Harris is much closer to tech by nature (and geography, and marriage, and fundraising), and a lot of the big names surfacing around her nascent campaign are tech-allied: Eric Holder (Airbnb), Tony West (Uber), David Plouffe (Uber). On the other hand, a lot of Silicon Valley billionaires have lined up behind Trump since he picked Vance as his running mate. Vance is something of a protege of Peter Thiels, having worked at one of Thiels venture capital firms. Also, in the words of Slatester Nitish Pahwa: Advertisement Advertisement Silicon Valley and the financial world lurched to the right after 2020, radicalized against social justice protests, COVID lockdowns, and the antitrust scrutiny and legal probes that came under the Biden administration. A sense of grievance afflicted onetime Biden voters like [Elon] Musk and [Chamath] Palihapitiyaand always-radical folks, including Sacks (who arranged his pro-Trump Silicon Valley events with Vances help), were ready to capitalize on that. How will Harris reshuffle Bidens platform? Advertisement Biden spent a ton of time articulating a pretty robust platform, including a first 100 days agenda at one of his last public appearances (a rally in Michigan). And before he dropped out of the race, he pushed a bunch of progressive policies, promising to make the rich pay more taxes, advocating for the expansion of Social Security, and calling for the elimination of medical debt. (He also indicated he was ready to take on the Supreme Court.) Will Harris take that on wholesale? Will she pick and choose? In her first speeches, she indicated that she would revive the care economy legislative efforts that got tossed when Bidens Build Back Better bill collapsed. Its not that she and Biden will necessarily have vastly different policy beliefs. They could, however, have different priorities. Advertisement How will South Asian voters and Hindu nationalists react? South Asian Americans were just one of the many reliably Democratic voting blocs that had cooled on their prior enthusiasm for Joe Biden; now his veeps ascension could turn things around. Having Kamala Harristhe daughter of a Tamil Indian immigranton his ticket likely drove significant Indian American turnout for Biden in 2020, even as Trump leveraged his friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make inroads with Hindu nationalists. But Trump hasnt gained more South Asian American support since then, and the Groyper-adjacent, immigration-hawkish Vance probably wont help there, his own Indian American wife notwithstanding. Still, as the largest Asian American group in the country, with significant population numbers in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, voters of South Asian descent will remain a key target for both parties. Watch the WhatsApp groups. How will Harris campaign on climate? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris doesnt like the oil industry, and she can prove it: As Californias attorney general, she sued several of the worst climate villains you know (Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP) and even tried to curb drilling and fracking off her states coast. Though she entered the 2020 Democratic primary as a climate hawk, Harris moderated on the issue as Bidens running mate, and she hasnt made it a key plank of her vice presidency. Still, as fossil-fuel executives shower Trump with checks and (allegedly) accept quid pro quo arrangements, you can expect Prosecutor Harris to make clear she can never be so corrupted by Big Bad Oil. (As for the rest of her climate agenda? Frankly, itll probably depend on whether her choice for veep hails from a fossil-fuel state.) The Education Ministry has launched a website to track the progress of universities. Applicants for higher education courses can now use a new website to determine which Slovak university is the most suitable for them. (Source: SME - Marko Erd) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Instead of attending an open house day, applicants for higher education courses can now use a new website to determine which Slovak university is the most suitable for them. More information about the Slovak labour market Please see our Career Guide. The Education Ministry launched the website, which contains detailed data, at the end of February 2024 to ensure that universities prepare students for the real world. The initiative is a component in Slovakias 6.4-billion share of the EUs post-pandemic Recovery Plan, which is being funded by a combination of grants and jointly-issued debt. Data reports on universities do not aim to divide Slovak public universities into high-quality and low-quality schools, said deputy education minister Robert Zsembera. By highlighting the academic performance of universities, as well as their potential for greater diversification, profiling, inclusion and cooperation with foreign partners and the private sector, the ministry said that it aims to convey authenticated information to the public, while simultaneously providing them with a comprehensive understanding of the study opportunities in Slovakia. A selection of short feel-good stories from Slovakia. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent. Large sapphire found while mushroom-hunting The blue sapphire is 2.5 centimetres across. (Source: Archive of Ladislav Oravec) An amateur mineral collector from south-central Slovakia has made a unique discovery. While searching for mushrooms in a quarry belonging to the village of Gemersky Jablonec, he stumbled upon a blue sapphire embedded in a piece of basalt rock. It was his third discovery, but the previous two were a slightly smaller, the MY Novohrad regional newspaper reported. One of the sapphires previously found by Ladislav Oravec, which he named King. (Source: Marcela Ballova) I didnt found any mushrooms, so I started looking for sapphires, Ladislav Oravec told state-owned broadcaster STVR. After about 30 minutes I was left speechless. I had found a new record-breaker. I thought Id faint when I saw its colour. As Daniel Ozdin from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava said, it is the largest sapphire ever found in Slovakia, or anywhere in the Carpathians, STVR reported. The sapphire will first be examined, and then exhibited in museums. Related article Related article Abandoned Slovak quarry yields other rarities after gems Read more Oravec has already made a unique discovery: last year, when searching for minerals, he found the toe of a prehistoric tapir. Meanwhile, the nearby village plans to open an educational path and unveil a plaque commemorating the record sapphire find, MY Novohrad reported. Norwegian architect creates a 'parklet' for Trencin The parklet in downtown Trencin will remain there during the summer. (Source: Dvaja) A parklet, i.e. a small area created as a public amenity on a parking space that gives people somewhere to enjoy their free time, is now occupying a roadside spot in downtown Trencin. Situated in front of the M.A. Bazovsky Gallery on Palacky Street and created by Norwegian architect Sami Rintala, it is the first installation designed as part of the European Capital of Culture Trencin 2026 project. It should show people how a parking place can look like if it does not have to serve cars, Livia Gazova, the manager of architectural and public space projects in the Trencin 2026 team, explained. The parklet in Trencin can remind us of a Roman temple or a dense forest of trees, said Gazova, adding that the author, who works for the Rintala Eggertsson Architects studio, was inspired by the heritage of Trencin, its Roman legacy and the beautiful nature around the town. Trencin is known for a Roman inscription on the castle rock dating from 179 AD, which denotes the site as Laugaricio, and is the northernmost evidence of the presence of Roman soldiers in central Europe. The parklet is set to remain on Palackeho Street throughout the summer. Bojnice Zoo welcomes baby red pandas Bojnice Zoo now has two more red pandas. (Source: Facebook/ZOO Bojnice) The zoo in Bojnice, western Slovakia, welcomed two baby red pandas in early June. The zoo announced the news on Facebook more than a month and half later, but added that they do not know their gender or their names yet. Visitors will probably not get to see them right away. But it probably wont take long before they start showing up, the zoo wrote. The baby red pandas were born to a female panda, Bambu, who arrived at the zoo last year from Ljubljana, and her mate Mao. Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read: Political meme of the week A balanced strategy (Source: SME/Mikulas Sliacky) Caption: Our strategy needs to be balanced. Its necessary to immediately get Russian pilots to those American fighters! Carricaturist Mikulas Sliacky reacts with this meme to the delivery to Slovakia of the country's first F-16 fighter jets. The jets were piloted by US pilots. Their ceremonial arrival was attended by President and Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Armed Forces Peter Pellegrini, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer), Chief of General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Daniel Zmeko, and other Slovak and foreign guests. In this meme, Sliacky refers to a phrase often used by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer), to the effect that Slovakias foreign policy must be "balanced" and focus on all four points of the compass while also alluding to Fico's conspicuously pro-Russian stances. You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you! PAPARA, Tahiti (AP) Tahitian dancers in palm-leaf skirts mingled with Olympic surfers, locals and tourists as the opening ceremony for the Summer Games commenced in French Polynesia on Friday morning, some 10,000 miles away from the main ceremony in Paris. The people of Tahiti, we are all enchanted to have these Olympics games here and to welcome all our friends from all over the world, President of French Polynesia Moetai Brotherson told The Associated Press. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. All the world is looking at us for this mighty wave. Just steps from the ocean and set against the lush green mountains of Tahiti, the event was heavily centered on Polynesian culture: Visitors were welcomed with traditional Tahitian singing, dancing and ceremonies. Local government, Olympics and surfing officials had hand-woven palms placed around their necks upon arrival. White tents provided a shady spot for vendors to sell local vegetables, Polynesian crafts and food. During one part of the ceremony athletes sealed banana leaves into a vessel, following an ancestral tradition in Polynesian culture called Rahiri used as a prelude to important events to secure the peace and union of those competing. During another part of the ceremony, athletes from different countries poured sand into a single communal container, symbolizing unity and respect for the ocean. Before the event, surfer Caroline Marks from the United States said she was excited to be returning to the Olympics after she placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, where Olympic surfing first debuted. This is way different from Tokyo, when we were in pandemic and there were no spectators it felt secluded, she told AP. This Olympics definitely have a different vibe and it's great to be back. The event was open to the public, with locals and tourists alike attending. I think its a really great opportunity for us to show our culture to the world and really demonstrate that we exist, said local guesthouse owner Hiro Boosie, 25. We want to show what kind of people we are to the world. Despite extra security such as police checkpoints and some road closures closer to the Olympic venues, tourists said that they felt their visit to Tahiti during the Olympics was so far a smooth and welcoming experience. The locals are amazing, and I feel that its actually very well organized for tourists to be here, said Dhikra Bahri, 23, who was visiting from Tunisia. International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre announced that the surfing competition would start the following day. Surf forecasts predict the conditions will be favorable. Only four days of a 10-day window will be allotted for the competition, dependent upon wave conditions. Throughout the week, competitors were seen paddling out to the world-famous waves of Teahupo'o starting before sunrise to take advantage of exclusive access to the location for training ahead of the competition. In Teahupoo, residents have spent the final days before the competition preparing their town for the influx of extra people: Families have cleaned trash and debris from beachside walking paths, extended their business hours and building homemade dirt road bumps. The 2024 surfing event sets the Olympic record for the competition held furthest away from a host city. ___ AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games The cure for sleep deprivation is pretty simple: sleep more. Sometimes, though, a cheeky little napsipoo just isnt in the cards and an energy boost is necessary. Thats what coffee is for, at least in the short term. But a new study finds that, while coffee may provide that kick pick-me-up, it may be adversely affecting the brains ability to recover from chronic sleep deprivation. As reported by Newsweek, this latest study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. In it, a cohort of Swiss and German researchers sought to examine the effects of caffeine affects the total volume of grey matter in the brain. Prior research has found that even one night with insufficient sleep can decrease the amount of grey matter in the brain, particularly in regions involved in memory, sensation perception, and conscious thought. Meanwhile, daily caffeine consumption has also been shown to reduce grey matter in the outer areas of the brain and the regions used for long-term memory storage. Thus, the researchers hypothesized that using caffeine as a means to counteract sleep deprivation-associated tiredness may be exacerbating the decreased volume of grey matter. To test this, the researchers examined 36 healthy adults as part of a nine-day study, whereby the participants would undergo one adaption day, two baseline days, then five sleep-deprived daysdefined as having only five hours of sleepfollowed by a recovery day. Participants were split into two groups: 19 who consumed three cups of coffee a day, amounting to 300mg of caffeine, and 17 who consumed the same amount of decaf coffee. Over the course of the nine days, participants underwent three different MRI scans of their brain. They found that for those in the decaf group, the overall volume of grey matter actually increased when compared to the baseline readings. But for those that consumed caffeinated coffee, the total grey matter in those brain regions was reduced. These findings suggest, according to the researchers, that the increased grey matter volume in the decaf group is our brains way of counteracting the effects of chronic sleep deprivation. Drinking caffeine, then, is stymying the bodys ability to adapt. This study revealed reversible cortical plasticity in frontal, temporal-occipital, and thalamic gray matter in response to chronic sleep restriction. This plastic response, however, can be suppressed or reversed by concomitant caffeine intake, the researchers surmise. So while coffee can help provide an extra bit of energy and focus after a night of insufficient slumber, it is not a suitable solution in the long term. The only way to overcome sleep deprivation is, well, sleep. Maybe a coffee nap? Todays episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast focuses on builds. Thats right, its the second episode of the 2024 Build-Outs of Coffee Coffee Buildcast podcast series. Today on the show, we drink coffee from Scandinavian Alps Coffee in Hemsedal, Norway, brewed with the Ceado Hoop Brewer. We met these folks at the 2024 World of Coffee Europe event in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Cafe Imports activation. We love the coffee and the package it comes in! We sipped while nibbling a tasty, vegan lemon pound cake treat from Marlenes Market and Deli in Tacoma, Washington. Next time youre in the area, get yourself a bar (and some soup). This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Acaia, Ghirardelli, and DONA. Take a closer look at the build-outs featured on todays podcast: Listen to the complete episode right here: https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/pentagon-confirms-strike-near-airbase-in-iraq-reports-no-casualties-1119509245.html Pentagon Confirms Strike Near Airbase in Iraq, Reports No Casualties Pentagon Confirms Strike Near Airbase in Iraq, Reports No Casualties Sputnik International A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed an attack near the Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq Thursday but claimed there were no casualties or damage to the facility as a result of the strike. 2024-07-25T23:34+0000 2024-07-25T23:34+0000 2024-07-25T23:34+0000 world newsfeed middle east iraq syria pentagon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107797/18/1077971866_0:169:3043:1880_1920x0_80_0_0_0b5a5a920f8af5104593c4851f4a9ec0.jpg WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed an attack near the Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq Thursday but claimed there were no casualties or damage to the facility as a result of the strike. We can confirm that there was a strike that landed outside the base with no damage or injuries, an official told Sputnik.It is not known at this time what equipment was used to carry out the attack or how many munitions were launched, the Pentagon added. Earlier this month two drones attacked the Ain al-Asad Airbase, similarly resulting in no damage or casualties. US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted with multiple attacks since October 2023 following Hamas October 7 operation in Israel and the subsequent conflict in the Gaza Strip. US support for Tel Aviv has inflamed public opinion across much of the Muslim world.The base was previously targeted by Iran in retaliation for former President Donald Trump's killing of Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani in 2020. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240128/american-base-near-syria-jordan-border-attacked-amidst-rejection-of-us-role-in-area-1116455518.html iraq syria Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ain al-asad airbase attack, us iraq airbase strike, strikes on us personnel middle east, muslim world opposition to us, arab world opposition to us israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/about-one-third-of-historic-canadian-town-lost-to-wildfires--albertan-premier-1119526094.html About One-Third of Historic Canadian Town Lost to Wildfires Albertan Premier About One-Third of Historic Canadian Town Lost to Wildfires Albertan Premier Sputnik International Preliminary data shows that about a third of the historic Canadian town of Jasper has been destroyed by raging wildfires, the Prime Minister of the Province of Alberta Danielle Smith said on Friday. 2024-07-26T20:24+0000 2024-07-26T20:24+0000 2024-07-26T20:23+0000 americas canada harjit sajjan alberta wildfire https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/1a/1119525937_31:0:3672:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_037bcfb398228a3632007f7ae472ee6a.jpg Smith made the remarks during a joint press conference with Canadian Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan and Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, among others. Although more time is needed to complete a detailed assessment of the damage, it is clear, sadly, that many homes and some businesses have been lost. Our preliminary observation shows that about 33% of Jasper townsite endured total or partial structural loss, Smith said during a press conference. She noted, however, that all major infrastructure, including the hospital emergency service building, schools, the activity center and the wastewater treatment facility, have been protected from the wildfires. The fire continues to rage in the community, Ireland said, adding that the first priority remains the protection of those who stayed behind to protect the township from the wildfires. Sajjan said 175 wildfires were active within Alberta, having burnt 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres) of land. An estimated total of 17,000 people have fled their homes. On Tuesday, citizens of Jasper Township and the individuals at the Jasper National Park were ordered to evacuate the region towards neighboring British Columbia due to the looming threat of wildfires. americas canada alberta Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International jasper national park, wildfires destroy jasper, https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/hamas-rejects-israels-new-conditions-for-ceasefire-in-gaza---movement-representative-1119518708.html Hamas Rejects Israel's New Conditions for Ceasefire in Gaza - Movement Representative Hamas Rejects Israel's New Conditions for Ceasefire in Gaza - Movement Representative Sputnik International Palestinian movement Hamas does not agree to Israel's new conditions for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Hamas spokesman in Lebanon Walid Kilani told Sputnik on Friday. 2024-07-26T11:46+0000 2024-07-26T11:46+0000 2024-07-26T11:47+0000 world middle east israel hamas gaza strip palestinians palestine palestine-israel conflict ceasefire https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/1e/1116483146_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_7275bc97acba0b372dd32fcc60c31049.jpg Earlier this day, media reported that Israel was seeking changes to the Gaza truce plan, which would complicate a final deal with Hamas. Israel was reportedly demanding that displaced Palestinians be screened when returning to the northern Gaza Strip after the truce began. "We still stand by the ceasefire proposal in Gaza that we presented to the mediators three weeks ago, but [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has put forward additional conditions that Hamas and the Palestinian factions have not accepted," the representative said.Despite several rounds of negotiations, the Israeli authorities have repeatedly said that Israel sought to continue the hostilities until all of its goals are achieved, the main of which, in addition to the release of all hostages, is the complete elimination of the Hamas movement. israel gaza strip palestine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International gaza genocide, is israel committing genocide, whats happening with gaza, israeli genocide against palestinians, will israel be charged with genocide, whos backing israel, un hearing on gaza, current developments in gaza, whats happening to palestinians, us military aid to israel, us arms supplies to israel, us violating international law, what weapons is israel getting from us, israeli strikes, israel strikes gaza, israel kills civilians, operation in rafah, incursion into rafah, palestinian statehood, palestine independence, israeli hostages, jewish hostages, how many people did hamas abduct, how much money does us give israel, military aid to israel, financial aid to israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/hungary-accuses-ukraine-of-blackmail-over-russian-oil-transit-halt-1119515590.html Hungary Accuses Ukraine of Blackmail Over Russian Oil Transit Halt Hungary Accuses Ukraine of Blackmail Over Russian Oil Transit Halt Sputnik International Ukraine is using the stoppage of Russian oil transit to blackmail Hungary and Slovakia due to their stance on the Ukraine conflict, the Hungarian prime minister's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, stated at a government briefing. 2024-07-26T10:27+0000 2024-07-26T10:27+0000 2024-07-26T10:27+0000 world europe gergely gulyas hungary ukraine slovakia world trade organization (wto) european union (eu) european commission eu association agreement https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/1a/1119515712_0:158:3077:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_c71c3123e423d8e7ddc3c2034d8cbf0c.jpg "Ukraine is blackmailing two countriesHungary and Slovakiathat consistently advocate for a ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations," he said.Gulyas noted that Ukraine's actions contradict the EU agreement from the summer of 2022, which granted Hungary an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil supplies, as the country cannot guarantee its energy security otherwise. He warned that if the issue isn't resolved, Hungary could face a fuel shortage and stressed the need for a solution by September.Despite these challenges, Budapest does not wish to resort to counter-blackmail and adheres to the agreements in place, Gulyas emphasized. He pointed out that Ukraine receives over 40% of its electricity and more than 10% of its gas and diesel imports from Hungary. "But it is completely unacceptable for them to blackmail us. We have approached the European Commission to mediate in the agreements. If this does not yield results, we will have to consider other steps," Gulyas concluded.Meanwhile, Hungary is scrutinizing whether Ukraine's decision to halt oil transit breaches World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the EU Energy Charter, and the EU Association Agreement, Hungarian EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka said on Friday.Last week, Hungary and Slovakia reported that they had stopped receiving oil from Lukoil via the Druzhba pipeline due to Ukraine halting transit through its territory. The Slovak Ministry of Economy noted that Kiev had included the Russian oil company in its sanctions list. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented that the transit of energy resources has long been a "manipulation tool" for the Kiev regime, and the West encourages this policy, which she described as growing into "true international terrorism."In December 2022, Western countries imposed sanctions prohibiting the supply of Russian oil to the European Union, with exceptions only for the Druzhba pipeline to avoid difficulties for several landlocked countries in finding alternative suppliers. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240724/slovakia-warns-ukraine-of-retaliation-over-halt-of-russian-oil-transit-1119484612.html hungary ukraine slovakia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International hungary, slovakia, ukraine, hungary, russian oil, druzhba oil pipeline, ukraine halts russian oil transit, european union (eu) Bao Ong is a restaurant columnist for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at bao@houstonchronicle.com He previously worked on staff at Eater New York, Bon Appetit and Time Out New York. In addition to Bao's background in journalism, he also graduated from the French Culinary Institute. He moved to Houston in summer 2022 and in his first year, he won the top award in the Comment and Criticism category awarded by the Texas Managing Editors organization. Follow where he's eating and drinking on Instagram: @baohaus https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/israel-privately-pressuring-biden-administration-to-fast-track-supply-of-weapons---reports-1119513033.html Israel Privately Pressuring Biden Administration to Fast-Track Supply of Weapons - Reports Israel Privately Pressuring Biden Administration to Fast-Track Supply of Weapons - Reports Sputnik International Israel is privately increasing pressure on the Biden administration and US lawmakers to authorize fast-tracked delivery of weapons it needs, with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's delegation during its Washington visit circulating a list of weapons it wants fast-tracked, Politico has reported, citing a person familiar with it. 2024-07-26T07:20+0000 2024-07-26T07:20+0000 2024-07-26T07:20+0000 world benjamin netanyahu us joe biden donald trump gaza strip israel congress biden administration middle east https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/06/1082001396_0:0:2780:1565_1920x0_80_0_0_f097ab9767ae836e848e32c2f59eb843.jpg On Monday, Netanyahu arrived in Washington to hold a series of meetings, including with US President Joe Biden on Thursday and with his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, on Friday, as well as to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. During the prime minister's address to the US Congress on Wednesday, Netanyahu urged the body to expedite weapon deliveries to Israel amid the ongoing in the Gaza Strip. The report cited the person as saying that the Israeli delegation passed the list of weapons to members of Congress on Wednesday after Netanyahu's address. The report added that Israel is attempting to solidify the transfers and bolster its weapons stockpiles before the upcoming presidential election in the United States in November. Israel's list does not include the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs that Washington is withholding and instead focuses on other systems, Politico reported. The person familiar with the list also said that Israel needs weapons since its stockpiles have been diminished in recent months, and Israel is seeking the weapons buildup as it is concerned about the possibility of a confrontation with Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah, the media reported. According to Gaza authorities, the number of people killed in Israeli strikes on the enclave since October 7 has exceeded 39,000, and more than 89,800 people have been injured. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/netanyahus-abraham-alliance-proposal-completely-detached-from-reality--analyst-1119506949.html gaza strip israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International gaza genocide, is israel committing genocide, whats happening with gaza, israeli genocide against palestinians, will israel be charged with genocide, whos backing israel, un hearing on gaza, current developments in gaza, whats happening to palestinians, us military aid to israel, us arms supplies to israel, us violating international law, what weapons is israel getting from us, israeli strikes, israel strikes gaza, israel kills civilians, operation in rafah, incursion into rafah, palestinian statehood, palestine independence, israeli hostages, jewish hostages, how many people did hamas abduct, how much money does us give israel, military aid to israel, financial aid to israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/moldova-gravitating-towards-nato-against-peoples-will---deputy-speaker-1119519173.html Moldova Gravitating Towards NATO Against People's Will - Deputy Speaker Moldova Gravitating Towards NATO Against People's Will - Deputy Speaker Sputnik International The Moldovan government and the ruling Action and Solidarity party are going against the will of the people by choosing to get closer to NATO, deputy parliament speaker Vlad Batrincea said on Friday. 2024-07-26T11:58+0000 2024-07-26T11:58+0000 2024-07-26T11:58+0000 world maia sandu moldova nato us united kingdom (uk) germany romania nato enlargement nato expansion https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/1a/1119519013_0:317:3076:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_b36e475ba7513c47958acd038f163e10.jpg "The incumbent government's drift closer to NATO is not what people want. This shows that everything done by Action and Solidarity, Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi, and President [Maia] Sandu is controlled from the outside," Batrincea told journalists. The lawmaker argued that the government took no notice of the public at home, producing statements intended for the ears of its allies and donors in the United States. Despite Moldova's status as a neutral country, the eastern European nation has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within the framework of an individual partnership plan. When Sandu's Action and Solidarity came to power, it began to routinely hold military exercises with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Romania. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240402/nato-drills-in-moldova-west-tightens-grip-amid-tensions-around-the-country-1117703028.html moldova united kingdom (uk) germany romania Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International is moldova in nato, is moldova a nato member, moldova nato drills, moldova nato cooperation, moldova nato excercises DEMIROREN NEWS AAGENCY This handout video grab released on July 24, 2024 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows a Russian suspected of carrying out a car bomb attack in Moscow on July 24, 2024, arrested by Turkish authorities in Bodrum, south-west of Turkey. A Russian man suspected of carrying out a car bombing that wounded two people in Moscow on July 24, 2024 has been arrested by Turkish police, Turkey's Interior Minister said. Evgeny Serebryakov was detained in the Turkish city of Bodrum, hours after officials said an unidentified explosive device tore apart a car in a residential courtyard in the north of Russian capital. The suspected bomber fled to Turkey after carrying out the crime and was detained by law enforcement shortly after arriving, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted on X. (Photo by Demiroren News AAgency / AFP) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/only-brute-force-can-force-draft-age-ukrainians-in-europe-to-go-home-to-face-near-certain-death-1119521472.html Only Brute Force Can Force Draft-Age Ukrainians in Europe to Go Home to Face Near-Certain Death Only Brute Force Can Force Draft-Age Ukrainians in Europe to Go Home to Face Near-Certain Death Sputnik International Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has urged Warsaws European allies to create the right conditions to encourage Ukrainians who fled their country after 2022 to return home to fight Russia. Theres nothing short of violence that will force these people to comply, says veteran international affairs observer Dr. Gilbert Doctorow. 2024-07-26T15:56+0000 2024-07-26T15:56+0000 2024-07-26T15:57+0000 analysis radoslaw sikorski gillbert doctorow ukraine russia poland european union (eu) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/1a/1119521595_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_b35b10ce992bff0d855082042e4ae31b.jpg We, as European countries, also need to help Ukraine as the country faces weapons shortages, war fatigue and dwindling troop numbers, Sikorski said in an interview with Polish radio on Thursday.There are hundreds of thousands of potential recruits obliged to defend their motherland living in EU countries, and Poland is in the vanguard of helping Ukraine prepare these people for military service, the foreign minister said. Its possible to impose such conditions on Ukrainian nationals living in Europe that will encourage them to fulfill their obligation to defend their homeland, Sikorski stressed.These potential conscripts are not vacationing in our resorts. They are here precisely because they fled conscription, which means nearly certain death on the battlefield, given the way that day after day the Russians are killing or gravely injuring more than 2,000 Ukrainian troops, includingsome of the countrys best trained and equipped military units, Doctorow emphasized.Sikorskis proposal is illustrative of a modern Polish political class as delusional as their forefathers in its fanatical hatred of Russia, according to the observer.Europes political institutions in general are staffed by followers, not leaders, Doctorow stressed. Accordingly, their main weathervane on what policy to pursue comes from across the Atlantic, not the EUs Eastern flank.They look to Washington and what they see today is the possibility of a Trump victory which will mean that the USA throws Ukraine under the bus, as it is fashionable to say today. With their nose to the wind, they will not expose themselves to ridicule and protest by following the Polish example, the observer said.Poland is currently home to about one million of the estimated 4.25 million Ukrainians who fled Ukraine for European Union countries following the escalation of the Donbass crisis into a full-blown Russia-NATO proxy war. Another 5.5 million have gone to Russia.The present conflict has thrust Ukraine into an acute, unprecedented and perhaps terminal demographic crisis, with the states efforts to forcibly mobilize men aged 18-60 (with those age 25 and above eligible to be sent to the front) threatening to wipe out the countrys working and fighting-age male population. The crisis has become so serious in recent months that Kiev has resorted to recruiting women.Media, even in the West, have increasingly reported on instances of recruiters drafting the mentally and physically handicapped, grabbing draft-age men off the streets and authorities handing out lengthy prison sentences to conscientious objectors. This heavy-handed approach, a general sense of war weariness and the constant scandals surrounding Volodymyr Zelensky and his allies have given rise to a fledgling resistance movement, including a wave of arson attacks across Ukraine targeting recruitment centers and vehicles. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240715/nato-to-help-ukraine-down-russian-jets-but-wont-get-its-hands-dirty-1119378156.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240718/ukraine-peace-talks-could-start-this-year-if-trump-wins-us-presidential-race---szijjarto-1119414657.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240709/new-volunteer-legion-in-poland---blatant-scam-to-force-ukrainians-to-front-lines-1119305546.html ukraine russia poland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov how many ukrainians are in europe, how many ukrainians are in russia, what is poland's position on ukraine conflict https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/pompeo-tries-to-hijack-trumps-peace-push-says-ukraine-needs-500-bln-and-nato-membership-1119520268.html Pompeo Tries to Hijack Trumps Peace Push, Says Ukraine Needs $500 Bln and NATO Membership Pompeo Tries to Hijack Trumps Peace Push, Says Ukraine Needs $500 Bln and NATO Membership Sputnik International Donald Trump has bragged that he could end the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine with a couple phone calls, saying his main priority is to stop people dying. The GOP nominee for VP, JD Vance, has talked about the conflicts cost to taxpayers. But there are many figures in the Republican establishment looking to prolong the crisis at all cost. 2024-07-26T14:25+0000 2024-07-26T14:25+0000 2024-07-26T15:03+0000 donald trump us mike pompeo volodymyr zelensky ukraine russia kiev republican nato americas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107490/83/1074908384_0:239:4584:2818_1920x0_80_0_0_875fc84c71ea0bcd5cc9a582eb3d1019.jpg Former CIA director and secretary of state Mike Pompeo has outlined a neocon Republican playbook for the Ukraine crisis in the event that Donald Trump returns to office, calling for a rebranding of US military and economic assistance to Kiev as lend-lease, and inviting Kiev into NATO as soon as possible so all European allies assume the burden of protecting it.Pompeos proposal, entitled A Trump Peace Plan for Ukraine, assures that Trumps return to the presidency would not mean stopping Ukraine funding or negotiating directly with Moscow to end the fighting. On the contrary, he suggested, a Trump administration would pursue a strategy for victory thats lacking in the current administration.The neocon plan proposes a global effort led by the US and partners in the Middle East to bring down energy prices and squeeze Russia out of energy markets, imposing real sanctions on Moscow to replace the current good on paper buthollow ones Pompeo says are in place today, ramping up NATO defense spending to a minimum of 3 percent of GDP, and lifting all restrictions on the type of weapons Ukraine can obtain and use against Russia.Pompeos vision for a post-conflict Ukraine includes building up Kievs military potential against Russia, refusing to recognize Russias new territories, demilitarizing Crimea (whatever that means), giving seized Russian Central Bank assets to Kiev, and inviting Ukraine into the European Union.Pompeos treatise, penned together with lobbyist, CNN commentator and Trump 2016 campaign advisor David Urban, strikes a decidedly more aggressive tone than the former president or his pick for vice president, JD Vance, have taken on the campaign trail.Trump has repeatedly promised to stop the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, vowing to start the peace process on election night if he wins, but has remained light on the details of how he might achieve this goal. People familiar with the plan have reportedly said that it will include pressuring Kiev to give up territory, sparking panic among some at the Pentagon and neocons in both parties that such Ukrainian concessions would mean Putin would win."Trump said last week that he had a very good phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky, and that Zelensky had congratulated him on becoming the Republican nominee and surviving his recent assassination attempt. We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting, Zelensky said in a follow-up social media post.Zelensky got in trouble with Republicans earlier this month over comments in a CNN interview from earlier this year in which he suggested that JD Vance doesnt understand the situation in Ukraine, and that Kiev doesnt need any rhetoric from people who are not deeply in the know.Vance, who has positioned himself as an America First Republican, argued in an op-ed in the New York Times in April that the biggest reason the US shouldnt continue to support Ukraine is a basic math problem revolving around the fact that Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field, even with draconian conscription policies, and needs more materiel than the United States can provide.Vance has also said that the argument by proponents of further military support to Kiev on the basis that it would help the US economy and create jobs was morally deficient. The notion that we should prolong a bloody and gruesome war because its been good for American business is grotesque, he wrote, saying that the sooner Americans confront the mathematical truth that Ukraine cant win, the sooner we can fix this mess and broker for peace.Which path Trump may take on Ukraine the one proposed by Pompeo or the one outlined by Vance, remains unclear. During his first term in office, Trump staffed his administration with avowed neocons including Pompeo, John Bolton and Nikki Haley. At the same time, the president demonstrated that he had a preference for de-escalation, expressing pride in his January 2021 farewell address that he was the first president in decades with no new wars. Trump was also credited for avoiding being dragged into an all-out war with Iran in 2019 and 2020 on the advice of friendly conservative non-interventionist figures, first and foremost Tucker Carlson.Trump has already fallen for the neoconservative lend-lease for Ukraine argument once earlier this year, endorsing a $61 billion aid package which had been blocked for months by conservative House Republicans, after suggesting that part of the aid could be classified as a repayable loan.The loan idea was lobbied heavily by Lindsey Graham, another top neocon in Washington. Graham blasted Vance over his NYT op-ed, echoing Zelenskys talking points and claiming that if Washington wants American military members to stay out of the fight with Russia, it should help Ukraine. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/trump-versus-the-deep-state-will-next-president-shift-us-foreign-policy-1119509608.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/biden-promises-stronger-more-powerful-nato-in-speech-passing-torch-to-harris-1119493706.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240723/trump-vance-say-biden-leaving-race-may-be-result-of-coup-1119474418.html ukraine russia kiev americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov is donald trump for peace in ukraine, can trump bring peace in ukraine, what's trump's stance on ukraine, who is mike pompeo https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/russia-warns-of-retaliation-over-eus-use-of-frozen-assets-for-ukraine-support-1119516207.html Russia Warns of Retaliation Over EU's Use of Frozen Assets for Ukraine Support Russia Warns of Retaliation Over EU's Use of Frozen Assets for Ukraine Support Sputnik International Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to European Union (EU) moves to pilfer interest from frozen Russian assets to pay for military aid to Ukraine, warning that such actions will not go unanswered. 2024-07-26T10:57+0000 2024-07-26T10:57+0000 2024-07-26T10:58+0000 russia dmitry peskov europe ursula von der leyen sergey lavrov russia ukraine belgium european union (eu) european commission https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/15/1104501939_0:0:3153:1773_1920x0_80_0_0_9e28e00330fda2d5996663edbaa7f4a3.jpg "Of course, such steps by the European Commission will not go unanswered," Peskov told reporters. On Friday, the European Union will send the first tranche of military aid to Ukraine, amounting to 1.5 billion, from the revenues of frozen Russian assets, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on social media site X. "This is not a reason for an immediate reaction, but certainly a reason for thoughtful actions in response to such illegal decisions by the European Union, Peskov added.These actions will definitely take place, but they must be well-considered and fully align with our interests." Following the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the EU and G7 countries froze nearly half of Russia's foreign exchange reserves, amounting to approximately 300 billion.Over 200 billion are held in the EU, mainly by Belgium's Euroclear, one of the world's largest settlement and clearing systems. The Russian Foreign Ministry has described the freezing of assets in Europe as theft, noting that the EU is targeting not only private funds but also Russian state assets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia would respond if frozen Russian assets in the West were confiscated. He mentioned that Russia also has the option to seize funds that Western countries hold in Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240621/seizing-russian-assets-in-eu-will-lead-to-unpredictable-consequences-belgian-minister-warns-1119051905.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240523/wests-plan-to-seize-russian-assets-legal-loophole-or-theft-1118593293.html russia ukraine belgium Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, russian assets, russian frozen assets, european union (eu), ukraine, eu sends russian frozen assets to ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/trump-slams-fbi-directors-testimony-at-congressional-hearing-1119510963.html Trump Slams FBI Director's Testimony at Congressional Hearing Trump Slams FBI Director's Testimony at Congressional Hearing Sputnik International FBI Director Christopher Wray told a US House Judiciary Committee hearing he was not sure if former US President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Trump claimed in a post on social media. 2024-07-26T02:56+0000 2024-07-26T02:56+0000 2024-07-26T03:07+0000 americas newsfeed us donald trump christopher wray pennsylvania fbi house judiciary committee https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/04/19/1095023528_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_fbfa415e4edb6c50e62ad341aabe2c21.jpg WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - FBI Director Christopher Wray told a US House Judiciary Committee hearing he was not sure if former US President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Trump claimed in a post on social media.Wray provided testimony at a US House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday relating to the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, during which he was also asked for his thoughts on President Joe Biden's mental acuity.Trump said the FBI director "knows nothing about the terrorists and other criminals pouring into our Country at record levels," adding that Wray's only focus is on "destroying J6 Patriots," raiding Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, and protecting "Radical Left Lunatics." He added that the doctors who treated him classified his injury as "a bullet wound to the ear," saying there was no glass or shrapnel. The former president suffered a wound to his right ear and was briefly hospitalized after a gunman fired shots at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. Thomas Crooks, 20, killed a member of the audience and injured two others in the crowd before Trump's Secret Service detail shot and killed him.The FBI is still actively investigating the assassination attempt, Wray said Wednesday. The incident prompted US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign following intense criticism of the agency for failing to prevent the shooting. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240104/trump-asks-court-to-hold-prosecutors-in-contempt-for-violating-stay-in-january-6-case-1115978647.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240723/forced-to-fall-on-her-sword-cheatle-takes-the-heat-for-secret-service-fumble-1119477723.html americas pennsylvania Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International trump truth social wray, trump fbi, trump fbi director post, trump ear bullet, trump fbi criticism, trump christopher wray attack, trump fbi shooting, trump wrap assassination attempt https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/trump-tells-netanyahu-he-will-try-to-bring-peace-to-middle-east-combat-anti-semitism-if-elected-1119525280.html Trump Tells Netanyahu He Will Try to Bring Peace to Middle East, Combat Anti-Semitism if Elected Trump Tells Netanyahu He Will Try to Bring Peace to Middle East, Combat Anti-Semitism if Elected Sputnik International Former US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will work to bring peace to the Middle East and combat anti-Semitism on college campuses in the United States if elected in November. 2024-07-26T18:44+0000 2024-07-26T18:44+0000 2024-07-26T18:53+0000 americas us benjamin netanyahu donald trump israel white house florida middle east palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/09/1112474525_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_66f9c4b61b484cb6d44a742acb931bbe.jpg Trump and Netanyahu met at formers Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida as part of Netanyahus visit to the United States, during which he also delivered remarks to lawmakers at the US Capitol. Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his administrations efforts to promote stability in the Middle East through initiatives like the Abraham Accords, moving the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and ending the Iran nuclear deal, the statement said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/is-netanyahu-trying-to-switch-biden-for-trump-1119112007.html americas israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International donald trump, benjamin neatnyahu, trump meets netanyahu, middle east crisis, gaza war, israel, palestine-israel conflict, hamas https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/trump-versus-the-deep-state-will-next-president-shift-us-foreign-policy-1119509608.html Trump Versus the Deep State: Would Former President Shift US Foreign Policy? Trump Versus the Deep State: Would Former President Shift US Foreign Policy? Sputnik International Former Ukrainian diplomat and whistleblower Andrii Telizhenko joined Sputniks The Backstory program this week to comment on the potential foreign policy of the next US president and discuss prospects for peace as fighting between Moscow and Kiev continues. 2024-07-26T00:47+0000 2024-07-26T00:47+0000 2024-07-26T03:52+0000 analysis us donald trump joe biden mike pompeo ukraine democratic party nato cia white house https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/1a/1119509450_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_643e93ae165b742eafbc884a08906bac.jpg A sea change has taken place in the way the US electorate discusses issues of foreign policy over the last decade.Former President Donald Trump spoke with distinctive brashness on subjects assumed to be beyond political debate in Washington, such as the United States fraught relationship with Russia and the countrys role as self-appointed policemen of the world. On the other side of the aisle Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders enjoyed a similar populist appeal, alleging massive fraud in US military spending and questioning former President Barack Obamas effort to overthrow Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.The mandarins of the US foreign policy establishment have spent the last several years attempting to put the genie back in the bottle, returning to a time before the prerogatives of the Deep State were openly speculated and commented upon, but the influence of Trumps candidacy and tumultuous time in the White House is still felt years later.As Vice President Kamala Harris solidifies her position as President Bidens Democratic heir apparent, speculation has emerged over the possible foreign policy of her administration and how it would differ from that of a second Trump term. Former Ukrainian diplomat and whistleblower Andrii Telizhenko joined Sputniks The Backstory program this week to comment on the matter and discuss prospects for peace as fighting between Moscow and Kiev continues.Everybody saw it coming, Telizhenko said of Bidens decision to end his candidacy for reelection Sunday amid concern over his age and mental acuity. The deep state in the Democratic Party used him and used his problems within his family [with] his son Hunter to keep him in place, to use him and his health to keep America in place, to bring this war with Russia.Harris, who previously served as Californias state Attorney General before a four-year stint in the US Senate, has been noted for her relative lack of formal foreign policy experience. Some commentators have looked to her advocacy on immigration policy under President Biden to attempt to decode her broader outlook on global affairs. One analyst speculated she would initially rely on Bidens foreign policy team, while others suggest she would continue her predecessors strong support for Volodymyr Zelensky, who has ruled Ukraine without an electoral mandate since the end of term in May.Republicans frequently allege President Bidens support for Kiev is influenced by his sons financial ties to the country as a former member on the board of the troubled Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Others suggest he is simply too old to manage the task of overseeing complex matters of foreign policy.Biden is often considered a neoconservative, a term used to describe a muscular US foreign policy that has traditionally found favor in both major political parties in the United States. His promise to restore a more traditional approach to international affairs is perhaps best exemplified by his reliance on figures like Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland.Nuland has served, in one position or another, in the administration of every US president since Bill Clinton with the exception of Trumps four years in the White House. Nuland provoked the ire of the Russian government and other observers for her open support of unrest in Ukraine that led to the forced resignation of former President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.Telizhenko suggested Trump may be more likely to chart a different course on US foreign policy through his relationships with foreign leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.I think thats what Trump was trying to push through Orban at this moment, to get everybody on the world stage, [to] get their thoughts and get things [rolling], he said.But Telizhenko warned Trump would face opposition against any attempt to change course on Ukraine from people surrounding former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. I see that tension happening right now, he claimed, warning neoconservative interests within the Republican Party would lobby for a militarist foreign policy.The apparent division within the Republican Party was on full display during its recent convention in Milwaukee, with hawkish figures like Pompeo as well as avowed anti-interventionists like commentator Tucker Carlson each holding court. Carlson raised eyebrows during his previous tenure at Fox News by alleging covert US influence in Ukraines 2014 regime change, breaking a powerful taboo by openly discussing the methods of CIA-backed color revolutions.Telizhenko claimed the future of Ukraine should be decided by Ukrainians alone, without the interference of those who wish to use Kiev as a battering ram against Americas perceived adversaries.We have to decide what to do next, not somebody in Washington or Brussels, and I hope Trump understands that. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240712/nato-in-state-of-hysteria-as-alliance-faces-russia-china-trump-reelection---experts-1119357524.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240306/nulands-input-in-eroding-trust-between-russia-us-immense---russian-foreign-ministry-1117166736.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230215/nikki-haleys-2024-bid-could-mike-pompeo-in-a-skirt-win-hearts-and-minds-of-gop-voters-1107465946.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/euromaidan-color-revolution-that-brought-ukraine-to-ruin-1115104905.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg trump deep state, trump fights deep state, trump versus deep state, kamala harris foreign policy, kamala harris ukraine, kamala harris russia, trump ukraine war, trump end ukraine war, trump russia policy, trump neoconservative, trump vs harris foreign policy https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/uae-gaza-proposal-may-be-rejected-by-palestinians-after-hamas-fatah-reconciliation-1119521914.html UAE Gaza Proposal May be Rejected by Palestinians After Hamas-Fatah Reconciliation UAE Gaza Proposal May be Rejected by Palestinians After Hamas-Fatah Reconciliation Sputnik International The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has proposed a temporary international mission in the Gaza Strip to restore order and deal with the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the territory. 2024-07-26T16:37+0000 2024-07-26T16:37+0000 2024-07-26T16:37+0000 middle east world palestinians mahmoud abbas uae palestine gaza strip hamas fatah israel https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102029/07/1020290730_0:260:5000:3073_1920x0_80_0_0_1541468512b37882298ad30294f2f68a.jpg UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy announced on July 25 that the country considers deploying a temporary international mission in Gaza, at the formal request of the Palestinian government."A credible, and independent new Prime Minister must lead this government, ensuring transparent operations aligned with the highest global standards," the UAE Foreign Ministry website says."This international mission will be responsible for efficiently responding to the humanitarian crisis the citizens in Gaza are facing, establishing law and order, laying the groundwork for governance, and paving the way to reunite Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate Palestinian Authority (PA)," the ministry continued.The wording of the proposal is hinting at the eventual recognition of the State of Palestine, Hasan Unal, professor of political science and international relations at Ankara Baskent University, told Sputnik.The proposal followed reports that officials from Israel, the United States and the UAE held a secret meeting in Abu Dhabi on July 18 to discuss plans for post-war restoration of the strip. Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed (ABZ) reportedly hosted the meeting.A day before the delegations met in Abu Dhabi, ABZ's special envoy Lana Nusseibeh outlined the UAE's vision in an op-ed for Financial Times.According to Axios, the UAE wants to be part of the solution for the Gaza Strip which excludes Hamas as a political force in the Palestinian territories.The media claims that the Emiratis are also skeptical about the performance of Palestinian National Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas and his new prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa.The UAE is reportedly advocating other candidates for a new Palestinian government, including former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who is known as Abbas' critic.The rival Hamas and Fatah parties, as well as 12 other Palestinian groups, attended China-brokered talks in Beijing between July 21 and 23 and eventually signed the Beijing Declaration on "ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity" and forming a unity government in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since Hamas' legislative victory in the Gaza Strip in 2006 which led to political clashes and the subsequent expulsion of Fatah from the region in 2007.A Hamas-Fatah reconciliation could be a sign that Palestinians are willing to determine their political future themselves while choosing China as an impartial broker, Ayman Yousef, a professor in political science and international relations at the Arab-American University in Palestine, told Sputnik earlier this week. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240723/us-uae-israel-hold-secret-meeting-on-post-war-plan-for-gaza-reports-1119474554.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240723/hamas-fatah-reconciliation-china-solidifies-role-as-mideast-peace-broker-1119473091.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/hamas-rejects-israels-new-conditions-for-ceasefire-in-gaza---movement-representative-1119518708.html uae palestine gaza strip israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova the uae proposal for postwar gaza, the gaza strip, israel's war in gaza, palestinians, humanitarian crisis in gaza, china-mediated reconciliation between hamas and fatah, the palestinian authority, a palestinian unity government to govern the gaza strip and west bank Night tours in museums offer diverse experience to visitors People's Daily Online) 10:00, July 26, 2024 Visitors view exhibits in the Sui-Tang Dynasties Grand Canal Cultural Museum in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/Huang Zhengwei) As museum fever continues to rise during the summer vacation, museums across China have extended opening hours to the evening and launched various night tour activities, providing a diverse experience for visitors. The opening hours for the Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, capital of central Chinas Henan Province, are extended to 6 p.m. from July 17 to Aug. 31. Thanks to the adjustment, Wang Tao, a resident in the city, could visit the exhibition - Small But Beautiful: Treasures of Cultural Heritage from Luxembourg - in the museum. Wang said he entered the museum at 4 p.m. and planned to take a brief look at exhibits from Luxembourg before 5 p.m., the closing time of the museum before the adjustment. He was pleasantly surprised by the extended hours, and was able to take in everything on display at a leisurely pace. By extending opening hours, museums offer more flexibility to visitors, allowing them to choose from a wider range of visiting times and appreciate exhibits more thoroughly. Some museums introduce various nighttime activities during these extended hours, providing visitors with a richer experience, said Xiong Haifeng, associate professor at the School of Cultural Industries Management, Communication University of China. Longer opening hours, especially night tour activities, offer visitors a fresh experience different from the daytime experience. A visitor takes photos of an exhibit in the night in the Suzhou Museum in Suzhou city, east Chinas Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Wang Jianzhong) During the summer vacation, 45 museums in Shanghai launched night tours on weekends, not only extending opening hours but also adding special exhibitions, interactive experiences, cultural markets, and outdoor film screenings to provide visitors with a rich cultural experience. Museums are offering activities like science lectures, interactive experiences, and artistic performances during night hours, enriching visitor experiences and catering to peoples growing cultural demands. Extended opening hours and night tours in museums are not only a good example of cultural programs for public benefits, but they also help boost the night economy and stimulate cultural and tourism consumption. Data from the online travel service provider Ctrip shows that the popularity of the exhibition named On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt in the Shanghai Museum has led to a nearly 20 percent year-on-year increase in bookings for hotels near the museum during the summer vacation. Data from Tujia, an online platform for booking B&B hotels, indicates that bookings near museums across China have nearly doubled in the summer vacation compared to last year, with those near the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, surging over 15 times year on year. Extended museum hours will increase the number of visitors and their length of stay, boosting the development of the dining, accommodation, and transportation industries, Xiong said. A visitor takes photos of an exhibit during the exhibition named On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Houston Restaurant Weeks is back for its annual food event starting next month and several suburban Houston restaurants are participating. The event runs Aug. 1-Sept. 2 and is a fundraiser for the Houston Food Bank. It offers special brunch, lunch and dinner menus from your favorite restaurants in your neighborhood and throughout the Houston area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Small mom and pop restaurants throughout the Houston suburbs will be also participating in area such as Katy, Cypress and The Woodlands. Darios Steakhouse & Seafood Darios Steakhouse & Seafood will have lunch and dinner specials during Houston Restaurant Weeks. Their lunch special will be $25 per person and $3 from each lunch sold will go to the Houston Food Bank that will provide nine meals. The restaurant lunch special will include a three-course meal that will include salads, seafood, pork chops, and several other options including sweet desserts. Their dinner special will also be a three-course meal that is priced at $55 per person. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Address: 14315 Cypress Rose Hill, No. 162, Cypress Bretts BBQ Shop Brisket, ribs, sausages and sides at Bretts BBQ Shop in Katy. Annie Mulligan Bretts BBQ Shop has the Chronicles food critics drooling when checking out their Houston Restaurant Weeks menu lineup. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bretts BBQ Shop $39 dinner menu will feature two-meats and chicken empanadas. The second course features enchiladas, brisket burgers, tacos and more. Dessert features pecan pie, chocolate sheet cake or banana pudding. Address: 25220 Kingsland, Katy Amerigos Grille Amerigos Grille three-course $55 dinner special has a bunch of options to choose from such as Lobster Bisque, salmon fillet and marbled cheesecake. Amerigos also has an option for a fourth course that gives you three options of bottles of wine. Address: 25250 Grogan's Park, The Woodlands Advertisement Article continues below this ad Belly of the Beast Belly of the Beast Mexican-inspired dishes is becoming well-known in the Spring area. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Belly of the Beast Mexican-inspired dishes is becoming well-known in the Spring area. During Houston Restaurant Weeks, they plan to offer a $39 dinner menu that will feature a tuna tostada dish for the first course and on to several taco-style dishes for the second course and then ending with carne asada, grilled shrimp or roasted chicken for the last dish. Location: 5200 FM 2920 No. 180, Spring Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Wheel Kitchen The Wheel Kitchen in Tomball will kick off Houston Restaurant Week offering a $39 three-course meal special. Google Maps The Wheel Kitchen in Tomball will kick off Houston Restaurant Week offering a $39 three-course meal special. From mushroom blend arepas to the wheel shrimp and grits dish. This shrimp dish includes white wine glazed shrimp, local spicy Italian sausage over polenta and smoked habanero. The last course will also offer several desserts options including berry pecan bread pudding which is made with a croissant bread pudding, berries, peach and pecans, and topped with salted caramel sauce. Address: 25510 Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Tomball Good Charlie's Oyster Bar and Seafood Kitchen The loaded chargrilled oysters with applewood bacon and habaneros are seen at Good Charlies Oyster Bar and Seafood Kitchen. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Something smells fishy in Conroe and Good Charlies Oyster Bar and Seafood Kitchen will be participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks next month. This establishment is known for bringing their Louisiana-style chargrilled oysters to the area that is now feature in their menu for next month. Good Charlie's Oyster Bar will be offering a $39 menu that will feature shrimp and scallop ceviche, raw oysters and classic oysters. The second course will feature several cups of gumbo, clam chowder and lobster bisque. As you end your night you will be offered redfish Pontchartrain, steak sirloin steak or coconut shrimp. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/uk-in-talks-with-germany-on-creating-missiles-able-to-hit-russian-nukes-1119514818.html UK in Talks With Germany on Creating Missiles Able to Hit Russian Nukes UK in Talks With Germany on Creating Missiles Able to Hit Russian Nukes Sputnik International The United Kingdom is considering a collaboration with Germany to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting Russian nuclear weapons, The Times newspaper reported on Friday, citing diplomatic sources. 2024-07-26T09:41+0000 2024-07-26T09:41+0000 2024-07-26T09:41+0000 military united kingdom (uk) germany russia nato tomahawk jack healey https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/13/1104440400_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d86d1f87bb74b522b83e08fdc3c27fae.jpg The UK is eyeing a weapon with a 2,000-mile range that could be fired at Moscow from Berlin if Russia ever decided to use its tactical nuclear arsenal, the sources said. New UK Defense Secretary John Healey reportedly discussed the plan during a trip to Berlin earlier this week. The visit aimed at boosting cooperation within NATO as part of Healey's "NATO-first" defense policy. The rockets would reportedly be stationed in Germany, replacing long-range US missiles that are to be deployed there starting 2026. This includes SM-6, Tomahawk and developmental hypersonic missiles. Western countries have increasingly voiced concerns about the possibility of a direct armed conflict between NATO and Russia. Moscow has for years objected to NATO's continued expansion and military buildup near Russian borders. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said on several occasions that Moscow is not going to attack NATO. The Kremlin said that Russia did not threaten anyone but would not ignore actions that represented a risk to its interests. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240711/us-push-to-put-tomahawks-in-germany-signals-death-rattle-of-hawks-who-failed-to-defeat-russia-1119341539.html united kingdom (uk) germany russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uk, uk long-range missiles, british long range missiles in germany, lnog-range missiles against russia, nato weapons targetting russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20240726/weeks-where-decades-happen-three-dramatic-developments-in-us-presidential-race-1119511587.html Weeks Where Decades Happen: Three Dramatic Developments in US Presidential Race Weeks Where Decades Happen: Three Dramatic Developments in US Presidential Race Sputnik International On Thursday Sputniks The Critical Hour program sat down with Dr. Jack Rasmus, an author and professor of economics at Saint Marys College in California with a PhD in political economy. Rasmus said three bombshells have gone off in less than a month in the US presidential race. 2024-07-26T07:09+0000 2024-07-26T07:09+0000 2024-07-26T07:48+0000 analysis joe biden donald trump jack rasmus us secret service 2024 us presidential election kamala harris https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/1c/1119165620_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_6f0c562c4a5527326db983082a9530f3.jpg In a recent article in CounterPunch Dr. Jack Rasmus writes that any number of crises on the foreign policy front are possible as US President Joe Biden can be seen as a "lame duck." The "neocons running US foreign policy and US wars the past two years may now run amuck, he claimed.On Thursday Sputniks The Critical Hour program sat down with Rasmus, an author and professor of economics at Saint Marys College in California with a PhD in political economy. Rasmus said three bombshells have gone off in less than a month in the US presidential race.[During] the June 27th first presidential debate the general public got to see what the insiders had been looking at for well over a year and keeping quiet, and that was the obvious deterioration, mentally, of President Biden, Ramsus said. That was the first thing that got set off.People are aware that the Trump campaign's been asking for a long time for better coverage from the Secret Service, but the Democrats have been preventing it, Rasmus claimed. And then the third one was this abrupt turnaround after weeks and months saying [Biden is] not going to leave, he's in good health and all the Democrat media and politicians pretty much confirming that. Then, all of a sudden Biden says, I'm gone.Rasmus said the donors to the presidents campaign were the force that very clearly kicked off an effort to drive him out and that politicians joined the effort afterwards. The author remarked that it was strange to hold a presidential debate in June, more than four months out from November's election.But that gave them plenty of time to do what they just did, which is to get him out of there before the convention that comes up in August, he added. So bottom line: that means that the money bags, the donors manipulated the leadership of the party, who manipulated this guy, both in the election and when he got elected back in 2020.Sputniks Wilmer Leon asked the shows guest for his take on Vice President Kamala Harris likelihood of becoming the Democratic nominee. Following his exit from the race, Biden threw his support behind Harris and moved to transfer campaign funds to her new team. Pelosi has joined back and said she's our candidate and then, of course, we've got Obama, who's getting closer to the absolute announcement that he's for it, if he hasn't already done it before. So I think they are now coalescing around Harris."Former President Barack Obama is reportedly planning to endorse Harris presidential bid, Politico reported. The former president holds powerful sway over the Democratic Party faithful and was a staunch supporter Biden's aborted campaign. Obama was recently criticized by activists from the group Black Men for Harris, who claimed it was insulting that the former president has yet to endorse the Vice President.Democrats reportedly plan to hold a virtual roll call vote to confirm their nominee as early as August 1 and no later than August 7. The Democratic National Convention will begin August 19. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/biden-promises-stronger-more-powerful-nato-in-speech-passing-torch-to-harris-1119493706.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/uss-harris-vetting-dozen-of-potential-vice-presidential-candidates---reports-1119499510.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/harris-to-uphold-russophobic-us-dogma-as-world-seeks-multipolar-order--analyst-1119494135.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg critical hour, us presidential race, obama, harris, trump, biden, us politics Captains Quarters overcame post nine in the Meadowlands Pace to grab the nickel and 13 days later on Friday (July 26) morning, the Herb Holland student returned to the track on Canadian soil at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a qualifying session. The Captaintreacherous - Prescient Beauty sophomore colt put in a refresher mile with Jody Jamieson between the wheels and while the pair won with ease, they put in fast fractions en route to the wire. Jamieson pointed Captains Quarters forward and the Holland student responded with fractions in :28.1, :56.1, and 1:24. He kept the field within a couple lengths throughout the mile, but used a :27 last quarter to open up and win by six lengths in 1:51. Rich Stiles owns Captains Quarters, who is a winner of $854,928 in his career with a record of 4-3-2 in 11 starts. This year, the colt has won twice and finished second twice, yielding $329,024 in earnings. He has not missed the board in his 11 starts. The video stream is available below. For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers). (Standardbred Canada) Two What The Hill colts, with Chris Page up for trainer Ron Burke, won $68,493 splits of the Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old colt trotters on Thursday (July 25) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Rose Run Alex won his race by a quarter length in 1:56.3 after getting away sixth from post five. Silverton (Hunter Myers) took the early lead from the outside post eight by the :27.4 quarter. After a couple early miscues from the competition, Scrappys Love (Aaron Merriman) pulled from third and made the lead going under the wire for the first time. Rose Run Alex was sitting fourth by the :57 half and pulled second over after the 1:26.3 third-quarter, then three-wide around the last turn. Scrappys Love was second with Power Hill (Austin Hanners) getting third. Out of the Kadabra mare Dabrina, Rose Run Alex was an Ohio Select Yearling Sale purchase for $60,000 from Rose Run Farm. Owned by Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Weaver Bruscemi and Knox Services, Rose Run Alex now has a second and a win in his two OHSS starts. The other Burke winner was Hilltop Sonar (pictured above) in 1:55.1. Battle Hill (Chris Lems) battled Hilltop Sonar through the :28.1 quarter with Battle Hill making it to the front mid-way down the stretch for the first time. Heading into the second turn Hilltop Sonar was back out and moving, making the lead by the :57 half. Going strong through the 1:26 third-quarter, Hilltop Sonar was an easy winner by five lengths. Battle Hill was second with Whats Shakin (Ronnie Gillespie) third. Hilltop Sonar was just a $6,000 purchase from the Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale from Galliers Racing and is out of the Cantab Hall mare Mariah De Vie. Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and R A S Racing own the gelding. LT Loverboy took the first OHSS division in 1:56.1 with Brett Miller at the lines. After getting away third heading towards the opening quarter of :28.2 while Caviar Creek (Merriman) led the way. Mid-way through the second turn, LT Loverboy pulled by the :58.3 half and by the 1:27.1 third-quarter was up to the leaders wheel. Coming down the stretch, LT Loverboy won by a length and a quarter. What A Buckey (Dan Noble) came up the passing lane to be second but was running at the finish, so he was placed fourth. Caviar Creek was third placed second with Rose Run Arch (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) fourth placed third. LT Loverboy is by Long Tom out of the Cantab Hall mare Fortheloveoflindy. The Midland Acres bred gelding was purchased out of the Ohio Select Yearling Sale for $60,000 and is owned by William Hartt and trainer Matthew Burkholder. Long Toms Thursday success continued as he, and Enterprise, had two sons take divisions of the $27,397 Buckeye Stallion Series for freshman colt trotters. Tommy Count won the first division of BSS action in 1:58 by six lengths in his first lifetime start with trainer Ronnie Gillespie at the lines. Leaving the gate, Tommy Count was caught wide leaving from post five but made the front by the :28.2 opening quarter. The duo continued to lead at the :57.3 half while Burnindownthehouse (Lems) was second over, three-wide at the 1:27.2 third quarter but ducked down to the rail and came up the passing lane to take second with The Good King (Tyler Smith) continuing to go wide to get up for third. Tommy Count was a $30,000 Ohio Select Yearling Sale purchase from breeder Wayne Weaver. The colt by Long Tom out of the Full Count mare Make It Count is owned by Anthony Miller. Another Long Tom son, Oaxaca Harry, led gate to wire to take the second division by a quarter length in 1:58.2. Fired up, Oaxaca Harry and Tyler Smith left from post five and set fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:27.1 while Tom Cruiser (Lems) sat in the pocket. Tom Cruiser came up the passing lane with Lovelle (Ryan Stahl) following suit to get up for third. Oaxaca Harry is out of the Dejarmbro mare Purple Sona and was a $15,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase from Steiner Stock Farm. Jeff Smith trains Oaxaca Harry for Bet The House LLC. Last Call Romeo (Trevor Smith) was three-wide early in the mile from post five heading to the lead by the :30 opening quarter. Going to the 1:01.1 half, Vekna (Kayne Kauffman) pulled from fifth and swiftly made it up to second as the field straightened out down the backside. Trotting by the 1:31 third-quarter, Vekna made the top to win by a length and a half in 1:59.4. Stone Noble Lane (Jeff Nisonger) got up for second while Last Call Romeo held on for third. Vekna, owned by Natalie Kauffman is by Enterprise out of the Muscle Hill mare Rare Book and was an $11,000 Blooded Horse Sale purchase from Spring Haven Farm. The last BSS division was won by another Enterprise, this one driven by Brett Miller who briefly took Naabaahii back to seventh from post two but was out and moving well before the :29.3 opening quarter. Well in hand by the :59 half, the duo led the field towards the 1:28.4 third quarter as Flying Tom (Wrenn, Jr.) made a mild first over bid. Coming down the stretch, Naabaahii was able to hold on to win by a head in 1:58.3 over a fast-closing Oso Fast (Lems) and Mister Squeeze (Page) who came up the passing lane. Naabaahii was bred by James Crawford IV and owner Ann-Mari Daley, who currently owns in partnership with Jared Daley. The gelding out of the RC Royalty mare Zanna Royal is now two-for-two since coming to Ohio from New York, winning at the fair in Mt. Vernon on July 20. Racing will continue at Scioto on Friday (July 26) and the card will play host to four divisions of the BSS for two-year-old filly pacers and three divisions of three-year-old filly pacers. (Eldorado Scioto Downs) Former driver Allan Cullen of Windsor, Ont. passed away in hospital on July 16, 2024. He was 61. Allan was born on Aug. 2, 1962 in Wawanesa, Man. Son of Lloyd and Ina Cullen. Allan has a successful career in the harness racing industry that was terminated at a fairly young age due to the result of numerous race accidents and multiple surgeries. Cullen, who was a leading driver at Windsor Raceway in Ontario, drove more than 5,300 winners with purse earnings in excess of $20 million in a career spanning from the 1980s to 2010. Al has gone to race horses for eternity with his parents Lloyd and Ina and his sister-in-law Marilyn with his father-in-law George cheering him on. He will be happy to be with them again. His presence will always be here making us laugh and causing trouble. He will never be forgotten. He leaves behind his soulmate Pauline, brother Keith, favourite cousin Tannis Rathwell, mother in law Gabriella Petruzzi, chosen family Kevin McCorkle (Karen), Nikki Kalas (Bill), Deanna McFadden and many family members and friends. No formal service will be held. Al would want us to share stories, laugh and toast to his memory whenever we gather. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Al Cullen. Qualcomm plans to hold its second Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii from October 21 to 23, where it is expected to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. This event is highly anticipated in the tech community, as Qualcomm's new flagship mobile processor is expected to deliver significant advancements in performance and efficiency. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset is rumoured to utilise a 3nm process technology developed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). This could offer substantial improvements in power efficiency and overall performance compared to its predecessors. Qualcomm's Chief Marketing Officer, Don McGuire, hinted at this timeline during his presentation at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2024) held in Barcelona. Also read: Qualcomm to unveil new Snapdragon PCs and mobile chipset in India on July 30: Here's what you can expect Also read Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Expected Specifications for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Chipset The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is reportedly equipped with Qualcomm's proprietary Oryon CPU, which was first unveiled at the 2022 Snapdragon Summit. This new CPU is expected to enhance gaming performance and may support LPDDR6 RAM. Additionally, the chipset might include an upgraded Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Sources suggest that the prime core of this SoC will be clocked at 4.2 GHz, a notable increase from the 3.4 GHz peak clock speed of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. According to preliminary Geekbench scores, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could surpass Apple's A17 Pro SoC in processing power. The chipset reportedly achieved a score above 3,000 in single-core tests, just ahead of the A17 Pro's 2,999. In multi-core benchmark tests, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 achieved a 10,000 score. Also read: Performance showdown: MediaTek's upcoming Dimensity 8400 chipset may beat Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 However, some reports cast doubt on these claims. A recent post by X user @negativeonehero suggests that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 may have lower peak GPU performance compared to the Apple A17 Pro, potentially on par with MediaTek's Dimensity 9300. This user also speculated that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 might only show marginal improvements in CPU performance. Despite these varying opinions, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to be more power-efficient than its predecessors, with reported power consumption of 8W during multi-core benchmarking. Also read: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 launched with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset: Check out the detailed specs, features, and more Exclusive Launch and Future Devices Xiaomi has reportedly secured exclusive first-launch rights for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which means the Xiaomi 15 Pro could be the first smartphone to feature this new chipset. Other high-end smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and OnePlus 13, are also anticipated to adopt the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in 2025. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A custom-built hardware device plans to help artificial intelligence be more energy efficient. Credit: University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Engineering researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have demonstrated a state-of-the-art hardware device that could reduce energy consumption for artificial intelligent (AI) computing applications by a factor of at least 1,000. The research is published in npj Unconventional Computing titled "Experimental demonstration of magnetic tunnel junction-based computational random-access memory." The researchers have multiple patents on the technology used in the device. With the growing demand for AI applications, researchers have been looking at ways to create a more energy efficient process, while keeping performance high and costs low. Commonly, machine or artificial intelligence processes transfer data between both logic (where information is processed within a system) and memory (where the data is stored), consuming a large amount of power and energy. A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering demonstrated a new model where the data never leaves the memory, called computational random-access memory (CRAM). "This work is the first experimental demonstration of CRAM, where the data can be processed entirely within the memory array without the need to leave the grid where a computer stores information," said Yang Lv, a University of Minnesota Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering postdoctoral researcher and first author of the paper. The International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a global energy use forecast in March of 2024, forecasting that energy consumption for AI is likely to double from 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022 to 1,000 TWh in 2026. This is roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of the entire country of Japan. According to the new paper's authors, a CRAM-based machine learning inference accelerator is estimated to achieve an improvement on the order of 1,000. Another example showed an energy savings of 2,500 and 1,700 times compared to traditional methods. This research has been more than two decades in the making. "Our initial concept to use memory cells directly for computing 20 years ago was considered crazy" said Jian-Ping Wang, the senior author on the paper and a Distinguished McKnight Professor and Robert F. Hartmann Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota. "With an evolving group of students since 2003 and a true interdisciplinary faculty team built at the University of Minnesotafrom physics, materials science and engineering, computer science and engineering, to modeling and benchmarking, and hardware creationwe were able to obtain positive results and now have demonstrated that this kind of technology is feasible and is ready to be incorporated into technology," Wang said. Illustrations of CRAM concept, features, and potential applications. Credit: npj Unconventional Computing (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44335-024-00003-3 This research is part of a coherent and long-standing effort building upon Wang's and his collaborators' groundbreaking, patented research into magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) devices, which are nanostructured devices used to improve hard drives, sensors, and other microelectronics systems, including Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM), which has been used in embedded systems such as microcontrollers and smart watches. The CRAM architecture enables the true computation in and by memory and breaks down the wall between the computation and memory as the bottleneck in traditional von Neumann architecture, a theoretical design for a stored program computer that serves as the basis for almost all modern computers. "As an extremely energy-efficient digital based in-memory computing substrate, CRAM is very flexible in that computation can be performed in any location in the memory array. Accordingly, we can reconfigure CRAM to best match the performance needs of a diverse set of AI algorithms," said Ulya Karpuzcu, an expert on computing architecture, co-author on the paper, and Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota. "It is more energy-efficient than traditional building blocks for today's AI systems." CRAM performs computations directly within memory cells, utilizing the array structure efficiently, which eliminates the need for slow and energy-intensive data transfers, Karpuzcu explained. The most efficient short-term random access memory, or RAM, device uses four or five transistors to code a one or a zero but one MTJ, a spintronic device, can perform the same function at a fraction of the energy, with higher speed, and is resilient to harsh environments. Spintronic devices leverage the spin of electrons rather than the electrical charge to store data, providing a more efficient alternative to traditional transistor-based chips. Currently, the team has been planning to work with semiconductor industry leaders, including those in Minnesota, to provide large scale demonstrations and produce the hardware to advance AI functionality. In addition to Lv, Wang, and Karpuzcu, the team included University of Minnesota Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering researchers Robert Bloom and Husrev Cilasun; Distinguished McKnight Professor and Robert and Marjorie Henle Chair Sachin Sapatnekar; and former postdoctoral researchers Brandon Zink, Zamshed Chowdhury, and Salonik Resch; along with researchers from Arizona University: Pravin Khanal, Ali Habiboglu, and Professor Weigang Wang. More information: Yang Lv et al, Experimental demonstration of magnetic tunnel junction-based computational random-access memory, npj Unconventional Computing (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44335-024-00003-3 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: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Local decentralized energy systems, known as microgrids, can make urban infrastructures more resilient and reduce risks for the population, for example, in large-scale power outages due to natural hazards or cyberattacks. In Nature Sustainability researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) present design criteria for microgrids that allow for fair treatment of different social groups alongside technical factors. The study shows how cities can shape the transformation towards a secure and more sustainable and equitable energy supply. Climate change increases the probability of extreme events, as we have seen during the massive flooding of large parts of southern Germany in June. The question of how cities and municipalities can make power supply more resilient and more secure in the face of such crises is bringing so-called microgrids into focus. Decentralized systems for generating, storing, and distributing energy, for example with networked photovoltaic power-generation systems and combined heat and power plants, are intended to make large-scale power outages in the entire urban area less likely and to ensure that critical infrastructures for the provision of public services will continue functioning. A group of German and US researchers, led by Dr. Sadeeb Simon Ottenburger, Head of Department at the Institute for Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES) at KIT, has developed a model for the spatial design of microgrids. Their study provides urban planners with a template for a planning process that integrates various aspectsincluding socio-economic factors and issues related to societal participation in the planning process. Involved were employees of ITES, KIT's Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), and, in the U.S., the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at the University of North Carolina and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado. 'Energy Gerrymandering': Who has access to the energy supply? "A special feature of our approach is that we do not consider technical parameters or cost issues as isolated factors, but rather look at the question of what role the design of microgrids plays in terms of a fair energy distribution," explains Ottenburger. "Imagine the city as a jigsaw puzzle. The size and arrangement of its pieces can vary. The boundaries of energy networks are the result of deliberate decisions and have an impact on the population. In the event of a crisis, it makes a difference how the health, security, and food provision services are distributed within individual microgrids, but also throughout the entire urban area." The study uses the term "degrees of freedom" to emphasize the importance of design flexibility. To refer to the potentially negative impact of districting that does not take social equity issues into account, the authors used the term "energy gerrymandering," akin to "political gerrymandering" known from the U.S., where electoral districts are divided to the advantage of certain groups. Thus, microgrid districts might be defined in a way that creates an unfair distribution of resources and benefits. Strong and wealthy groups could be favored, while socially weaker and vulnerable groups could be left behind. "Resilience also includes a definition of how access is designed for different groups of the population," says Ottenburger. Metrics for assessing well-being The study focuses on the relationship between the different vulnerabilities of socio-economic groups and equitable access to energy and other services. To this end, the researchers have developed metrics using existing vulnerability indices that describe the well-being of the population as a measurable variable and show how power disruptions affect socially and economically vulnerable groups, in particular: the sick or elderly, families with children, and low-income earners. Data from case study after hurricane The study evaluated data from a comprehensive case study conducted after the power outages caused by Hurricane Florence in New Hanover County, North Carolina, in September 2018. The data was contributed by the US project partners. It allowed the researchers to analyze the critical infrastructure, its vulnerability in relation to the geographical distribution of socially disadvantaged households, and their access to basic services. The project team used this data to develop a universal design that allows for a comprehensive assessment of urban resilience for each city and to generate proposals for the design of microgrids, taking technical and social aspects into account. Multiple microgrids per city One of the authors' specific recommendations is that a city should have not just one, but several microgrids to ensure a fair distribution and accessibility of critical services such as health and safety structures. Concerning the districting of supply networks, city administrations should actively involve institutions in the areas of health care and security, representatives of different social groups, educational institutions, and social services in the planning and decision-making processes to fairly consider the needs of all social groups. "The search for optimized microgrid designs is highly complex and new algorithms are needed to develop viable models from the available data," says Ottenburger. "The key point is that resilient solutions are not necessarily a question of more investment, but above all of sophisticated planning. We should make sure that all groups have a voice and can participate in these processes." More information: Sadeeb S. Ottenburger et al, Sustainable urban transformations based on integrated microgrid designs, Nature Sustainability (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01395-7 Journal information: Nature Sustainability Houston Police cars block street accessibility Saturday, May 20, 2023 in Houston. If your car is stolen, the first step should be to call these folks. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer An average of 55 people had their vehicles stolen each day in Houston in 2023, according to data from the Houston Police Department. Thats a total of almost 20,000 stolen vehicles. Where most categories of crime have declined in recent years, auto theft is one of the few areas that has seen an uptick. Former police Chief Troy Finner said in October 2023 that the number had increased around 15% between 2022 and 2023. MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Houston auto theft rates on the rise, bucking overall crime decline Advertisement Article continues below this ad With a growing number of Houstonians facing the possibility of having their cars stolen, heres what to do if yours is taken: Call police with details If your car is stolen, the first thing to do is call police, according to Nikki Washington, an investigator in the auto theft division at the Houston Police Department. Callers will speak with dispatch and should provide as much detail as they possibly can. That includes the make and model of a vehicle, the license plate number and any facts a person might have that could help investigators solve the crime, Washington said. Police cant look into a missing vehicle without a license number something not all residents know about their cars, Washington said. So, it might be helpful to take a photo of your license plate, or write it down somewhere, in the event it is stolen. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Delve into the details Because the department receives so many reports of stolen vehicles each day, the specifics make a difference in what is assigned to an investigator, Washington said. Callers should provide a timeframe they last saw a vehicle, let dispatchers know if any valuables were in the vehicle and what cameras might have caught the theft, she said. In particular, dispatchers will want to know if there was a firearm in the vehicle because that could affect how officers respond. Some vehicles have trackers installed on them, Washington said. Thats useful, but Houstonians shouldnt try to locate their vehicles by themselves. Instead, contact the tracking company and put them in touch with the police department. Make sure your car was stolen Washington said a significant number of people report their cars stolen when they werent, actually. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Before calling police, Houstonians should make sure they are up-to-date on payments and that their vehicle wasnt subject to a repossession, she said. After you call the cops Once someone has reported their vehicle stolen, theyll receive an incident number, Washington said. They should provide that number to their insurance company and, if they installed a tracker, to the company. This will allow those companies to communicate directly with the department about the matter should they learn anything else, Washington said. Auto theft investigators also prioritize cases based on solvability factors, so people should reach out if they receive any additional information that might help detectives, Washington said. Delivering camera video on a flashdrive or letting investigators know a nearby business caught the incident on video could help. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sometimes people steal cars with credit cards inside and then make purchases using that card, Washington said. If that happens, contact police and provide specific details address where the purchase was made, the specific dollar amount spent (not just $100, but $102.37), etc. A person is detained by law enforcement officials during a large operation Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at NRG Arena in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A person is detained by FBI agents during a large multi-agency operation Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at NRG Arena in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Many of those swept up in a federal wire fraud bust, including the former owner of a Houston bail company, gained their freedom Thursday with a type of unsecured bail, common in federal courts, that doesnt require a bondsman. One of the defendants, Sheba Muharib, head of the now-defunct Aable Bail Bonds, was arrested early Wednesday in Missouri City as part of a massive pre-dawn federal bust that targeted her, two former employees and dozens of others accused of writing fraudulent bonds or using them to free jailed Houstonians pending trial. Police ferried Muharib and others to an NRG Park facility and then federal custody. During a four-hour stretch Thursday, many of the defendants, mostly women, walked into the court wearing the same clothes they were arrested in, including Muharibs gray sweatshirt emblazoned with LAW. Advertisement Article continues below this ad HOUSTON CHRONICLE INVESTIGATION: As Harris County judges take heat for felony bonds, critics point to unnoticed culprit Several of the accused said they were related to or in relationships with each other. Judge Christina Bryan spent the morning hours setting bail conditions and arraigning defendants, including Muharib, whose downtown office was searched by federal authorities in 2022 as judicial bail decisions and bail policies dominated news headlines. Unlike many arrested in the bail crackdown, Muharibs charge stems from an allegation that she knowingly hired a man with a felony conviction stemming from dishonest actions, records show. The employee in question, Oscar Wattell, protested in court that he did not understand the charges against him. The magistrate urged him to remain silent. Sheba Muharib, with Aable Bonds, second from left, answers questions during the Harris County Bail Bond Board meeting Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in Houston. Her company had a request for renewal of license before the board. The board voted on a proposal to set minimum 10 percent fee on bail bonds. Melissa Phillip / Staff Photographer The judge set Muharibs bail at an unsecured amount of $50,000, allowing her release without a cash deposit and with the promise that shell return to court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad THE 713: Never miss a Houston story with morning and lunchtime briefings Investigators accused another former Aable employee, Mary Brown, of working with Wattell to recruit fake co-signers and falsify financial reports to help defendants make bond, court records show. She worked as Muharibs district sales manager, according to an archived version of the bail companys website. Brown, charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, was released on a $30,000 bail also unsecured. The magistrate set a trial for September, a date that Browns defense attorney believes will be pushed back. The bail decisions outlined in the bustling federal court consisted mostly of cashless bonds in which bondsmen would not be necessary a variation of the state district court system where bail agents with neon light-adorned offices vie for business from jailed defendants and their families. Browns lawyer, Richard Kuniansky, noted the irony of Brown and others leaving court on cash-free bonds when their case itself centers on bail requiring hefty fees. Some defendants wandered into the courthouses cafe afterward to use their phones or waited for a ride outside once freed and excused. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The whole cash bond system is corrupt with the bail industry making a huge amount of money and lobbying to keep it in effect, said Kuniansky, declining to discuss his clients case other than to say she should not have been indicted. Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, a criminal defense attorney who practices in both courts, said federal magistrates use different codes to make bail decisions, such as whether someone should be released on their own recognizance, sometimes with conditions of release, or if theyll be ordered to pay the court, rather than a bondsman, a fee for their release. State district court judges rely on Texas laws to mull someones bail. Bail agents arent used in federal court, said DeBorde Hochglaube, who is not representing any of the defendants. People go to court, as theyre asked of course, there are exceptions but they generally comply, she said. In federal court, it does work. I think there are lessons to be learned from that process for state court. Ken Good, a lawyer and advocate for cash bail, believes Texas would be unable to afford a system similar to federal court and that the cash bail system has more manpower and financial incentive to look for wanted individuals than the government. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A witch hunt Muharibs lawyer, Sadiyah Evangelista, declined to discuss Browns connection to Aable Bail Bonds. She derided the arrest of her client as a witch hunt and professed her innocence. She suspects investigators will aim to flip Muharib to convict others. Theyre going to try to use her to try to get everybody else, Evangelista said. The indictment states Brown handled multiple fraudulent bonds, including one for Curtis Holliday, convicted of murder in the death of his wife. Holliday, also charged in the bail case, appeared in court Wednesday after the arrests, court records show. He had been at the Harris County Jail awaiting transfer to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Browns attorney declined to comment, while Hollidays lawyer could not be reached. FROM 2022: Anti-gang raid at Houston bail bondsman office addressed Curtis Holliday, left, convicted of killing his wife, waits to be taken into custody by a baliff, right, in the 174th District courtroom at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse to serve a 10 year sentence for the murder Friday, July, 19, 2024 in Houston. Michael Wyke/Contributor Muharib, who lost her ability to write bonds in Harris County and elsewhere in 2022, raised questions that same year about Hollidays co-signers for a bond he secured for two charges. He paid a 10% premium to get out of jail but Muharib accused him of paying off the co-signers and providing them fraudulent information to aid the bonding process. One of Hollidays former attorneys, Dick DeGuerin, told the court at the time that a fellow inmate referred him to an Aable Bail Bonds employee. John Fuller, left, and Anthony Hill, right, both with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, are shown in the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Anthony Hill, left, and John Fuller, right, both with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talk about the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Anthony Hill, left, and John Fuller, right, both with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talk about the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Anthony Hill, with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talks about the app used to remotely view the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Anthony Hill, with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talks about the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer John Fuller, left, and Anthony Hill, right, both with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, are shown in the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Anthony Hill, with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talks about the batteries and convertors in the control of the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer John Fuller, professor with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talks about the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer A solar panel is shown at the Prairie View A&M University off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Anthony Hill, left, and John Fuller, right, both with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talk about the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer John Fuller, professor with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, talks about the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Prairie View A&M Universitys power was in and out in the hours after Hurricane Beryl ripped through the region, and engineering professor Anthony Hill saw an opportunity. His off-grid solar lab is completely removed from the universitys regular utility supply but had never been tested like this. He rushed over to the facility and called his research partner in excitement. The solar farm energizes a small building on the same lot, and the air conditioning was blasting. Man, I think were on to something, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For Hill, the solar labs grand opening in May couldnt have come at a better time. As Americans explore solar power in rising numbers and as Houston-area utility consumers question why they sat in the dark for days after recent storms researchers at Prairie View now have a testing ground to study the most efficient uses for solar energy. Weve got poles snapping out there, Hill said. Weve got to figure out better ways to get the power to our consumers and to our industry. John Fuller, left, and Anthony Hill, right, both with the Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, are shown in the off-grid solar lab Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Prairie View. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Hill and Texas A&M System Regents Professor John Fuller built the lab on an acre of land on the northeast side of Prairie Views campus, removed from the regular goings-on at the university. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Solar panels of different sizes dwarf a small shed on the property. A 3D-rotational panel is the biggest, whirring as it moves with the direction of the sun. Another sits on the ground, fixed at a 10-degree angle. More sit higher, at 35 to 45 degrees, facing south. Others move between two directions as the sun goes east to west. The lab is enough to power three homes, but for now, it supplies power to air conditioning, lighting and equipment in the shed. The cost was in its installation the sun is free. We have no monthly bills, which makes the university happy, Fuller said. Fuller and Hill believe that the lab is one-of-a-kind: Other universities have solar farms that provide energy to their campuses, but they arent aware of schools that allow students and faculty to use those farms for research. Prairie Views lab came as part of a $4 million grant from the Department of Education, which also funded several other research learning initiatives on campus. Hill constructed the farm for his Ph.D. dissertation, and now as a professor of electrical and computer engineering, he and Fuller will work with their graduate and undergraduate students to improve the efficiency of solar energy systems and determine which uses are most cost-effective for consumers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Solar is still a small portion of the U.S. energy landscape, but its increasing. Nearly 4% of all U.S. power generation comes from solar, but the number could reach 20% by 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In Texas, solar-generated power increased by 35% in one year, from 2022 to 2023. After Beryl, Fuller said he knows people are curious about other sources of energy. But just as research would be required to place more utility power lines underground, for example, engineers also need better research on solar. This is the future, Fuller said. A display of solar supplies is shown in the control center of the off-grid solar lab at Prairie View A&M University Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Solar energy starts generating once the suns heat hits a solar panel made up of a grid of solar cells and moves into a current. That direct current isnt usable for how people power much of their homes, so it has to be converted to an alternating current, Hill said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Most solar panels in circulation operate at 20% efficiency, meaning 80% of the energy gets lost, Hill said. He and Fuller are hoping to boost their panels so less energy gets wasted, and they want to see how consumers might be able to use solar energy through the night, when they typically switch to energy generated by utility companies. For now, their lab powers the shed on solar alone, but the research partners are constructing a second building that will partner utility with solar, Hill said. They can analyze those cost efficiencies, and they said they will also use the facility to energize solar-powered buses to transport students around campus. Routing their solar power to the rest of Prairie View is a further-out prospect, as it isnt covered under the grant. That money could come through other sources with time, Hill said, but he and Fuller are more interested in seeing how consumers might benefit from the more expensive solar systems that move with the sun. The only thing I want to know is, is it worth the extra power? Fuller said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rebekah F. Ward is the Houston Chronicle's climate & environment reporter. She can be reached at rebekah.ward@houstonchronicle.com. Before coming to Texas, Rebekah was an investigative journalist at the Albany Times Union, where she started in 2021 as the newsrooms first Joseph T. Lyons fellow. She has worked for outlets including Reuters, France 24 and the OCCRP, reporting from the U.S., Colombia, Mexico and her native Canada. A photo of 2640 Fountain View Dr. from 2016, when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began looking into the city's housing policies. Then-mayor Sylvester Turner rejected a proposal to build a 233-unit mixed-income development known as Fountain View in an affluent, predominantly white neighborhood on Houston's west side. Now, the housing authority is looking for a buyer of the 6.3-acre site. Jon Shapley/Staff The Houston Housing Authority is selling its Galleria-area headquarters, according to a press release from the commercial real estate firm CBRE. The 6.28-acre parcel near the wealthy Tanglewood neighborhood is the same site of the notorious failed mixed-income development, 2640 Fountain View Drive, which led the federal government in 2017 to reprimand Houston for violating the Civil Rights Act. When asked where it will move its operations once its headquarters sells, the housing authority said in an emailed statement that it would try to serve its customers not only from a central office but also with satellite offices in their clients' communities. David Northern, president of the authority, said in the press release, "The Authority is committed to reducing costs, stewarding the portfolio, and looks forward to seeing what the market delivers for this unique opportunity." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The property is being marketed as "an incredibly rare infill opportunity" by CBRE's Peter Jansen, Barrett Von Blon, Chris Bergmann, Jr. and Brandon Burrows. In other words, an investor could redevelop the land for a mixed-use project, Jansen suggested in the press release, and touted how close it was to the Galleria. The property currently has two 91,000-square-foot office buildings. According to the Texas Tribune, the Houston Housing Authority bought the land in 2014 with the intention of building affordable housing in a wealthy, "high-opportunity" neighborhood after receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds to recover from Hurricane Ike. The property featured two pre-existing office buildings, one of which the housing authority was already leasing for its headquarters; one could be torn down to make space for 233 units. The neighbors revolted, packing into public meetings and bending the ears of public officials. Ultimately, Sylvester Turner, the mayor at the time, declined to put it on the city council agenda for a vote necessary for the project to be built. Afterward, HUD sent the city a letter concluding that the city's actions blocking the authority from building affordable housing were "at least in part racially motivated" in violation of the Civil Rights Act. Ultimately, the city resolved the Civil Rights investigation by entering a Voluntary Compliance Agreement promising to help voucher holders rent in neighborhoods with highly rated public schools and agreeing that "affordable housing is needed in all areas of Houston," among other measures. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The housing authority said the disaster recovery funds used to buy the lands were repaid since the affordable housing was never built. Volunteers prepare priya for dinner at the Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. All the meals served are vegetarian. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A sign marking the location of Texas Hindu Campsite on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Ahrin Raminrni, 9, watches a video on Airavata during the lessons portion of Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Campers participate in crafting activities at Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Niam Mathur, 10, of Nashville, paints during the crafting time at a Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A shallow swim pool is available for the campers at the new Texas Hindu Campsite during their recreation time, photographed on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The bunk dorms for campers for the overnight camp at Texas Hindu Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The Hindu Heritage Youth Camp welcomed its first campers at its newly opened $6 million campsite in Columbus. This years session marks the 40th anniversary and the debut of the camps new permanent location. Campers become counselors, counselors become directors, said Namita Pallod, 29, a life-long camper who now serves on the steering committee of Texas Hindu Campsite, the nonprofit responsible for building the camp. We like that, to come back every year. We call it the best five days of the year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Neil Agrawal, 9, left, holds tree pose for 10 seconds as he eyes Kartik Rajaia recite the Gayatri Mantra during a relay race at Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The 37-acre, $6 million site is mostly complete, with only finishing touches and some landscaping remaining. These tasks were delayed due to Hurricane Beryl, but the camp successfully opened as scheduled. BERYL DEBRIS: Sugar Land and Fort Bend County continue debris removal after Hurricane Beryl Funding for the project came from various donors and Hindu organizations. The 138 boys and girls from fourth through eighth grade were mostly from the Houston area, but the camps growing reputation has reached nearby states, drawing two brothers from Nashville. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A second session for older children will begin Monday. Shaina Patel, 1, of Sugerland paints an elephant in her finger bowl during the crafting portion at the Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Like other away camps, this one offers arts and crafts, a variety of sports, and games for children. Counselors begin their day at 6 a.m., and campers start at 7 a.m. Most counselors are former campers themselves, having attended the camp every year from second through 12th grade. We have a lake there, and next year well introduce canoeing, said Subhash Gupta, a co-founder with a career as a research engineer in the oil industry. Gupta made the first donation of $1.75 million. Now were in the process of building everything. Far away from the city, surrounded by trees and local wildlife, the camp is a magical place. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Campers Anay Samnerkar, 10, from left, Kishore Kanjia, 10, and Juylan Jogi, 9, watch a video on Airavata during the lessons portion of Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The camp also includes activities such as kho-kho and kabaddi (Indian team games), as well as traditional dances such as dandiya raas, allowing campers to immerse themselves in their heritage. They also delve into their religion and its significance in their daily lives through education sessions. FORT BEND INSIDER: Never miss a story with our bi-weekly newsletter The camp started as a small, two-day event with 40 children in the 1980s, a time when Houstons Indian and Hindu community was significantly smaller. Its popularity soared over the years, and by the 2000s, it became an achievement to secure a spot. The website would often crash and the camp would be fully booked within just 10 minutes of opening registration, Pallod said. Volunteers prepare priya for dinner at the Hindu Heritage Camp on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 in Columbus. All the meals served are vegetarian. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Due to its increasing popularity and the logistical challenge of finding suitable new campsites each year, the organization decided a permanent camp was needed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I made so many lifelong friends here, said counselor and Fulshear resident Kaushik Kallur, who has attended since third grade. We kept borrowing campsites for years, it was nice and all, but wed have to keep switching camps. Now Im really happy we have our own place. Kaushik attended Cinco Ranch High School and is currently studying bio medical engineering at Texas A&M University. I think its very special, said Kaushik. The kids can customize this place, make it their own and each year we can keep adding things painting murals that will stay here forever. Camp fees are $600 per child, and registration typically opens in April. For more information on Hindu Heritage Youth Camp, visit texashinducampsite.org. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. annual convention during the 71st biennial Boule at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. LM Otero/Associated Press Vice President Kamala Harris reacts to the applause as she prepares to address the members of the American Federation of Teachers at George R. Brown Convention Center on Thursday, July 25, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Nearly 170,000 people joined the White Women for Kamala Harris Zoom call on Thursday, raising $8.5 million. Think about that. Since the 1950s, a majority of white women have voted overwhelmingly Republican in all but two presidential elections Lyndon B. Johnson and Bill Clintons second term. White women have helped to enforce patriarchal norms with their votes. The reason? Its simple. They often benefit from the superiority and power that is associated with white men. Status quo ensures their status. But on Thursday, white women showed up in the Answer the Call 2024 virtual event and got real about their privilege and power. Advertisement Article continues below this ad White women tend to vote Republican, but we are not a monolith. The smallest shift in voter action can change an election. Its time to leverage the privilege, platform and power of women to elect the first female president of the USA, said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand who helped organize the call. Much praise was given to the 40,000 Black women who started the movement with a Zoom call on Sunday in support of Harris and raised $1.6 million. The next group, Black men for Harris, held a call on Monday with 20,000 men raising $1.3 million. It was hosted by Houston native and political journalist Roland Martin. Latinas for Harris had one on Tuesday. On Thursdays call, celebrities such as Pink and actress Connie Britton gave impassioned pleas to support the Harris campaign. We are coming together to protect the freedom of each to speak and fight and organize for her beliefs, said Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed and Love Warrior, who urged the women to move beyond their privilege and comfort and to follow the lead of Black women. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We can recognize that Black women know how to do this, and we do not. That forever they have organized, unified and delivered in elections more reliably than any other group behind candidates who were far from perfect, who often didnt deserve their votes but who they knew best protected their families, communities and future. Since white women are 41% of the electorate and Black women are 6%, she said, it is beyond time for us to stop freeloading on their labor in protecting democracy and start carrying our weight. As women spoke, donations poured in with many at the $5,000-$15,000 level; University of Houston professor and best-selling author Brene Brown was among the donors. U.S. Rep Lizzie Fletcher, the first Democrat and first woman to represent Houstons District 7, didnt sugarcoat the dismal picture for womens rights in Texas in her comments to the women on the call. From here in Texas, the state that I grew up in and the state that I love that state is almost unrecognizable now and its getting worse. We have a total ban on abortions. Women having miscarriages being turned away from hospitals, told to come back when they are sicker, losing their ability to have children in the future, losing their lives, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The people who are writing these laws are forwarding them to other states and sending them to Washington and waiting to implement them in Project 2025. Whats happening here in Texas will happen across the country. A Watch For High Water sign is placed on West Road a Katy Hockley Cut-Off Road. Water remained after the rain over the weekend Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, in Katy. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A man walks down the middle of a flooded road as Hurricane Beryl wanes on Monday, July 8, 2024 in Galveston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer As heavy rainfall continues in Southeast Texas, commuters in the greater Houston area can expect delays Friday due to flooding. Several roads in Harris, Galveston and Montgomery counties were considered at risk of flooding. Here's a list of roads being affected by high water levels as of Friday morning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Harris County The Harris County Flood Warning System said flooding is possible on Hollister Street near the Brickhouse Gully. Highway 59 North and W. Lake Houston Parkway near the San Jacinto River are also at risk of flooding. High water levels were detected on I-45 North southbound at Parker Road, according to Houston Transtar, affecting the right lane and two frontage road lanes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Galveston County Texas City Emergency Management officials said city buildings and facilities would be closed until 12 p.m. Friday due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. "Please avoid the roads, if at all possible, and be extremely careful if you are driving," according to a Facebook post from the agency. "Use caution and do not drive through flooded areas." With a flood watch in effect in the area until 6 p.m., Emergency workers will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to residents, including Rob. Motorists on I-45 northbound at both FM-1765/Texas Avenue and Holland in Galveston County were experiencing delays due to high water levels affecting the center lanes, right shoulder and right lanes, according to Transtar. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Montgomery County High waters also affected the two main lanes and right shoulder on FM-1485 eastbound at the Montgomery-Harris County line. A Spanish-speaking cybercrime group named GXC Team has been observed bundling phishing kits with malicious Android applications, taking malware-as-a-service (MaaS) offerings to the next level. Singaporean cybersecurity company Group-IB, which has been tracking the e-crime actor since January 2023, described the crimeware solution as a "sophisticated AI-powered phishing-as-a-service platform" capable of targeting users of more than 36 Spanish banks, governmental bodies, and 30 institutions worldwide. The phishing kit is priced anywhere between $150 and $900 a month, whereas the bundle including the phishing kit and Android malware is available on a subscription basis for about $500 per month. Targets of the campaign include users of Spanish financial institutions, as well as tax and governmental services, e-commerce, banks, and cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, and Brazil. As many as 288 phishing domains linked to the activity have been identified to date. Also part of the spectrum of services offered are the sale of stolen banking credentials and custom coding-for-hire schemes for other cybercriminal groups targeting banking, financial, and cryptocurrency businesses. "Unlike typical phishing developers, the GXC Team combined phishing kits together with an SMS OTP stealer malware pivoting a typical phishing attack scenario in a slightly new direction," security researchers Anton Ushakov and Martijn van den Berk said in a Thursday report. What's notable here is that the threat actors, instead of directly making use of a bogus page to grab the credentials, urge the victims to download an Android-based banking app to prevent phishing attacks. These pages are distributed via smishing and other methods. Once installed, the app requests for permissions to be configured as the default SMS app, thereby making it possible to intercept one-time passwords (OTPs) and other messages and exfiltrate them to a Telegram bot under their control. "In the final stage the app opens a genuine bank's website in WebView allowing users to interact with it normally," the researchers said. "After that, whenever the attacker triggers the OTP prompt, the Android malware silently receives and forwards SMS messages with OTP codes to the Telegram chat controlled by the threat actor." Among the other services advertised by the threat actor on a dedicated Telegram channel are AI-infused voice calling tools that allow its customers to generate voice calls to prospective targets based on a series of prompts directly from the phishing kit. These calls typically masquerade as originating from a bank, instructing them to provide their two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, install malicious apps, or perform other arbitrary actions. "Employing this simple yet effective mechanism enhances the scam scenario even more convincing to their victims, and demonstrates how rapidly and easily AI tools are adopted and implemented by criminals in their schemes, transforming traditional fraud scenarios into new, more sophisticated tactics," the researchers pointed out. In a recent report, Google-owned Mandiant revealed how AI-powered voice cloning has the capability to mimic human speech with "uncanny precision," thus allowing for more authentic-sounding phishing (or vishing) schemes that facilitate initial access, privilege escalation, and lateral movement. "Threat actors can impersonate executives, colleagues, or even IT support personnel to trick victims into revealing confidential information, granting remote access to systems, or transferring funds," the threat intelligence firm said. "The inherent trust associated with a familiar voice can be exploited to manipulate victims into taking actions they would not normally take, such as clicking on malicious links, downloading malware, or divulging sensitive data." Phishing kits, which also come with adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) capabilities, have become increasingly popular as they lower the technical barrier to entry for pulling off phishing campaigns at scale. Security researcher mr.d0x, in a report published last month, said it's possible for bad actors to take advantage of progressive web apps (PWAs) to design convincing login pages for phishing purposes by manipulating the user interface elements to display a fake URL bar. What's more, such AiTM phishing kits can also be used to break into accounts protected by passkeys on various online platforms by means of what's called an authentication method redaction attack, which takes advantage of the fact that these services still offer a less-secure authentication method as a fallback mechanism even when passkeys have been configured. "Since the AitM can manipulate the view presented to the user by modifying HTML, CSS, and images, or JavaScript in the login page, as it is proxied through to the end user, they can control the authentication flow and remove all references to passkey authentication," cybersecurity company eSentire said. The disclosure comes amid a recent surge in phishing campaigns embedding URLs that are already encoded using security tools such as Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) in an attempt to mask phishing links and evade scanning, according to Barracuda Networks and Cofense. Social engineering attacks have also been observed resorting to unusual methods wherein users are enticed into visiting seemingly legitimate-but-compromised websites and are then asked to manually copy, paste, and execute obfuscated code into a PowerShell terminal under the guise of fixing issues with viewing content in a web browser. Details of the malware delivery method have been previously documented by ReliaQuest and Proofpoint. McAfee Labs is tracking the activity under the moniker ClickFix. "By embedding Base64-encoded scripts within seemingly legitimate error prompts, attackers deceive users into performing a series of actions that result in the execution of malicious PowerShell commands," researchers Yashvi Shah and Vignesh Dhatchanamoorthy said. "These commands typically download and execute payloads, such as HTA files, from remote servers, subsequently deploying malware like DarkGate and Lumma Stealer." Laos seeks to boost export of agricultural products via China-Laos Railway Xinhua) 10:19, July 26, 2024 VIENTIANE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Laos is seeking to promote sustainable agricultural production and increase the export of agricultural produce to China through the China-Laos Railway, marking a significant step in efforts to boost agricultural exports. Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will collaborate with the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to seek ways of boosting the export of agricultural products to the Chinese market, as part of the project "Assessing Policy Enhancements for Sustainable Agriculture Linked to the China-Laos Railway". The project aims to formulate policy recommendations that will enable the Lao government to fully utilize the China-Laos Railway to boost agricultural exports to China, while simultaneously promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Laos, Lao National Radio reported on Thursday. Key commodities for export to China include cassava, rubber, bananas and sugarcane, while local governments have shown significant interest in the export of cattle. In the first five months of 2024, the railway carried 2.3 million tons of freight, an increase of 31 percent compared to the same period 2023, according to the report. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Houston native comic Ashton Womack was nominated for his third Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show. Womack started his comedy career in Houston and has also been a writer for the Grammys in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Courtesy of Ashton Womack Houston native comic Ashton Womack was nominated for his third Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show. Womack started his comedy career in Houston and has also been a writer for the Grammys in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Courtesy of Ashton Womack Houston native comics Ashton Womack and Tre Tutson. Womack was nominated for his third Emmy as a writer for The Daily Show. Courtesy of Tre Tutson Houston native comic Tre Tutson says the local comedy scene is grimy, but one of the best in the country, saying audience members expect "greatness for nothing." Courtesy of Tre Tutson And while the Houston native had been nominated for two Emmys since working as a writer, it all still feels very surreal to him. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "I never know how to feel in these moments," Womack said via an Instagram post after discovering he was nominated for a third Emmy on July 17. "I'm not supposed to be nominated for an Emmy. That's for nepo babies and people who do coke!" And while there's no information to support his theory, one thing is for certain it has been a long journey for Womack to arrive at this point in his career. Open mic nights in Houston Prior to working for The Daily Show, Womack started his stand-up comedy career in Houston, going to any bar or venue that was hosting an open mic, such as Rudyard's Pub in Montrose, Fitzgerald's in the Heights and St. Dane's Bar & Grille in Midtown, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Today, Rudyard's Pub has transformed its upstairs room into The Riot Comedy Club, while Fitzgerald's is now a parking lot and St. Dane's Bar & Grille is a Stick Talk Cajun-Hibachi. All this is to say, Womack had been doing stand-up comedy in Houston for a long time. Taking his talents to New York With $3,000 to his name, Womack bought a ticket to New York City in 2017 in pursuit of his comedy career, he said. Like many before him, he was hitting any open mic he could all while struggling to survive financially. And then one night at an open mic at The Creek & The Cave, before it closed its doors in 2020, Womack's dream would soon be realized. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "There was a creepy guy in the audience, who was just a weirdo to a lot of women in the scene," he said. "I made my set about him. I was making a lot of off-the-cuff, kind of clever jokes. They were just witty comebacks...some comedian who worked for The Daily Show saw me there and recommended me (for a job) after seeing that show." Shortly after the interaction, Womack was tasked with sending ideas to the show as an interview process. "My first idea was about Black mental health," he said. "And they were like, 'well, how do you see getting Black mental health on the show, today? If you were to put that on the show today, what would be the news peg?' And it just so happened Kanye (West) had said something. So I said 'Kanye!' Womack was hired shortly after that. He would then start off as a researcher, working his way up to a writer for the show assisting Comedian Trevor Noah with writing for the Grammys in 2021, 2022 and in 2023. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "All of this is like coded in dreams come true," Womack said. "I can't believe it." Catching the comedy bug One of Womack's earliest memories as a child is sitting in front of the TV with is family in the early 90s, watching Def Comedy Jam and "buckling over with laughter," he said. "That was my first introduction into comedy," Womack said," noting that growing up with a family that always joked amongst themselves also played a massive role in his love for the art form. "I was very fortunate to grow up around people who were silly, fun, loving, just all types of joy and laughter...played a massive role in my upbringing...we were just happy, broke as hell...living in La Marque, Texas." Advertisement Article continues below this ad It became a routine for Womack to watch stand-up comedy so much that his mother would allowed his bedtime to be a little later so he could watch the latest special. Womack was 13 when he first met his father, which was also the first time he learned that his father was living his dream, he said. "I meet him...and he's driving me around and he goes 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'" Womack said. "And I was like, 'I want to be a stand-up comedian.' And he goes 'do you know I'm a stand-up comedian?'...that sealed the deal." He would then go on to move in with his dad in Memphis, he said. At age 16, his father threw him on stage for the very first time. "Caught the bug and came back to Houston to go to college," he said. "And just went and did (stand-up comedy) every single day." After Womack was hired at The Daily Show, his father, Anthony Lomax, was overwhelmed, Womack said. In a full circle moment, Womack was working for one of his dad's favorite TV shows. Before he died in 2023, his father was able to walk the halls of The Daily Show studio, seeing how far his son had come in his career, Womack said. "My dad was a gangster...he (was) a tough guy. And so to see his eyes crack...I could tell it was overwhelming for him," Womack said. "It was overwhelming for me to see him like that...I am forever grateful for the experience and everything (The Daily Show) has given me." 'Houston gave me that passion' Womack credits his success to the Houston comedy scene, noting many Houston native comedians had helped him along the way, such as Ali Siddiq, John Wessling, Andy Huggins and Keisha Hunt. "I really wanted to be as good as one of them and be able to hold my own on a stage with Ali Siddiq," Womack said. "Houston gave me that passion." Comedian Tre Tutson remembers Womack and Comedian Victor Tran approaching him in 2016 after performing at a club in the South Side, encouraging him to keep coming out to perform, he said. Womack would continue to keep in contact with Tutson, giving him books to read so he could perfect his craft. "Ever since that...he's always been sort of a big brother in comedy," Tutson said. "We don't talk regularly, but it's consistent enough where there's love." Tutson, who hosts Q&A with Tre and The Tutson Interuption at The Riot Comedy Club, said he wasn't surprised about Womack being a three-time Emmy nominee for his writing. "He was always writing," Tutson said. "He used to take that part so seriously, just seeing him there writing stuff down...he was just always diligent. And that rubbed off on a lot of us. You would see his work ethic, you would see him up at every mic...I personally try to emulate that work ethic." While Tutson calls the Houston scene grimy, he said it's one of the best scenes in the country. "I will put our scene up against any other scene," he said. "We don't have a lot of comics that break, which is why I think we all root for our guys, whether it be Ali (Siddiq), whether it be Mo Amer, Ashton (Womack), (Zahid Dewji), Matthew Broussard. You come through Houston at any point, we just root for you." One of the good things about the Houston comedy scene is its diversity, Tutson said. Report Explores Teacher and Administrator Attitudes on K12 AI Adoption K12 administration software provider Frontline Education recently released a new research brief regarding the use of AI adoption in schools, according to a news release. Insights into K12 AI Adoption: Educator Perspectives and Pathways Forward was developed from the results of the Frontline Research and Learning Institutes annual survey of district leaders. It explorers the current state and future potential of AI adoption in K12 schools. At Frontline, we are dedicated to equipping school leaders with data and insights for informed decision-making, said Frontline Educations Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Friedman. Our latest research brief examines the attitudes of district leaders and K-12 educators toward GenAI integration in schools. We are committed to helping K-12 leaders understand the strategic opportunities AI brings in this new era of education. According to a recent Rand report, 18% of teachers used some form of AI during the 202324 school year. The research brief indicates that among K12 administrators, 41% support the use of AI in K12 settings; 38% are neutral; 21% are opposed; and nine more nuanced responses. Among K12 teachers, 21% support the use of AI in schools; about 50% are neutral; and 34% are opposed, the news release reports. More information about the research brief is available on Frontlines website. On July 21, 2024 police arrested and charged Odel Gumbs, a 48-year-old farmer of Green Hill with the offence of Animal Cruelty. According to the investigations, the accused allegedly without lawful excuse, cruelly ill-treated one (1) white boar pig valued at $1,100.00 ECC - the property of a 41-year-old Electrician of Green Hill - by chopping same on the back with a cutlass. The offence was committed on July 21, 2024, in Green Hill. Gumbs appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate Court on Monday July 22, 2024, and pleaded guilty to the charge. He was placed on bond for six months. In default, he pays $1000.00 ECC forthwith or spends four months in prison. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the complainant in the sum of $2,000.00 ECC by December 31, 2024 or six months imprisonment. (Source: SRSVGPF) Story and photos by: Donald De Riggs Venna Ollivierre is a goat and pig farmer on the Grenadine island Mayreau. In the midst of his displacement occasioned by Hurricane Beryl, he has extended heartfelt thanks to the East Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC), for reaching out to him with the first tranche of aid in the form of animal feed. With Beryl having stripped the island of most of its vegetation, little was left for his goats to eat, and his stock of pig feed was blown away. Venna is a regular ECGC customer as the records will verify, so it wasnt difficult for the veterinarian working with the company to speak directly with Venna, to ascertain the type and quantity of animal feed his animals required, and possible medications. Once that assessment was finalized, his family friend, Don De Riggs, collected the feed from ECGC and personally delivered it and other food supplies and water to him, at the site of his demolished home in Mayreau. De Riggs, Director of the RRL/YRM, said that he appreciated the kind gesture of ECGC and hoped "that this is not the first and last donation of animal feed to Ollivierre and other farmers in Mayreau, Canouan and Union Island, who have been similarly affected. The major focus of all residents affected in Mayreau, Union, Canouan and elsewhere, is to have their homes rebuilt, and therefore, any assistance to maintain their honest livelihoods, is through assistance by good corporate citizens like ECGC. The ordeal and its impact The Mayreau farmer, in sharing his experience during Beryl, said that after his roof was blown away, a sheet of galvanize kept swirling around angrily. He had to hide behind a refrigerator and use it as a body shield to prevent himself being sliced by the sharp metal. This ordeal continued for about half an hour as he constantly dodged the flying metal. When the winds subsided, Venna began rummaging through the debris in his house. He found a cordless drill that he never saw before, and didnt know where it had come from whether it was picked up in Mayreau, Union, Palm island, PSV or elsewhere is anyones guess, but it landed in his house! There was also an interesting tale related by a resident from Union Island, whom the writer met on his return trip, via MV Gem Star 2, to Vincy. The resident told of his normally aggressive dog, a pit bull, which had become as tame as a puppy; didnt bark at anyone and pored over his food before eating. Such was the extent of the effect on animals, far less humans. Communications - Internet/Wi-Fi service While in Mayreau, De Riggs used the opportunity to operate his portable ham radio donated by Barrett communications, to maintain contact with local and regional fellow operators. It was noted that there were a few persons who were still operating a starlink service that allowed a fairly reliable free WI-Fi service to the public in Mayreau, so that any emergencies could be reported, if necessary. This complimentary WI-FI service, in part, has been provided by the NTRC and has reduced the workload but not importance of ham radio. Starlink service will always be affected on rainy or overcast days and when there is volcanic ash in the atmosphere. Ham radio, once there is a power source, can provide reliable communication as there are several frequency bands and operational modes available for use by radio amateurs (Hams). Going forward reaching out This report will not be complete if mention is not made of some of the vital components in the delivery of the relief and the response mechanism in general, namely the inter-island ferries. After the Jaden Sun Fast Ferry had to discontinue service because of engine issues, Gem Star and Bequia Express did the major hauling of relief supplies, sometimes leaving port Kingstown late just to ensure that all available relief supplies could reach their intended destinations in the earliest possible time. Sometimes, after unloading in Canouan and Mayreau, Gem Star would arrive in Union around at 10 pm, but the dedicated forklift drivers were there to move heavy cargo safely from ship to shore. It is a given that the ravages of Hurricane Beryl will produce cases of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among some members of the affected Grenadines communities. Signs of withdrawal and hopelessness will not be uncommon. This beckons those of us not affected to reach out to relatives and friends in those islands, to give them a sense of hope. In addition, religious ministers, social workers and journalists across the mass communications landscape should speak with/interview as many persons as possible, so that they could share their experiences with others. This also serves as an escape valve for the pent-up emotions built up during the storm pent-up experiences that can contribute directly to PTSD. An appeal is also made to corporate society to adopt a family or two, maybe even three, four, or five families, dealing with the most urgent first, to ensure that these families can rebuild stronger and have a better standard of life. Thanks to ECGC for leading in a tangible way. More can and MUST be done by you and others, especially those in the construction (hardware) and food businesses. Feature Speaker Joy Haynes, and her husband, at last Tuesdays opening to the 2024 Police Band Summer Programme. Joy Haynes, Principal of the Barrouallie Government School has called for music to be given equal attention on the school curriculum, as any other subject. Haynes made the appeal when delivering the feature address at the opening of the 16th Police Band Summer Programme, held at the Old Montrose Police Station last Tuesday, July 23. She described music as a "stress reliever food for the soul, and said that It "builds self-esteem, and prepares you for the job market. When it comes to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Band, Joy has an enduring connection. Her husband, Bernard, was Band Master up to the time of his retirement from the Royal SVG Police Force. Joy, who has plans to expand the music progamme at her school and has earmarked her husband to assist with that activity, noted the demand for places at the Police Band Summer Programme. In that light, she told those who enlisted to "count it a privilege for having been selected for a place, and urged them "not to waste time, and to be "focused, eager to learn, punctual, and regular. She advised the participants to "believe in yourself, reminded them "nothing good comes easily, and expressed the hope that they would "let this session make a positive impact on your life. This years Summer Progamme is themed Harnessing young minds during summer time. About 100 students are taking part in the exercise, slated to run for five weeks. Inspector Vaughn Miller, Band Master, spoke to the participants about music being the universal language. And Superintendent of Police Junior Simmons, who heads the Public Relations and Complaints Department of the Royal SVG Police Force, made it clear that his institution offered the "best and biggest, as it related to Summer events for young people. He made the comment at the opening of the Police Band Summer Camp and added this reference to the SVG Coast Guard Programme, and the Police Youth Camp, as practical ways through which the Police Force was reaching out to young people. But last Tuesday was an occasion to focus on the Police Band Programme and Inspector Vaughn Miller, Band Master, in his address to the opening ceremony at the Police Band Room at Old Montrose, described the Programme as "one of our crime fighting measures. Miller pointed to music as being the "universal language, and of it "touching the depths of our souls. He called on the student participants to "embrace the experience, and to look at it as "your chance to grow as musicians. Turning his attention to the parents, he beckoned them to make music as much a part of their childrens lives as they make academics. "People become more rounded individuals once they have that background in music, Miller posited. Miller admitted that five weeks the duration of the programme - "cannot make a musician, and he urged parents to facilitate follow-up exercises (in music) for their children, and noted that music will be added to the curriculum at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. Participants in the Summer Programme will be exposed to the rudiments of playing a range of instruments including: trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, keyboard, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, recorder, and drums. Commissioner of Police (Ag) Enville Williams is pleased that parents have enrolled their children in the programme. He expressed the conviction that learning to play an instrument "opens up your creative thinking, and felt assured that participants will be exposed to skills which he contended, "will serve you well in life. If there is a living example of the programmes impact, Corporal Serrano Hunte bears that testimony. He enlisted in the Police Band Summer Programme in 2012, was identified as one suited for police duty and was drafted into the Police Band. Hunte not only became an active member of the Police Band but took the time to successfully pursue a Bachelors Degree in Music from the University of Trinidad and Tobago. He was present at last Tuesdays ceremony and entertained with a rendition of the standard, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, on the soprano saxophone. Tuesdays ceremony also saw 100 chairs handed over by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Friendship Cooperation to the Royal SVG Police Force Band. Sir Louis Straker and Dr. Mineva Glasgow, two members of that organization, made the donation.KWA) Roberto Villalpando is the Texas weather science editor for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. He can be reached at roberto.villalpando@houstonchronicle.com. He supervises a weather coverage team that includes three newsroom meteorologists who provide expert forecasts for the states two largest cities. Working out of Austin, Roberto joined the Chronicle in 2023 and has more than 25 years of experience covering Texas as a breaking news editor, multimedia producer, graphic artist, copy editor and reporter. Christopher Jones early and separate appearance in court may have caused the authorites to have the matter properly presented in court. Radio personality, talk show host and popular DJ Christopher Too Cool Chris Jones and 31-year-old fisherman Kevin Patterson of Lodge Village, both appeared at the Kingstown Magistrates Court, Wednesday on charges in connection with inflicting injuries on each other. Jones, a licensed firearm holder, made his appearance in the morning after being charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Patterson with an incident in the vicinity of the Financial Complex, Kingstown around 8:30pm July 4, during which Patterson is reported to have received gunshot wounds to the left hip, left hand and right leg. Patterson, who appeared in the same Court around 2:30 p.m. that day is charged with, that on July 4, he assaulting Jones, causing him bodily harm. He is reported to have struck Jones on his left arm with a bottle. Both men pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. On Jones appearance, Prosecutor Aliston Stapleton indicated that the defendant was on station bail, and asked that it be continued. He told the court that the Prosecution intended to call about 12 witnesses and that the file would be completed in three weeks. When Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie asked him whether the Prosecution was expected to get more witnesses in those three weeks, Stapleton replied in the affirmative. However, as the Magistrate was considering a date for disclosure, Grant Connell, Jones attorney, told the Court that his client was arrested on the job (i.e. while on live radio) on Tuesday, and taken to the Central Police Station and charged, but the case file had not yet reached the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Connell said that Jones had made a report to the police against Patterson, but there was no cross-complaint before the Court. He posited that the investigator cannot be blamed, adding that, "Sometimes instructions from the hierarchy overrides commonsense, and stressed, "The file incomplete. The Senior Magistrate contended that, if the investigation in relation to the cross-complaint was not complete, it (file) cannot reach the DPP. Stapleton asked that Jones have no contact with the complainant as a condition of bail, but Connell said that would be prejudicial since Jones had also made a report against Jones. The matter was adjourned to September 6 for a report. Meanwhile, station bail will continue for Jones. However, by that afternoon, Patterson, who was unrepresented, was taken before the Court to answer his charge. He was granted $1,500 bail with one surety. He was also slated to return to Court on September 6 when the Court is expected to receive a report on the readiness of the matter. When Patterson was sitting in the prisoners area, awaiting the commencement of the afternoon session of the court, he was heard saying, "You come and tell me I charge and I aint do nothing, I aint do nothing. They come and charge me for nothing at all. The man come and shoot me so. Patterson had told the court earlier that he did not know Jones, he only heard of him. Jones is the main anchor of Hot FMs popular Morning Programme, AM Mayhem. Demonstrating its commitment to excellence in training, the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, through its Coast Guard Service branch, proudly announces the successful completion of the RSS Basic Seamanship Course 2024. This rigorous five-week foundation training, held from June 10 to July 12, 2024, saw 26 graduates achieving an impressive overall average of 84.5%. The program, designed to equip coast guard personnel with essential maritime law enforcement skills, covered a wide range of topics, including knots and splices, boarding techniques and procedures, first aid, basic engineering troubleshooting, nautical terminology, ship husbandry, and navigation etc. The training was spearheaded by Commander (Ag) of the SVG Coast Guard Services, Mr. Deon Henry, who expressed his gratitude to the lecturers and support staff for their dedication in making the RSS Basic Seamanship Course 2024 a success. Commander Henry emphasized that the course provided the personnel with the fundamentals of coast guard duties and seamanship, noting that 26 of the trained personnel have met these objectives, and highlighted that this batch represents the largest group of coast guard personnel to be trained in the basic seamanship course, including 11 coast guard auxiliaries. He encouraged the graduates to let integrity, loyalty, discipline, teamwork, respect, and devotion to duty be their guiding principles as they embark on their journey as coast guard officers. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Frankie Joseph underscored the importance of the training, stating that as law enforcement officers, one must possess the ability and motivation to do the job. He remarked that the training prepares them for the tasks at hand and equips them with the necessary tools to perform their duties effectively. He noted the intensity and methodological nature of the course, reminding the graduates to put everything they have learned into practice. He stressed that failing to do so would not only be a personal failure but also a failure to the nation and the region. He concluded by reassuring that the countrys national security is on solid ground, thanks to the training the personnel received. Lt. Commander Rolrick Sobers, Regional Maritime Officer of the Regional Security System, described the course as a significant launch pad in maritime law enforcement. He wished the graduates continued success in their careers and emphasized the evolving nature of maritime law enforcement. Lt. Commander Sobers encouraged the graduates to stay ahead of the curve and to grow into the changes they wish to see in maritime enforcement. He reminded them that they would face various tests in their duties and must always produce work of the highest standard. He left them with pointed advice: "work hard, play hard, but most importantly, do your job. The RSS Basic Seamanship Course is a foundational maritime law enforcement training program offered by the RSS Training Institute and facilitated by local instructors from the SVG Coast Guard Service. It aims to prepare coast guard personnel to effectively perform their duties in ensuring maritime safety and security. The course combines theoretical knowledge with practical hands-on exercises, providing a comprehensive educational experience that is crucial for the professional development of maritime law enforcement officers. (Credit: RSVGPF) The Caribbean has lost another intellectual giant. The University of the West Indies (The UWI) salutes Sir Neville Nicholls as a quintessential Caribbean Man. He served his country, Barbados, and the Caribbean in several capacities, including as Chairman of the Campus Council of The UWI Cave Hill Campus from 1995 to 2009 and as President of the Caribbean Development Bank. In all of his endeavours, the hallmark of excellence and doing what was right for the people who would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the decisions were paramount. The UWI Community extends its deepest condolences to Sir Nevilles sons and other family members. We recognize the sacrifices they made in sharing Sir Neville with us, and we are grateful for his stellar service to our country and the region. Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, reflects on Sir Neville as "a great UWI man even though he was not an alumnus of the regional university. Vice-Chancellor affirmed, "His advice to me as Principal of the Cave Hill Campus when he chaired the Campus Council was invaluable and deeply appreciated. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, Professor R Clive Landis, added, "The Campus community mourns the passing of a giant in the Cave Hill pantheon. Sir Nevilles tenure as Campus Council Chair marked a period of remarkable growth in the physical plant of the Campus, its academic programming and student enrolment. I extend deepest condolences to Sir Nevilles family and friends on behalf of a grateful Campus. Resources amounting to EC$2.1 million have been included in the approved Supplementary Budget for conservation work to begin at Salt Whistle Bay in Mayreau. According to Senator Banarva Browne, Minister of Urban Development, Energy, Seaports, Grenadine Affairs and Local Government, this sum is to carry out the necessary work and services that were immediately needed following the passage of Hurricane Beryl, July 01, 2024. ier this month. She was at the time responding to a question during the July 18 Sitting of the House posed by Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, Terrence Ollivierre who asked about what steps were being taken to protect Salt Whistle Bay. And according to Browne, the passage of Beryl caused sand erosion which resulted in a gap measuring between 80 and 100 feet wide and at a depth of four feet. "In light of the changes to the Bay, the government will embark on studies to ensure a permanent feasible and climate resilient solution is developed and implemented for this vital asset, she told members of Parliament. To date, the company K Electric has mobilized equipment and material to begin work on the temporary emergency solution which include the strategic placement of boulders to prevent the further deepening and widening of the channel that has since developed which according to Browne, now divides Mayreau into two separate islands. Erosion at Salt Whistle Bay has been an issue for some time and the Senator explained that in 2020 K Electric was awarded a contract amounting to EC$480,000 to place temporary boulders to the shoreline to protect areas until a more feasible, permanent solution could be developed. The solution, she explained, had to consider the physical, social and environmental conditions of the site. "And various stakeholders to deliver a resilient shoreline stabilization measure, she said. Accordingly, Smith Warner International Limited was contracted in 2021 to carry out the coastal process investigations and to prepare engineering designs for structural and non-structural mitigation measures for the site. This resulted in a recommendation which would have amounted to EC$5.8 million and which included the construction of a retaining wall on top of the existing wall which would provide a defence and boast a 3-metre boardwalk and vegetation linear access along the shore, Browne explained. Unfortunately, before this could have been implemented, the island was impacted by Hurricane Beryl. In recognition of the cultural and economic importance of Salt Whistle Bay, the government was moving swiftly to preserve the integrity of the beach. The reality of the situation, according to Senator Browne, was that if the recommended solution was not delivered in a timely manner, the consistent battering of the shoreline over time, or another storm could cause almost irreversible damage. "And this is what we are trying to avert, she said. (DD) Siemens, a global technology conglomerate, has integrated Meveas digital twins and simulation technology into crane automation in the Port of NEOM, Saudi Arabia. The technology will enable 10 automated ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes and 30 automated electric rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes to operate at the port, located at Oxagon, NEOMs reimagined industrial city. The Port of NEOM is the first operational asset in Oxagon and aims to be the worlds most technologically advanced, efficient and sustainable port. It is undergoing an extensive development programme, including a new container terminal and a marine services basin, that will accommodate the worlds largest container vessels. Crane automation Sean Kelly, Port of NEOM MD, said: Crane automation is critical to meeting our goal of achieving unprecedented levels of throughput velocity. We are delighted that the partnership with Siemens and Mevea will introduce the latest technology and applications for step-change advancements in terminal operations productivity. Douwe Wagenaar, Manager Remote Control of Siemens cranes department, said: Meveas technology, which were delighted to integrate, contributes to our targets for a fast go-live and steep productivity ramp up for the automated quay and yard cranes in the Port of NEOM. We are proud to work with Siemens and to contribute to the crane automation software development for Port of NEOM, which is part of the Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, said Raimo Nikkila, Meveas Sales and Marketing Director. Meveas simulators are based on unique physics-based Digital Twin technology. The technology provides both the accuracy and the functionality needed in assistive & autonomous system development and advanced training capabilities needed in operator training.--TradeArabia News Service A UAE delegation held discussions with top leaders of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on strengthening cooperation in the sectors of the new economy, tourism, entrepreneurship, SMEs, transport and fintech, during its recent visit to the country. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, who led the delegation, held bilateral meetings with M K Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr T R B Rajaa, Minister for Industry, Investment Promotion and Commerce in the Government of Tamil Nadu, in the presence of Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship. While emphasising that the UAE and India share strategic economic, political and cultural relations, which continue to grow and scale new heights, Bin Touq, said: India is a strategic economic partner to the UAE and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners in the Indian government in sectors and areas of mutual interest. Our joint efforts will contribute to enhancing the distinct economic partnership between the two countries, thus supporting the growth and sustainability of both economies. Bin Touq reviewed the UAE's efforts in developing the tourism sector, especially in light of the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031. The strategy aims to raise the countrys status as the best tourism identity in the world, consolidating its position as a leading tourism destination; increase the sectors contribution to the national GDP to AED 450 billion; and attract new investments of AED100 billion to the national tourism sector by the next decade. During his meeting with Dr Rajaa, Bin Touq discussed a range of flexible economic policies and legislations in both countries aimed at enhancing dialogue between the UAE and Indian business communities and encouraging the establishment of new projects in various economic fields. In addition, he invited Indian investors and businessmen to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the UAE, especially its logistics capabilities and economic facilities for establishing diverse business activities. The two countries enjoy strong relations in the civil aviation sector with continued growth in air traffic between UAE and Indias cities. Currently, there are 555 weekly flights connecting various cities of the two destinations, operated by the UAEs national carriers. He also invited the two Tamil Nadu ministers to participate in the 4th edition of Investopia, scheduled to be held in February 2025, as it will be a significant opportunity to discuss ways to benefit from the promising opportunities that the UAE offers to investors from around the world, and to develop cooperation in various economic sectors. In yet another meeting, with Dr A Sakthivel, President of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), Bin Touq highlighted the increasing opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in export and re-export and supporting the growth of exporting companies operating in the UAE and Indian markets. The minister also met with Mr. Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, Chairman and Managing Director of LMW, one of India's leading companies specialising in textile machinery manufacturing. In addition to the latest advanced technologies and innovative solutions used by the company in the textile machinery industry, the meeting highlighted the unique economic enablers and support that the UAE's business environment provides to companies looking to establish their operations in the country. During a meeting with Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman of Ashok Leyland, a leading Indian company in vehicle manufacturing and assembly, and the fourth-largest bus manufacturer in the world, the company presented its expansion plans in the UAE market before the UAEs Minister of Economy. The UAEs FDI in the Indian markets cover several vital economic sectors, most notably renewable energy, software, IT services, and automotive manufacturing. The non-oil trade exchange between the two countries is also witnessing continuous growth, with the total value of non-oil trade between the two sides exceeding $53.5 billion in 2023, a growth rate of 3.9% compared to 2022. TradeArabia News Service Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Thomas Gleeson listens to Commissioner Courtney Hjaltman as she questions a team from CenterPoint Energy, including CEO Jason Wells, during a PUC meeting Thursday, July 25, 2024, at in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty reviews materials as commissioners speak to a team from CenterPoint Energy, including CEO Jason Wells, about Hurricane Beryl during a PUC meeting Thursday, July 25, 2024, in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioners Courtney Hjaltman, from rear left, Chairman Thomas Gleeson, Lori Cobos and Kathleen Jackson speak to a leadership team from CenterPoint Energy about Hurricane Beryl during a PUC meeting Thursday, July 25, 2024, in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Thomas Gleeson speaks to CenterPoint Energy CEO Jason Wells during a PUC meeting Thursday, July 25, 2024, in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioner Lori Cobos talks to CenterPoint Energy CEO Jason Wells about the companys response to Hurricane Beryl during a PUC meeting Thursday, July 25, 2024, in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer CenterPoint Energy CEO Jason Wells listens to commissioners of the Public Utility Commission of Texas during a meeting Thursday, July 25, 2024, in the Commissioners Hearing Room at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Jimmy Glotfelty, a commissioner with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas, speaks to CenterPoint executives -- including CEO Jason Wells (seated at center table, with water bottle) -- during a meeting of the Texas PUC on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Less than two weeks after a Houston Chronicle report revealed that CenterPoint Energys $800 million fleet of massive generators mostly sat idle in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, the company now says the problem is it doesnt have enough smaller ones. Were committed to increasing the (number) of our small mobile generation units, said CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells. His comments came during a hearing on Thursday before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which is investigating the companys response to the recent Category 1 hurricane that left millions without power for days. Wells did not mention that such units are completely separate from the $800 million investment CenterPoint made on larger generators most of which have a capacity of about 30 megawatts, enough to power entire neighborhoods back in 2021. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CenterPoint has never deployed the 30-megawatt units. But late last year the company quietly began to secure short-term leases for a fleet of much smaller units. Those have a capacity of around one megawatt or even just half a megawatt, usually enough to power up facilities like nursing homes, fire stations, and cooling centers. They also turned out to be the most useful during Beryl, records show. In fact, CenterPoint needed even more of them. The company used up all 18 of its smaller generators and had to borrow about a dozen more from neighboring utility providers Oncor and AEP, Wells told the PUC on Thursday. Its different tools for different risks, he told the Chronicle in a brief interview after his testimony. And we have to manage all of the risks. When CenterPoint first asked regulators in 2022 for permission to recoup the cost of the large generators from consumers, the protests were fierce. Houston-area officials, trade groups and consumer advocates argued that the large units are too big to move around quickly and arent appropriate for critical facilities that tend to lose electricity after big storms. But the PUC agreed with CenterPoint, allowing it to pass on the whole investment to its ratepayers and to earn a 6.5% profit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Thursday, though, commissioners appeared to take the concerns more seriously. What are you doing to optimize the use of those existing mobile generation units? said commissioner Lori Cobos. She added that the PUC had approved of the original investment based on the notion that, you know, CenterPoints in a hurricane-prone area and these units would help with restoration of power. If theyre too big, she continued, get smaller ones make sure you have the right size to address your critical care facilities. Doug Lewin, a Texas energy analyst and publisher of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, said the discussion shows that CenterPoint never should have acquired the larger generators in the first place. The company is supposed to be focused on the transmission, not the generation, of electricity, he pointed out. Its a distraction from what they should be doing, which is making sure the poles and wires operate, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For the most part, CenterPoint and other utility providers are not allowed to be involved in generating electricity, but that changed after Winter Storm Uri killed more than 200 people in February 2021. State law now allows CenterPoint and its peers to rent generators for use during certain emergencies. But only CenterPoint chose to go big and lease a whopping 500 megawatts of mobile generation for $800 million; Oncor, by contrast, spent $3 million on several much smaller generators that have a combined capacity of 11 megawatts. Critics said CenterPoint couldnt justify its astronomical investment and that it also made misleading claims about the generators usefulness. The company repeatedly called them mobile in news releases, regulatory filings and memos to investors, even though 15 of the 20 units are so big that it takes days to secure the permit required to move them. Earlier this month, the company acknowledged that those units are not for rapid response use and that they are not designed to be mobile. It has also walked back previous statements, which it made in multiple public filings, that the large generators would be useful after storms knock out power lines and other parts of the transmission system. In fact, company officials have said during recent interviews and hearings, the biggest generators would probably only help when high electricity demand forces rolling blackouts, which is what happened during Winter Storm Uri. They could not provide electricity following hurricanes or other storms like the derecho in May. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I dont remember ever hearing (CenterPoint) say, this is only for a Winter Storm Uri kind of situation and we cant use it for hurricanes. They certainly at least gave the impression theyre more widely useful, Lewin said. As for the smaller generation units, Wells said he did not know exactly how much money those will ultimately cost consumers, and the company has not responded to written requests for that information. Those smaller units, too, may be contentious. Sandra Haverlah, president of the Texas Consumer Association, said it would be cheaper and more efficient for nursing homes and other facilities to install their own backup generation rather than to rely on CenterPoint to transport backup power on tractor-trailers after every big storm. Plus, she pointed out, CenterPoint gets to charge customers not just to deploy the generators during storms but also to acquire them and store them in between extreme weather events and the company gets to collect a profit on the investment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CenterPoint is not reliable, she said. Why give an investor the profit off of it? Saudi-based Al Arabiya Network, the Arab worlds leading source of news, has launched its brand-new podcast hub, Mazeej that will be run by established media personalities, who will bring to life contemporary issues from around the world. Featuring a variety of diverse content and programming tailored to the wide-ranging interests of a global Arab audience, Mazeej hosts top topics spanning from business and politics to arts and culture, health and wellness, sport, and more. Al Arabiya Network said its latest hub aims to engage listeners and continue the conversation beyond YouTube through highlights on various social media platforms, while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and impartiality. Mazeej is tailored to listeners of all adult age ranges, offering a new and distinctive style of podcast thats far from the traditional approach. Al Arabiya Networks cohort of prominent journalists and presenters include Nicole Tannoury, Layal Alekhtiar, Islam AlNajjar, and Hanan Al Masri. Highlights Mashaer with Dr Osama Al-Jamaa Using storytelling grounded in documented psychological science, Mashaer explores the fascinating intricacies of the human psyche. Jareema with Mohammed Alshaibani The crime analyst delves into the complex criminal cases of the past that have left investigators puzzled. Jareema expertly narrates these cases while scientifically analysing the behaviours of these criminal masterminds. Umm Al Qossas with Amro Zaki Featuring interviews with inspiring figures from Egyptian society who share their experiences, talents, and expertise, Umm Al Qasas offers listeners unique insights into both their personal and professional journeys. Yeman with Ahad Yaseen This series captures the testimonies of Yemenis, chronicling their sorrows, joys, pains, and hopes, from Yemen to the world. Khalf Al Jidar with Hanan Al Masri Delving into inspiring stories from behind the separation wall, Khalf Al Jidar captures the reality of the evolving Palestinian experience through insightful interviews and testimonies. Wa Maa Baad with Layal Alekhtiar Join experts, specialists, analysts, and journalists as they examine the implications of the worlds current news stories. Sasat with Nicole Tannoury An engaging current and historical events series featuring candid discussions with prominent politicians and experts, documenting significant political events. Heewar Teejari with Islam AlNajjar Showcasing interviews with the founders of major commercial brands, highlighting key moments in their careers, the challenges they've overcome, and the valuable lessons they've learned along the way. TradeArabia News Service Presight, Middle Easts top big data analytics company powered by Generative AI, hosted a workshop on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for the public sector that took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in partnership with Open Innovation AI an Abu Dhabi-based software company. The three-day workshop that was held, as part of the AI Enablement Initiative from July 22-24, was attended by Ethiopias Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh and several high-level Ethiopian Government officials. Designed to equip high-level government leaders with knowledge and insight into generative AI, the workshop covered big data analytics and other important technologies that could be deployed to support government decision making, policy, planning and other aspects of public sector work. It also highlighted the potential of generative AI to enhance public services and increase government efficiency. Ethiopias Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, said: Today, AI is transforming businesses, industries, government and societies, all around the world. For us, the timely and prudent use of AI applications is a strategic imperative for our nation's future competitiveness and growth. In that spirit, investing in AI education and training is essential to build a workforce capable of developing AI solutions and realising the full potential of this technology. Workshops such as these are a positive step towards achieving this. Dr Adel Alsharji, COO of Presight, said: The AI Enablement Initiative demonstrates Presight's dedication to supporting Ethiopia in its journey towards innovation and technological growth. Presight was honoured to host senior representatives of the government to discuss the potential of AI in public services and share our international expertise in this area. We look forward to further initiatives as part of the program to continue to contribute to the digital transformation of government for the benefit of the citizens of Ethiopia. TradeArabia News Service Researchers at Coventry University have contributed their expertise acting as technical authors for a new guide for operating autonomous vehicles. The guide, titled BSI Flex 1887 - Human Factors for Remote Operation of Vehicles Guide v1.0 and developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and supported by the UK Governments Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), aims to establish good practices for the remote monitoring, assistance and operation of self-driving vehicles. It comes as the UK government recently launches the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. Professors Stewart Birrell and Kevin Vincent and Dr Adam Bogg from the university's Research Centre for Future Transport and Cities (FTC), have gathered extensive feedback from industry leaders and applied their extensive human factors research expertise to create this essential guide. BSI BSI Flex 1887 provides practical information to help businesses address challenges in operating autonomous vehicles. It emphasises the selection and training of remote operating staff, the organisations end-to-end responsibilities and fundamental workstation design principles. Key considerations include: ensuring qualified personnel are chosen and adequately trained for remote operation; implementing effective strategies for assessing and maintaining operator performance; following specific guidelines to enhance efficiency and comfort in the operators working environments; and optimising the performance and co-ordination of remote operators through effective management. While the BSI Flex primarily focuses on road applications, it also serves as guidance for controlled environments lacking specific standards. It is designed to support organisations in implementing remote operation capabilities and services, offering vital insights and best practices. Kevin Vincent, Director at the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Automotive Research and National Transport Design Centre, said: This work builds on the research, learning and expertise of our Human Factors Group currently utilised in the CCAV-funded project SCALE (bringing self-driving shuttle services to the West Midlands), along with input from industry leaders, including BSI, CCAV, Department for Transport, Zenzic and other research and technology organisations. It will provide essential guidance to the forthcoming early-stage CAV deployment projects. Essential building block Professor Stewart Birrell, Centre Director for Future Transport and Cities, said: Remote operations are an essential building block for large-scale deployment of self-driving vehicles onto UK roads. Our research here in FTC, which is disseminated through this BSI Flex 1887, puts the human operator front and centre of remote operations, ensuring they have the right tools and information needed to effectively monitor and assist self-driving vehicles. Matteo Novati, Programme Lead for BSIs CAM standards programme, said: Standards have the potential to play a key role in realising society's safe transition to self-driving vehicles and ultimately accelerating progress towards a sustainable future. Our CAM programme has recently focused on filling an important gap in standards supporting remote operations of road vehicles. "Human Factors for Remote Operation of Vehicles Guide v1.0 (BSI Flex 1887) is a very welcome piece of this puzzle and has already attracted much attention from industry and policymakers in the UK and globally. This guidance on human factors such as operators competencies and workstation design has been highlighted as a priority since our early engagement activities and aims to support deployment and imminent work on secondary legislation. BSI Flex 1887 is now open for public consultation. Stakeholders and interested parties are encouraged to review the guide and provide feedback to ensure it meets the highest standards of safety and effectiveness.--TradeArabia News Service Alfa Laval fuel supply system FCM Methanol has been selected by Maersk for their pioneering methanol retrofit project to enable the container vessel Maersk Halifax to operate on methanol fuel. This project stands as a significant achievement for both Alfa Laval and Maersk, underscoring the feasibility of retrofitting ships with the necessary equipment for methanol-based propulsion. Redefining the methanol journey Alfa Laval continues to drive the marine industry's fuel transition with its methanol solutions, knowledge, and experience. The company has expanded its methanol-related expertise to offer solutions that suit the unique requirements of both new and existing vessels. Alfa Laval will support AP Moller-Maersk (Maersk) with installation of FCM Methanol low-flashpoint fuel supply system (LFSS) on board the 15,000 TEU Maersk Halifax. The retrofit is scheduled by mid-2024. This pioneering container vessel conversion will enable the vessel to sail on green methanol with dual-fuel capabilities. At Alfa Laval, we collaborate with the industry frontrunners in exploring and embracing innovative ways for decarbonisation, says Viktor Friberg, Head of Marine Separation & Fuel Supply Systems, Alfa Laval. The project with Maersk gives us a unique opportunity to take up a new challenge - retrofitting our equipment for methanol use, for the first time. We are immensely proud to extend our expertise to this innovative retrofit project. Landmark retrofit project The project will involve adding a new fuel line for methanol alongside the traditional fuel line, respecting the existing space constraints and the tight time schedule. The retrofit of the FCM Methanol is a landmark project that requires advanced engineering and understanding of the practical considerations of working with methanol. Alfa Lavals dedication to technology research and product development, as well as its experience in both project execution and vessels in operation (> 450k hours), has prepared the company to take on challenges to equip both existing and new vessels with methanol solutions over time. The system can be designed to meet the specific requirements ensuring optimised performance and environmental efficiency. We have set an ambitious net-zero emissions target for 2040, and retrofitting of engines on our vessels to run on methanol is an important nut in our strategy. Retrofitting solutions to accommodate new fuel thereby enabling the engine to operate on methanol is a complex task that requires expertise, and we are happy to have Alfa Laval on board on this project, says Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology, AP Moller-Maersk. Longest experience with methanol Sailing with green methanol fuel is a sustainable option to reduce emissions, but it requires a fuel supply system that can handle the fuel safely and effectively. With over 80 ships contracted, Alfa Laval has the longest experience in methanol FSS installation and service since 2015. It is the only system that has been powering methanol-fuelled vessels so far, with over 450 000 hours of operations and unmatched expertise.--TradeArabia News Service Two destinations in AlUla, the ancient city in North-West Saudi Arabia, were declared remarkable places to be explored by TIME, the global media organisation based in the US, in its official announcement of the winners of its 2024 Worlds Greatest Places awards. AlUla has secured two of the top 100 spots on the list, showcasing its high-quality, culturally rich, and sustainable tourism offerings. Vetted by TIME's editors and correspondents around the world, this exclusive list features 100 extraordinary destinations to explore, stay and visit. AlUlas Destination Offerings Dar Tantora The House Hotel It was opened in May 2024, and is the first property to be established in the historic AlUla Old Town the ancient mud-brick houses city dating back to more than 800 years old, and which was recognised as one of the Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by UNWTO. Nestled within AlUlas desert oasis, Dar Tantora represents sustainable luxury. With 30 guest rooms thoughtfully restored from historical mud-brick buildings, this eco-lodge offers guests an immersive blend of traditional Bedouin living and upscale comfort. Sharaan Nature Reserve It covers almost 600 square miles (1,500 sq km), the beautiful Sharaan Nature Reserve is a treasure trove of natural wonders. Central to it is the restoration of AlUlas sensitive ecosystem, which in turn allows the reintroduction, preservation and protection of endangered animals such as Arabian wolves, gazelles and large-eared red foxes, along with indigenous flora and fauna. Created with the goal for restoring the natural land and wildlife, Sharaan will serve as a safe rewilding hub for critically endangered Arabian Leopards, currently located at an offsite breeding facility. To compile the World's Greatest Places list, TIME solicited nominations of places including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks, and more from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences. The TIME brand is recognised and respected around the world, and this prestigious accolade remains the ultimate symbol and acknowledgment of excellence within the travel sector. We are elated by the recognitions awarded to our destinations offerings by TIME in their renowned Worlds Greatest Places, said Rami AlMoallim, Vice President of Destination Management and Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla. The exceptional sentiments reflect the excellence and dedication of AlUla's efforts to preserve and promote its unique cultural heritage through comprehensive and sustainable development initiatives rooted in the community. Located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, AlUla is an oasis city renowned for its diverse natural landscape including mountains, desert and unique geological rock formations, along with significant heritage sites. A beacon for sustainable tourism, AlUlas commitment to purpose-driven revitalisation, is showcased in their newly launched global brand campaign, "Forever Revitalising, has transformed the destination into a vibrant hub not only for ancient heritage, culture, art and adventure, but also for responsible tourism, a statement said. TradeArabia News Service Turkish Technic, one of the largest maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) companies in the world, will provide component support and solution services to Citilink, a leading budget airline in Indonesia, under a new agreement. The new component support agreement covers Citilinks Airbus A320 fleet, enabling the airline to benefit from services such as component pooling, repair, overhaul, modification, home base kits and logistics services. Turkish Technic has been providing component support and solution services to Citilink for many years. It has also added landing gear overhaul services to the list of services it provides for operator, solidifying the long-standing partnership further. Mikail Akbulut, CEO of Turkish Technic, said: This agreement is a testament to Citilink's trust in our expertise and capabilities. We are excited to consolidate our long-standing partnership with our comprehensive component support services for their Airbus A320 fleet. We are confident in our ability to continue providing reliable and high-quality component services for the operator. We thank Citilink for trusting us as their solution partner over the years and look forward to many more successful years together. Dewa Rai, President and CEO of Citilink, said: We are delighted to announce our partnership with Turkish Technic, a leading MRO provider. Their expertise and extensive support network will enable us to benefit from comprehensive component support services for our Airbus A320 fleet. This collaboration underscores Citilink's unwavering commitment to delivering the highest safety and performance standards, ensuring a seamless, comfortable, and hassle-free air travel experience for our valued passengers. Operating as a one-stop MRO company with high-quality support, competitive turnaround times, and comprehensive in-house capabilities at its state-of-the-art hangars, Turkish Technic provides maintenance, repair, overhaul, engineering, modification, tailor-made component support, and reconfiguration to many domestic and international customers at five locations. TradeArabia News Service Two Rock Springs legislators filed a suit against the campaign finance arm of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus on Thursday over mailers claiming that the legislators voted to keep Donald Trump off the ballot. Republican Reps. JT Larson and Cody Wylie who are both seeking reelection to their seats filed the suit in Sweetwater County against the Wyoming Freedom PAC. The cause for the suit stems from mailers and text messages sent out earlier this month to registered Republican voters in the districts that Larson and Wylie represent. Republican voters in Larsons district received a message stating that J.T. Larson voted with the radical left to REMOVE President Trumps name from the ballot. Dont be deceived. Whomever J.T. Larson is representing its not us, the text continued. Days later mailers paid for by the Wyoming Freedom PAC had the caption Liberal Larson" and doubled down on saying that Larson Voted NO To Keep President Trump on the Ballot this fall. Similar mailers were also sent out to Republican voters in Wylies district also claiming that Wylie voted to keep Trump off the ballot. The lawsuit filed by Rock Springs attorney and fellow lawmaker Clark Stith says that the statements made in the text messages and mailers were false. The Wyoming House of Representatives has taken no vote on any proposal to remove Trumps name from the ballot. The suit also stated that Larson and Wylie support Trump and that the Wyoming Freedom PAC knew that the statements claiming Larson and Wylie voted to keep Trump off the ballot were false. The claim that Larson and Wylie voted to keep Trump off the ballot came from a vote on a budget amendment during the legislative session earlier this year, according to the suit. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray filed an amicus brief with the Colorado Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court opposing efforts to remove Trump from 2024 ballots. The legislature attempted to pass a budget amendment that would have not allowed Gray to use state money for out-of-state litigation without legislative approval. Larson voted to keep the measure and Wylie did not vote on the measure after declaring a conflict. The suit states that Larson and Wylie did not vote to remove Trumps name from any ballot, and that that vote was not a vote on any proposition to keep Trump on the ballot. A request for the PAC to stop making the statements about Wylie and Larson was denied, according to the suit. Ms. Drost refused saying we will continue making those statements, the suit says. Karen Drost is the chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. The suit is seeking at least $50,000 in damages for each legislator. The Public Utility Commission on Thursday axed changes proposed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for its Emergency Reserve Program. Commissioners said the process to reach a decision was flawed, and raises concerns about making informed decisions on future proposals. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer The electric interconnection to CenterPoint is shown Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Deer Park. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer You'd be plenty mad if CenterPoint charged you for power you didn't have in the days after Hurricane Beryl knocked out the lights. Hopefully, that won't happen. Now how would you feel if CenterPoint charged you, and every other customer, $800 million for emergency "mobile" generators that they didn't even switch on after Beryl while people suffered and at least seven of them died in scorching July temperatures? That actually did happen. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As we account for all the ways that Houston's utility company failed us after a Category 1 hurricane from poor preparedness to a broken outage map to a CenterPoint executive telling us to use less A/C while his own thermostat was photographed at 70 degrees let's not overlook one of the biggest scandals of all. A Houston Chronicle investigation by reporters Neena Satija and Mike Morris revealed that 15 massive, 32-megawatt, "mobile" generators that CenterPoint spent the better part of $800 million to lease, on the consumers' dime, didn't benefit anybody as Beryl knocked out power to more than 2 million. The price tag included a total of 20 generators but it's those 15 we're most concerned about. CenterPoint, which touted the investment in "mobile generation" in its news releases, memos and regulatory filings, now tells the Houston Chronicle that the generators are "not designed to be 'mobile'" and are "not for rapid response use." They take days to assemble and can't be moved without a permit that takes days to acquire. They weren't turned on after the derecho in May, either, when many Houstonians were without power for days. In fact, the Chronicle reported, they've never been used since CenterPoint began leasing them in late 2021. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If CenterPoint was just going to mothball them for three years, why the urgency in leasing them? They rushed through a short-term leasing bidding process so quickly, giving bidders only two days to respond to a request for proposals, that judges in a state hearing for the Public Utility Commission later determined it didn't comply with state law. The judges recommended against allowing CenterPoint to charge consumers for the generators because the utility hadn't shown they were "reasonable or necessary" and CenterPoint hadn't been prudent in leasing an astronomical amount of generation from a little-known company, Life Cycle Power, whose then-CEO had been convicted for flouting environmental regulations. Yet, despite all that, the Public Utility Commission, which has the final say on whether utilities like CenterPoint can pass costs on to consumers, ignored the judges' recommendation and approved the short- and long-term leases. Gov. Greg Abbott, who appoints Public Utility Commission members, announced a formal investigation into CenterPoint's handling of the storm, including its use of mobile generators, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put together a special Senate committee to grill executives and experts on Monday. The PUC is investigating as well. CenterPoint, for its part, told this editorial board that the large-scale generators were meant for scenarios similar to the one after Winter Storm Uri, when the statewide grid failed not because of downed poles and power lines, but because it ran short of the energy needed to meet surging power demand. "We havent used these mobile generators yet because the state hasnt reached the condition yet for their intended use type," a spokesperson told us Friday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What an odd claim, considering that CenterPoint appears to have argued something quite different in 2022 when it was trying to persuade regulators to let it charge consumers for the generators. A state document reviewed by this editorial board shows that CenterPoint claimed it wanted to use the generators not just, say, when the state's power grid couldn't meet demand, but to "provide more reliable electric service following other extreme weather events, such as hurricanes." The rationale was disputed by other parties for tangential reasons, including competition concerns over letting CenterPoint generate its own electricity more often. In response, CenterPoint executive Brad Tutunjian urged regulators to prioritize "the need to preserve and protect human life during an emergency" before "the economics of the utility power market in Texas." "The people who are suffering during a widespread power outage could not care less" what caused the outage, the CenterPoint executive argued. We agree. PUC staff apparently agreed, too, supporting CenterPoint's earlier decision to deploy a smaller generator to a Lake Jackson civic center after Hurricane Nicholas: "It would have been unreasonable," staff argued, for CenterPoint to "have let residents of Lake Jackson suffer from a prolonged lack of electricity" while the company "let the mobile generators sit idle." Advertisement Article continues below this ad And yet, idle the 15 generators sat after Beryl because they're too big to move. At a Thursday PUC hearing, Commissioner Lori Cobos said the commission approved the company's original investment in generators based on the notion that, you know, CenterPoints in a hurricane-prone area and these units would help with restoration of power." CenterPoint says they did deploy smaller, less expensive, generators to places like a Kingwood independent living facility. But why spend hundreds of millions on the massive generators that can't be moved and may only be used in extremely rare, catastrophic situations in which the entire electrical grid of Texas is in danger of failing? We did come close to that after Winter Storm Uri, and legislative reforms haven't exactly guaranteed it will never happen again but the likelihood certainly seems lower. No other utility, including Oncor in Dallas, leased nearly as much capacity. They only spent $3 million. Meanwhile, much more common culprits of power failure go unaddressed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What else could $800 million have paid for? Trimming trees so they wouldn't fall on power lines? Stronger utility poles that aren't made of pine? More generators that can actually be moved? A website that has a functioning outage map, maybe at least as helpful as Whataburger's? Actually, CenterPoint should be asking to spend more money on infrastructure. The company's $2.3 billion resiliency plan includes hardened infrastructure such as $550 million to elevate substations and $215 million in new technology to modernize the grid. Badly needed, but not nearly big enough. We're not saying ratepayers should be charged for all upgrades. CenterPoint netted $867 million last year and $1 billion in 2022. The company can afford to invest more in resiliency. We're guessing it's a little more careful when its investing on its own dime. But it shouldn't be that way. The governor's appointees on the Public Utility Commission should demand answers and accountability on behalf of customers, who, in reality, aren't customers at all since we didn't choose this state-regulated utility; it was assigned to us. The PUC should force CenterPoint and its investors to eat the costs of a seemingly flawed investment: massive generators that didn't cool a single Texan during this crisis. There's precedent.The PUC got a refund for customers when Entergy cut corners ahead of a 1997 ice storm. The regulators can do that again. Houston has paid enough in this disaster. Just like we shouldn't be charged for power we didn't use, we shouldn't be bilked for mistakes we didn't make. TRINIDAD Petroleum Holdings Limited (TPHL) has put the matter of Patriotic Energy Services Company Limited submitting allegedly fraudulent documents in its bid to acquire the former Petrotrin refinery in the hands of its legal team. The claim, first made by Energy Minister Stuart Young during the budget debate last Friday, was again denied yesterday by Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president Ancel Roget. TPHL stated in a media release yesterday that it had received a document submitted by Patriotic Energies in its non-binding offer for the refinery, which specifically identified as evidence a wire transfer of US$1.5 billion into a local bank, and which document identified Patriotic Energies as the beneficiary. Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady, right, talks with Flo and Scot Rice, Rosie Yanas-Stone and Gail McLeod after a hearing in the civil lawsuit against accused Santa Fe High School shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis parents Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Judge Jack Ewings County Court No. 3 at the Galveston County Courthouse. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News Unanswered questions Regarding Santa Fe families offended by DOJs 'disrespectful and demeaning' response to shooting probe request (July 19): Why isnt a Department of Justice investigation mandatory in every mass school shooting? Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde and other shooting tragedies have all undergone multiple third-party investigations, including those conducted by the DOJ. Yet the Santa Fe High School shooting remains without a single comprehensive review to examine the successes and failures of those responsible for student safety on May 18, 2018. Currently, our nation is in an uproar, demanding answers regarding the assassination attempt on a presidential candidate. The need to uncover the why and how is crucial to protect our leaders and ensure the stability of our political process. Now, imagine enduring a lack of answers for six years with no resolution in sight. Uncovering the why and how should apply equally to every mass school shooting. These investigations are vital for protecting our children and implementing the highest safety measures in our schools. While our children may not hold the same national prominence as a president, they are the very fabric of our lives and the future of our country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Without answers, we are doomed to repeat history. Unfortunately, Texas has already faced this painful reality. Flo Rice, survivor of the Santa Fe shooting Fixing the grid Regarding How CenterPoint fleeces Houstonians. And why we still cant rely on our grid. (July 21): Loren Steffy hit the nail square on the head. I used to pay my electric bill directly to the supplier. I now have a choice of 50 different middlemen, and they all have a different cost for electricity. That is just a horrible nightmare. Back in the Houston Light & Power days they owned the generators, they owned the transmission lines and they did the billing. It was so simple and not mind-boggling! Since deregulation how many power plants have been shut down? I know if you decrease the amount of electricity produced, then you can raise the cost of the surviving plants electricity. This has been a complete failure, which has cost the consumer a lot more money. All the new billing companies and the thousands of new jobs they created have made electricity more costly, and that has hurt the end user. It was so well run when the power companies did it all! Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Legislature has caused a complete failing nightmare. But what would you expect from politicians? The electricity market needs to be under regulation again. Hobie Sibley, League City Regarding What CenterPoint and regulators need to do now (July 21): I totally agree with Ed Hirs recommending clearing vegetation from near power lines as the first and best solution, but must disagree with the assertion that simply replacing easily snapped wood utility poles with those made of stronger materials will also reduce power disruptions. The problem is not that relatively weaker wood poles are being used for electricity distribution. In fact, utility pole design specifications found in the National Electrical Safety Code are based on estimated loading from power lines and telecommunication lines, with geographic or weather-related factors such as estimated maximum wind speeds and ice buildup on wires also taken into account. The exact specifications for utility pole dimensions will vary depending on the pole type, whether its wood, concrete, steel or fiberglass. So, while wood itself may be weaker than concrete, NESC codes prescribe which class of wood pole is needed to meet the design standard. A larger wood pole that is less costly, lighter and most importantly, more readily available at short notice after a major wind event, can be substituted for a smaller non-wood pole that can handle the same load. Jim Brient, Missouri City Abbotts border policies Regarding: How Greg Abbott made the Texas border Americas problem (July 17): I find it interesting and disappointing that a featured, full page-plus article about Gov. Greg Abbotts actions at the Texas border did not cite a single number noting the millions of illegal border crossings that have occurred over the past several years. Abbott has taken action to deal with these illegal crossings, and a number is certainly worth including because it has driven his response. The only number cited in the article refers to the 119,400 migrants that Abbott has sent to sanctuary cities across the country. This is but a small fraction of the huge numbers of those who have entered our country illegally. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A major story about Abbots border actions which does not acknowledge and report the magnitude of the problem he is addressing is grossly incomplete. Teaching the Golden Rule Re: the June 26 letter Commandments and beatitudes. This letter offered a good idea. I would like to add another. How about the Golden Rule in classrooms? Teaching children the basic treat others the way you would want to be treated covers the whole gamut of dont kill, dont steal, etc. The added benefit is that it would touch all children in our schools no matter what faith tradition they are coming from. When I taught World Religions classes to Catholics, I discovered that every religions moral code has a Golden Rule that sounds much like the Christians. Examples: Do not offend others as you would not wish to be offended (Buddhism); Not one of you will be a true believer who does not wish for his brother the same that he wishes for himself (Islam) ... etc. Imagine a classroom poster with these universal Golden Rule quotes from many religions. What unity and respect that could create! Sister Karen Berry, OSF Midtown TPD working for our community I generally dont write about the police departments, even though I sat through hundreds of hearings involving cases filed by TPD police officers in my 26 years on the bench at Tucson City Court, but I have to say I am truly relieved to live and work in Tucson. After an exhaustive investigation, by the US Justice Department, a report finding a systematic pattern and practice of misconduct by Phoenix City PD, toward homeless people, protesters and generally citizens of different, racial and ethnic background, was damning. Contrast that to Tucson Police Department, which under different police chiefs, has continued to create an agency of integrity and dignity in their professionalism: in recruitment, training and continued training. Recently Asst. Chief Kevin Hall was admitted to a evidence-based policing national institute. A rare and worthy group. Are there areas of concern? Absolutely. Every officer involved shooting must be investigated and evaluated. But we as Tucsonans should be very proud to have Tucson Police Department working for our community. Margarita Bernal West side Defining the Republican Party Re: the June 26 article Giving Republicanism a bad name. Kimball Shinkoskey did a good job of defining the Republican party, but perhaps space limitations prohibited more. Ronald Reagan started the war on unions, and the middle class in general, by firing the air traffic controllers, and he removed Jimmy Carters solar collectors out of spite and ignorance. Our own Sandra Day OConnor helped give us George W. Bush instead of letting the wheels of democracy work. He gave us one unwinnable war and an unnecessary war and layered huge tax cuts on top. It took Barack Obama eight years to dig us out of Ws caused Great Recession, and hand Trump a flourishing economy which he squandered by the end of his term. The pattern Republicans have set is one of giveaways to the wealthy via tax cuts and deficits to cover basic government operations. Democrats run deficits too, but they direct the money to projects and people that build the economy and social services. Ted Morrison Midtown Bring back trains With the current airline mess, we need to look to Europe, Japan and China to see what can be done with high-speed trains up to 222 mph but more often 124 mph. First to be built would be those that are too far to drive and too short to fly. Then look into transcontinental routes with overnight trains between major cities and with compartments, dining cars etc. As long as we have extreme weather events the airlines are at a disadvantage. It would be a program like the interstate highway system of the 1950s, justified as a military necessity, could guide us. It would put a lot of people to work and reduced air pollution and reduce transportation costs Donald Plummer Northwest side Democrats are not behaving like winners The huge number of Democratic officials and pundits who called for Joe Biden to step aside does not bode well for the party now or in the future. The Democrats have found a way to shoot themselves in the foot and help the Republicans in the November elections. Fran Gordon Green Valley Joe Biden President Joe Biden announced he will not run for the Democratic nomination on July 21, but he still has the responsibility to serve the remaining six months of his four-year term. His family, his staff and most of the media have been hiding almost all of his accelerating physical and mental issues for several years. I wont be surprised if he is forced to resign the Presidency sometime during the next six months. Douglas R. Holm East side Character vote results The results are in from the recent character vote taken in the U.S.: Joe Biden 333.3 million Donald Trump 0 Stephanie Cady SaddleBrooke Whos incompetent? Where are the Republicans with the courage to question the abilities of their presidential candidate? Teresa Davis Midtown Unfair coverage Biden did the right thing for the country by stepping down. Would Trump ever put anything before him? I do feel the media unfairly picked on his misstatements, some are due to his history of a stutter, but gave Trump a pass on statements that are insane. Airports in Revolutionary War, obsessions with electric vehicles, sharks, Hannibal Lecter, who he doesnt seem to know is fictional, didnt know what state he was in. The 30 thousand lies in office, this shows a significant degree of of dementia, not fit for office due to mental status and morally unfit. Craig Miller Northwest side Men in Black I was raised Catholic and stopped attending church decades ago. I grew weary of being preached to about right and wrong by morally compromised men in black robes. The abuse of children was not a few isolated incidents, but a systematic global activity ruining the lives of many thousands. A relative recently married a Catholic woman and was required to fill out a questionnaire with several queries about his sex life. This was a requirement for the privilege of being married in the church. He was not allowed to ask the priest about his sex life. Today, the Supreme Court, with six Catholic justices, are imposing their brand of morality on U.S. citizens. Like the priests, these men in black robes (along with Amy Coney Stepford) believe their activities are above reproach and refuse to be held accountable for their stunning conflicts of interest. While Im certain any attempts to impose ethical standards will be ruled unconstitutional by the justices, we must at least try. Jim Lombardo Oro Valley Demeaning and disrespecting women Re: the July 23 letter Be careful what you wish for. The writer is parroting the new talking points line of the GOP, DEI hire in reference to Kamala Harris. She is a lawyer, a former prosecutor, attorney general, senator, and VP. What were Trumps qualifications before running for President? Is the term DEI hire now going to be used to refer to any woman or person of color holding office? How should we refer to white men, since they have been handed positions of power without question for centuries? Were they all deserving? Once again, Republicans show their disrespect for women and minorities. Mary Jordison Northwest side A time for wisdom Most people have a filter when an untrue (stupid?) thought comes to mind. We all occasionally have them. However, mature people stop themselves. Exercise self-control. Remember what it means to be a responsible adult. Apparently, todays MAGA Conservatives (in government, industry, media, religion) have emptied themselves of this God-given check. They go ahead and display their stupidity. Out loud. Then, for days they repeat ad nauseum the untruths throughout their echo chamber of distortion. This is not surprising, since their idolized leader does the same thing. Shaped by a lifetime of lying to himself and others with ease, and I dare say, even talent, they descend down the same vile rabbit hole. MAGAs responses to Bidens decision not to seek a second term, and to Harriss inspiring candidacy fall into such categories of untruth and insanity. Expect to hear more, Americans. Be wise. Ron Rude West side In the year 2025 A great song from 1969 sung by Zager and Evans, titled In the Year 2525 has the following lyrics: In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive, they may find. Project 2025: Donald Trump and the Republicans want to shorten the period by 500 years until there is irreparable dystopian rule. Project 2025 is a blueprint for Trumps presidency spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and dozens of Trump administration officials. It is essentially a wish list for his administration that plans to expand his executive authority, replace civil servants with ideologically aligned appointees, crush abortion rights, and impose an anti-immigrant agenda, among other policies. We have been warned, voters. Vote responsibly this coming November. Mike Villalobos West side Southern border Recently there have been several letters to the editor concerning migrants coming across the southern border illegally. The letter writers insist that it is Congress, not the President, responsible for the mass of migrants crossing our Southern border. Congress is responsible for making laws. It is the responsibility of the executive branch, led by the President to enforce laws. U.S. Code title 18 section 1325 makes it a misdemeanor to enter the U.S. anywhere except for ports of entry. Section 1326 makes it a felony to illegally enter after being deported. If our laws were ENFORCED there would be no southern border crisis. Dont put the blame for the border crisis on Congress. Look at who is (or isnt ) enforcing the laws already on the books. Thomas Wenzel East side Talk about voter suppression! I was talking to a friend of mine about mail-in voting. She was complaining that she and her neighbors were not getting their voting materials in the mail. She went to the recorders office on Broadway and Kolb and they told her to go downtown to the main office. Long story short, after her search down the rabbit hole, she finally got a hold of the right person. According to the Pima County Recorders office, my friend was told that she signed paperwork that she NO LONGER wanted a mail-in ballot. What? She was livid! She had never signed anything of the sort! Her neighbors? Same thing! They had never signed any paperwork either! Talk about voter suppression! If you havent gotten your voting materials, you better check and see if someone signed papers on your behalf to stop your mail in ballots. Linda Schaub Southeast side Shouldnt it be MAGAA? Having been born in this great country I have always felt fortunate. Growing up, my parents had jobs, I could safely play in the parks and I got a great public school education. About nine years ago, a political candidate decided that the USA needed him to Make America Great Again. Silly me, I thought America was already Great. The American voters trusted this politician and elected him (though not with a majority vote) to be our President. And what did he do? Bloated our national debt, gave tax breaks to the wealthy and eliminated a womans right to health care. America gave him four years and he failed and yet hes still wearing a silly MAGA hat and asking us to be fooled again. Shouldnt his hat say Make America Great Again (Again)? He fooled us once, shame on him. If he fools us again, shame on us. Dont be fooled by this charlatan again. He had his chance and he failed us all. Ken Freed East side Whos a DEI hire? Editor, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett attempted to put down Kamala Harris by stating that she was a DEI hire. This is an all-too-common way of suggesting that she lacks merit, that the only reason she is where she is today is because of her gender and skin color. Unfortunately, too many women and people of color have lived with such insults their entire lives. The truth just might be that many women and people of color are where they are today despite their gender or color. I wonder if Tim Burchett has ever given any thought as to whether or not he would be representing the great state of Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives today had he been born with Black skin? Dave Gallagher Foothills Copper World is a health threat Re: the July 17 article New anti-pollution measures are good. As per Dr. Eve Shapiros well-written article, air pollution can create permanent damage to young lungs and worsen life quality in elderly compromised populations. Hudbay is now asking for public comments on its Class 2 Air Quality Permit that was applied for on October 21, 2022. Unfortunately, this permit does not have to comply with the new air quality standards as described in the Clean Air Act of 2024 that she lauds in her opinion piece. Recent severe wind storms have shown how difficult it is to contain dust in the atmosphere. Dust from mines includes not just large and small particulate matter, but toxic metals like cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic and copper. Of these, only lead is monitored by the EPA. We must demand that this mine comply to a Class 1 Air Permit to mitigate some of the impending damage to Pima Countys 1 million plus residents. Elaine Wolter On July 10, only two days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, more than 2,200 new Americans took the oath of citizenship at NRG Arena. Courtesy of Chelsie Kramer Hurricane Beryls destructive trek across Houston knocked out power to millions, shuttered businesses and canceled summer classes across the region, bringing normal life to an all-too-familiar halt for weather-weary Houstonians. But there was one thing the storm didnt stop: A historic naturalization ceremony at NRG Arena the largest ever in Harris County since COVID went on without a hitch just two days after landfall. More than 2,200 Houstonians from 121 different countries officially became U.S. citizens. And it shouldnt go unnoticed that they braved the heat, traveled storm-ravaged streets and interrupted their own personal Beryl struggles to secure the most important document in the world: a U.S. passport. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the context of the collective trauma our region is experiencing, it is a bright spot. This group of new Americans who have chosen to put down roots here and contributed to Houstons prosperity for years can now reap all the benefits of citizenship, including higher rates of home ownership, increased earning power, freedom of travel and voting. We should all applaud ceremonies like the one this week at NRG. Thats because citizenship doesnt just benefit the person taking the oath it benefits everyone who calls Greater Houston home. Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the nation. According to the Migration Policy Institute, close to 1 in 4 people living in our metro area is foreign-born, and nearly 50% of Houston children live with at least one immigrant parent. The institute estimates that Houston is home to more than 300,000 lawful permanent residents who are eligible to become U.S. citizens. The vast majority of these Houstonians 80% have lived in the United States for more than 10 years, and 40% have lived here more than 20 years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But although they are eligible to take the final step toward citizenship, less than 10% do every year. Imagine if we removed the barriers to naturalization and made this milestone more accessible. If more eligible Houstonians were to naturalize, they could participate in future elections, giving Houston a bigger voice to address our regions unique needs. (Storm preparedness and resilient infrastructure come to mind.) Volunteers with the League of Women Voters of Houston registered 1,905 new American voters at the July 10 ceremony about 85% of those naturalized and have registered more than 11,500 newly naturalized citizens this year alone. Despite recent rhetoric, new Americans are not a voting monolith. Recent polling shows that while new citizens care about many of the same bread-and-butter issues as those born here with the economy ranking most important they hold a range of political beliefs, with party identification relatively split down the middle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Encouraging naturalization makes business sense, too. Research shows that citizenship leads to more stable and better-paying jobs and opens up employment opportunities, including positions with the federal government and those that require international travel. Immigrants already play a crucial role in many sectors important to Houston, including medicine, engineering and construction 42% of our doctors and 36% of our engineers are foreign-born, as are more than half of our construction workers. Immigrants in Houston also contribute to the tax base, having paid $16.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes between 2016 and 2021. Expanding their employment opportunities would pay off for everyone. According to research from Thai V. Le at the University of Southern California, if all eligible Houstonians became citizens, wages here would grow by more than $950 million, boosting the local economy and tax revenue. There are reasons why less than 10% of eligible immigrants take the step toward naturalization each year. The cost of the application has risen to $760 100 times the minimum hourly wage. In 1994, the fee was only $95. The high fee forces many families to choose between putting food on the table or saving for citizenship. The process can also be overwhelming and confusing to navigate, and it involves completing a long and complex legal document. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Community partners and civic leaders across Greater Houston are working together to address these barriers and put more people on that path to citizenship. Efforts include the national New Americans Campaign, as well as Naturalize Now, Houston!, a first-of-its-kind, public-private partnership that aims to help Houstons more than 300,000 eligible residents become naturalized U.S. citizens over the next three years. This innovative collaboration pairs community navigators at local organizations with eligible-to-naturalize residents, helping them access language services and legal support, complete the application and study for the citizenship exam. Some of those helped were at NRG on July 10. After taking their oaths, they streamed out of the arena by the thousands, waving their certificates and American flags and wearing proud smiles while surrounded by family and friends. Though the national conversation around immigration has become divisive, we should not overlook the hundreds of thousands of eligible-to-naturalize immigrants already living, working and raising families here. By helping more eligible Houstonians become naturalized citizens, our region will experience greater economic growth and civic engagement and become more resilient as a whole no matter what the next storm brings. The State Securities Commission of Vietnam has proposed eliminating the current regulation that requires foreign institutional investors to deposit 100 percent of the transaction value before trading stocks in Vietnam. If foreign investors fail to make full payments, securities companies through which foreign investors make transactions will take responsibility for the payment, according to the proposal. The proposition is included in a draft circular that the State Securities Commission has issued for public feedback. Tran Truong Manh Hieu, head of the strategy analysis unit at KIS Vietnam Securities Corporation, stated that securities brokerages would be permitted to sell the stocks of foreign institutional investors if these investors fail to make payments. They would have to evaluate their foreign institutional customers to decide the deposit rates for them. The draft circular also includes a mandate that listed companies, public companies, and relevant agencies must disclose their information in English. Pursuant to the prevailing regulations, the information disclosure in English is currently compulsory for stock exchanges and Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation only, according to Dr. Tran Viet Dung, head of the Research Institute for Banking under the Banking Academy of Vietnam. The World Banks market research indicated that some 10 percent of listed companies in Vietnam have announced their information and financial reports in English, with most of them having high capitalization, Dung noted. Nguyen Khac Hai, managing director of legal affairs and compliance at SSI Securities Corporation, claimed that the major obstacles to upgrading the stock market are issues related to clearing, delivery versus payment, and the handling of failed transactions. A solution to these issues is applying the central clearing counterparty model, which will take time to implement, including the necessary adjustments to regulations governing the operation of custodian banks. Payment for foreign institutional investors' transactions by securities companies will address this problem, according to Hai, though it will entail high risks necessitating an upgrade in their risk management systems. The new policy should consider the potential for foreign institutional investors to default on payments. Securities companies should prepare large capital resources to minimize risk, according to Bui Van Huy, managing director of the Ho Chi Minh City branch of DSC Securities Corporation. Bui Hoang Hai, vice-chairman of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam, cited experts as saying that new regulations in the draft circulation are appropriate and feasible. Most international investors have voiced their support for these regulations. The State Securities Commission of Vietnam hoped these rules would exert a positive impact on the Vietnamese stock market upgrade, the official added. Two renowned international rating organizations, MSCI and FTSE Russell, currently categorize the Vietnamese stock market as a frontier market. FTSE Russell has included Vietnam in the list of markets awaiting an upgrade to an emerging market as it has met seven out of the nine criteria. The stock market upgrade may help Vietnam attract an additional US$25 billion from international investors by 2030, according to the World Bank. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A public-service car with plate 80B-2089 that served General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong for 18 years was brought to the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street in Hanoi, where his state funeral took place on Thursday. The special Toyota Crown car lies in a corner of the national funeral hall. The vehicle was provided for the office of Vietnams lawmaking National Assembly (NA) in 1998, and started to serve the Party chief in 2006 when he was appointed as the chairman of the NA. The car was used for eight years beforehand. He was elected as the Party leader in 2011 when the car had been operating for 13 years. As of the passing of Party General Secretary Trong, the vehicle had been in use for 26 years, accompanying the Party chief for 18 years. The car reflected the Party leaders simple, economical, humble lifestyle, and his devotion to the nation and people. Nguyen Duc Ha, former head of the Party Grassroot Department under the Organization Commission of the Central Party Committee, previously said that the office of the Central Party Committee had proposed changing the car for another as it was already old. However, the Party chief disagreed with the offer, explaining that it still ran well, and was only used to travel around Hanoi. Changing the car would cost money, said the Party leader. Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong moves to his car after attending an event. Photo: Tien Tuan / Tuoi Tre Tran Dinh Dan, former chief of the office of the NA, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the car had been used by former Chairman of the NA Nong Duc Manh. Dan recounted that he and other officials hinted at buying a new car, but Party chief Trong, who served as NA chairman at that time, refused the proposal and deemed it good enough. He utilized the car until his death. He passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 at the age of 80 at 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi despite the efforts of leading doctors and healthcare experts to treat his age-related serious illnesses. A car used to carry Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: Tuan Huy / Tuoi Tre A two-day state funeral for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong began on Thursday, with the respect-paying ceremony starting from 7:00 am at the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street in Hanoi, the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown Dong Hoi Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi. A burial service for the Party chief takes place from 3:00 pm Friday at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi. Around 1:30 pm on Thursday, throngs of people flocked to the cultural house in Lai Da Hamlet in Dong Hoi Commune, one of the three locations to host the state funeral, to pay their final respects to the Party leader though it rained. Tran Dinh Dan served as chief of the National Assembly office during the 2007-11 period. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A burial service for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away at 1:38 pm on Friday last week, took place at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi today, July 26, 2024. Earlier, a memorial service was held for him at 1:00 pm on the same day. Attending the ceremonies were family members of the late Party chief, incumbent and former leaders of the Party, state, government, lawmaking National Assembly, and other agencies of Vietnam, as well as foreign delegations. Thousands of residents also gathered along the streets from the National Funeral Hall to Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi to bid farewell to the Party leader. The memorial service for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made significant and outstanding contributions to the Party and the nation in nearly 60 years. His passing is an extremely huge loss to the Party, state, and people of Vietnam as well as his family. To mourn and commemorate Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, 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 hold the state funeral for him. A total of over 5,600 delegations, comprising 252,000 people, paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and in Lai Da Village, Dong Hoi Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi, from 7:00 am on Thursday to 12:00 am on Friday and from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday, according to the organizers of the state funeral. Leaders of the Party and state of Vietnam walk around the casket of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Guards of honor carry a portrait of late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, his medals, a Vietnamese national flag, and the casket of the Party chief out of the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi as they prepare for a funeral procession to Mai Dich Cemetery on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Vietnamese State President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Luong Cuong, and guards of honor carry the casket of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong out of the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre The hearse for late Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passes through the University of Science under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, July 26,2024. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre Thousands of people stand along the streets from the National Funeral Hall to Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi to wait for the funeral procession for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 26, 2024. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre Guards of honor carry the casket of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to a grave at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Guards of honor lower the casket of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong into a grave at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency The spouse of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and incumbent and former leaders of the Party and state of Vietnam at the burial service for the Party leader at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Family members of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Picture taken in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Incumbent and former leaders of the Party and state of Vietnam as well as international guests observe a one-minute silence to pay tribute to the deceased Party leader on July 26, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Family members of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Picture taken in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Hong Quang / Tuoi Tre Tay ethnic minority women from Lao Cai Province, nearly 300 kilometers from Hanoi, gather in front of Mai Dich Cemetery in the capital city to bid farewell to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 26, 2024. Photo: Ha Thanh / Tuoi Tre Residents crowd the road on which Mai Dich Cemetery is located in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre Residents cry during the funeral procession for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre Dang Huu Lam (holding a portrait of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong), a 68-year-old resident in Hai Duong Province, some 60 kilometers from Hanoi, said he was off work to bid farewell to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 26, 2024. Photo: Quynh Trang / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! What you need to know today in Vietnam: Politics: -- A total of 1,565 delegations, comprising 55,600 people, paid their final respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Lai Da Village, Dong Hoi Commune, located in Hanoi's outlying district of Dong Anh, from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on Thursday, the Vietnam News Agency reported. -- On Thursday, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with Tolstoy Petr Olegovich, Deputy Chairman of Russias State Duma (lower house), who is in Vietnam to attend the state funeral of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Society -- At a guesthouse in a town bordering Laos, the Quang Tri Province Border Guard of Vietnam arrested a girl along with 15kg of ketamine on Tuesday, local border guards said on Thursday. During their urgent investigation, they also discovered an additional 40 bricks of heroin and several kilograms of 'happy water' (a slang term for a drug solution). -- Do Thi Nguyen, director of the Department of Health in Binh Phuoc Province, southern Vietnam, on Thursday asked a local food safety watchdog to suspend the facility that provided meals for Pin Yuan Vietnam Co., Ltd. at Nam Dong Phu Industrial Park in Dong Phu District, where 63 of its employees were hospitalized on Tuesday after eating the meals, showing signs of food poisoning. -- An electric vehicle fire occurred in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam early on Friday, destroying 21 electric vehicles in minutes, local authorities said the same day. -- The weather in the northern region of Vietnam is forecast to have significantly less rain on Friday, with many areas experiencing hot and sunny conditions, followed by showers in the evening. The southern region will have mostly cloudy skies, with showers to heavy rain expected. Lifestyle -- Nguyen Van Duong, a non-tea drinker born in 1984 and residing in Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province, southern Vietnam, owns nearly 1,000 antique teapots and particularly cherishes a teapot made in 1984 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Business -- HSBC has revised its forecast for Vietnam's GDP growth this year to 6.5 percent, up from the previous projection of six percent, following the country's better-than-expected performance in the first half of the year, according to the bank's latest 'Vietnam at a Glance' report. World News -- "Japan has warned of the need to be increasingly vigilant to excessive foreign exchange fluctuations driven by speculation at a Group of 20 meeting," Reuters quoted top currency diplomat Masato Kanda as saying on Thursday. -- "More than 97% of Windows sensors are back online, CrowdStrike's CEO George Kurtz said on Thursday, nearly a week after a software update by the cybersecurity firm triggered a global outage," according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! A fire ravaged 21 electric sightseeing cars in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam in the early hours of Friday morning, a local official confirmed the same day. The blaze broke out at around 4:30 am at a parking lot of Hoi An Electric Car Company located along Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, a leader of the Hoi An City administration told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Around 25 electric cars were ready to serve sightseeing tours of the day before the fire swept through the parking area. Employees of the company attempted to put out the blaze and alerted local authorities, managing to save four cars. Previously, another electric vehicle fire in Hoi An destroyed 43 sightseeing cars due to a short circuit. An enormous column of smoke rises from a fire which destroyed 21 electric sightseeing cars in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, July 26, 2024. Photo: Pham Sanh Firefighters put out an electric car fire in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, July 26, 2024. Photo: Pham Sanh A fire-hit electric sightseeing car in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, July 26, 2024. Photo: Ba Thanh The scene of an electric sightseeing car fire, which happened in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, July 26, 2024. Photo: Ba Thanh Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Peoples Council of Long An Province, southwestern Vietnam will submit a plan to the prime minister to build three bridges along a provincial road in a bid to connect the province with Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang Province. As proposed, Provincial Road 827E will feature three new bridges over the Can Giuoc, Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay rivers, the provincial Peoples Council announced on Thursday. If the plan is approved, the construction of the three bridges will help smooth the route from Ho Chi Minh City through Long An Province to Tien Giang Province, boosting the connectivity between the southern metropolis with the Mekong Delta region. The building of the three bridges is expected to ease traffic pressure on National Highways 1, N2 and 50 at the western gateway of Ho Chi Minh City. The route will also link Long An International Seaport and other southwestern provinces, contributing to driving up socio-economic development in the province and the region. The trio were proposed to have six lanes each, with the steel-arch bridge over the Can Giuoc River set to be 568 meters long. The cable-stayed bridge over the Vam Co Dong River will have a total length of over 1,350 meters, while the bridge over the Vam Co Tay River will measure 1,410 meters in length. The trio will be implemented during the 2025-30 period, with a total capital of nearly VND4.8 trillion (US$190 million). Of the total, more than VND4 trillion ($160 million) will be sourced from South Koreas official development assistance loans, while the rest will come from the reciprocal capital. Besides, the provincial Peoples Council passed a project to develop roads leading to the three bridges along Provincial Road 827E at a total cost of over VND3 trillion ($118.7 million). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nine News Melbourne is claiming victory in the 2024 ratings year based on weeks won. As we near the end of the 22nd week in the 40-week official ratings calendar, Nine News has claimed all 22 weeks based on average weekly audience measurements the first time Melbourne has secured the top spot since 2021. It follows Nine boldly switching anchors to the duo of Alicia Loxley and Tom Steinfort earlier this year, while Peter Hitchener is also leading in weekend results. Hugh Nailon, Director of 9News Melbourne, said: Reclaiming the ratings crown in Melbourne is a testament to the relentless efforts of everyone in our talented newsroom. With Alicia Loxley and Tom Steinfort hosting Monday to Friday and Peter Hitchener hosting weekends, we offer unparalleled dynamism and experience across the seven days. We are honoured by the trust our viewers place in us and remain committed to delivering news that is both relevant and impactful. This achievement motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries of news reporting and to serve our community with the highest standards of journalism. Source: TVMAP VOZ Program Analyser, VOZ Data 5.0 OzTAM Pty Limited [2023], Melbourne, Seven Content, Nine Content, 11/02/2024 23/03/2024 & 7/04/2024- 24/07/2024 v 12/02/2023- 1/04/2023 & 16/04/2023- 26/07/2023, Average Audience, Total People, Total TV, Overnight. Program descriptions include: 9News, 9News Saturday, 9News Sunday, Nine News, Nine News 6:30, Nine News Saturday, Nine News Sunday, Seven News, Seven News at 630, Seven News- Sat, Seven News- Sun. Excludes Spill. Scottish police drama Rebus, starring Richard Rankin (Outlander), will screen via SBS on Demand next week, ahead of its SBS linear broadcast (August 15). The 2024 series is a reboot of the 2000s series starring John Hannah. Thursday August 1 at SBS on Demand. All six episodes. Based on the best-selling books by Ian Rankin, Rebus reimagines the iconic character John Rebus as a younger Detective Sergeant, drawn into a violent criminal conflict that turns personal when his brother Michael, a former soldier, crosses the line. Haunted by an incident one year ago, where he almost killed Edinburgh gangster Ger Cafferty, Detective Sergeant John Rebus finds himself at a psychological crossroads. At odds with a job increasingly driven by corporate technocrats, involved in a toxic affair he knows he needs to end, and all but supplanted in his daughters life by his ex-wifes wealthy new husband, Rebus begins to wonder if he still has a role to play either as a family man or a police officer. In a world of divisive politics and national discord, does the law still have meaning, or is everyone reverting to an older set of rules? And if so, why shouldnt Rebus do so too? Alexis Nungaray bows her head by the casket of her 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, on Thursday, June 2. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The savage murders of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena on a summer night in 1993 horrified Houstonians and the nation. The teenagers cut through a park to get home by curfew, when they encountered a street gang of six young men who grabbed them. The girls were thrown into a gang initiation of rape, torture and murder. Their bodies were left to rot by White Oak Bayou. Among the killers was Jose Medellin, a Mexican national who had illegally entered the United States and spent most of his life here. The gang members raped, sodomized and strangled the girls, finally growing so impatient with their inability to kill them that they stomped them to death. And they kept trophies, including Jennifers Disney watch, which was given to a gang members little brother. One of us, Kim Ogg, was the chief gang prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorneys Office in 1993. Along with fellow prosecutors, she helped police deliver justice. All six murderers were arrested within days and ultimately, five were sentenced to death. The lone juvenile got the maximum, 40 years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As the case moved through the legal system, it ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court. One of us, Ted Cruz, was then solicitor general of Texas, and defended the right of Texans to sentence a foreign national to death for a capital crime. The Supreme Court agreed, and in 2008, Medellin was executed. A 1993 missing persons flyers for Elizabeth Pena, 16, and Jennifer Ertman, 14. Carlos Antonio Rios/Houston Chronicle Thirty-one years after the murders of Jennifer and Elizabeth, a similarly brutal attack, with some of the same haunting hallmarks, has shaken our city. It has also brought together leaders from across the political aisle to protect our most innocent victims: children. On June 17, 2024, the body of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was found, nude from the waist down, submerged in another Houston bayou. She had been strangled and likely sexually assaulted. Two Venezuelan nationals, who entered the country illegally, have been arrested, charged and remain in custody. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Both men charged with Jocelyns death had just recently entered Texas illegally and been captured in El Paso, where they were enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program. This meant they were released into the interior of the United States, despite the availability of ICE detention center beds, where they could have been held until their immigration court hearings. This program did not protect Jocelyn. In fact, such catch and release policies dont protect anyone. Jocelyns killing is not just a tragic loss for her family, but a painful reminder of the nations failed border policies and the dangers that we all face as a result. Houston is a hub for immigrants who enter the country illegally because of the labor market and our proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. When records of past criminal behavior are absent, U.S. officials are in the dark about those they catch and release and where they go. In Jocelyns case, these accused killers came to Houston. In 1993, society could do little more than help the Pena and Ertman families pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. But 2024 is different. Our childrens safety should not be a partisan issue One of us, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, is a Republican. And the other of us, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, is a Democrat. We are both working to protect our kids from predators, including those who enter the country illegally. In the U.S. Senate, Cruz has introduced the Justice for Jocelyn Act of 2024, which would require ICE to fill every detention center bed before releasing immigrants who entered the country illegally to an Alternatives to Detention program, and to immediately deport those who violate the terms of their release. In Houston, Ogg formed a Homicide Division to focus the best of the best on the worst of the worst. The most experienced prosecutors take on the most dangerous killers, including Jocelyns accused killers. Ogg has publicly stated that if the evidence supports a death penalty eligible charge against the two, shell bring it. In the meantime, she supports Cruzs legislation because it will make everyone safer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Welcome Guest! You are here: Home OpenAI rolls-out SearchGPT Microsoft backed OpenAI which stormed the internet space last January entered the Google search market launching its own AI powered SearchGPT Saturday July 27, 2024 0:34 AM , ummid.com News Network San Francisco: Microsoft backed OpenAI which stormed the internet space last January entered the Google search market launching its own AI powered SearchGPT. OpenAI had rolled out AI chatbot ChatGPT in January 2023 kickstarting an AI war with tech giants making their apps AI enabled. Microsoft was the first to integrate AI features on its Bing search. Google followed by adding Bard in Google Search. A year into the AI war, OpenAI Thursday rolled out SearchGPT an AI powered search engine with real-time access to information from the internet. SearchGPT is still in test mode and has been launched select users on trial basis. Were testing SearchGPT, a prototype of new search features designed to combine the strength of our AI models with information from the web to give you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources, OpenAI said. Were launching to a small group of users and publishers to get feedback. While this prototype is temporary, we plan to integrate the best of these features directly into ChatGPT in the future, it said. "SearchGPT will quickly and directly respond to your questions with up-to-date information from the web while giving you clear links to relevant sources", the company said. SearchGPT is designed to help users connect with publishers by prominently citing and linking to them in searches. "Responses have clear, in-line, named attribution and links so users know where information is coming from and can quickly engage with even more results in a sidebar with source links", the company said. The new platform also includes images in search result. For instance, if a user wants to know how to replace a tyre, they will be able to see step-by-step diagrams with images. This is a radically different approach from how conventional search engines work. OpenAI launched SearchGPT prototype a day after Microsoft rolls-out " Bing Generative Search ". This is a new feature Microsoft search engine Bing which combines power of Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. HA NOI ong Nai Province's footwear industry still faces many risks though it is showing signs of improvement in production and exports in the first half of this year, insiders said. Le Quoc Thanh, general director of the province-based Phong Thai Group, said that his group has five member companies. From the beginning of the year, their production and export performance have shown signs of recovery, but not to levels pre pandemic. Due to insufficient orders, workers in these companies do not work overtime. The recent geopolitic conflicts have also made shipping times on Red Sea route longer and transportation more costly. This directly affects their production recovery, Thanh told baodongnai.com.vn. Tran Quoc Bao, deputy director of Casum Shoes JSC in Bien Hoa City, said up to 80 per cent of the firm's footwear products are shipped to the European market. However, his firm lacks large and long-term orders. Thanh told the online newspaper that prices of raw materials have thus far this year increased by about 20 per cent, but export prices have not increased, so his company's profit has narrowed. He added that some orders are not profitable but his firm still signs contracts to ensure jobs for workers. Footwear is ong Nai's largest export item, earning the southern province over US$4 billion each year. At the same time, ong Nai is also one of the four leading footwear-exporting localities in the country. Over the past six months of this year, the province's footwear exports topped over $2.2 billion, up 8.2 per cent year-on-year. Many footwear producers in the province have won orders from many international brands such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Puma. Trade experts said the province's footwear products have been exported to over 70 countries and territories but the US and the EU are the two largest outlets, but footwear exports to these markets have been significantly affected by the Red Sea conflict that led to the shipping time increase by 1.5 times and costs rise by 10-20 per cent. But the footwear industry has two main production seasons which are the beginning of the year and the end of the year. In early 2024, the province's footwear production and exports gradually recovered and showed signs of rebounding. Local footwear producers are expecting the year-end production season to have some breakthrough growth. Meanwhile, many multinational retail corporations have come to Viet Nam to find more sources of goods for supermarkets, shopping centres and stores, experts said. The world economy is forecast to continue recovery in the last months of the year, so consumer demand for goods such as footwear will likely increase. That will be an opportunity for businesses to expand exports, they said. Vuu Le Minh, deputy general director of Binh Tien Bien Hoa Company which produces shoes under the Bitis' brand for both domestic and export markets, said she hopes that in the latter months of the year, domestic and foreign consumers will shop more, helping the domestic footwear industry recover. VNS HA NOI General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, despite occupying the highest position of Party and State leadership, remained a cherished friend to his peers at the Ha Noi Universitys Literature Department. His unpretentious demeanor, emotional depth and genuine attentiveness endeared him to all. In the recollections of his old classmate, journalist and photographic artist Chu Chi Thanh, who was a war correspondent for the Vietnam News Agency, General Secretary Trong emerges as a paradox outwardly slow-paced, soft-spoken and with a gentle gait, yet harbouring an unwavering will a lifetime commitment to serving the people and the nation. Youth's dreams and ideals He became emotional revisiting his youth with General Secretary Trong in Literature Class VIII at the Ha Noi University (1963-1967), but Thanh takes immense pride in his class a group of dreamers and idealists, poised to charge into battle, whether wielding pens or cameras. For him, the Party leader was a friend etched in his mind a young man with a gentle smile that radiated amiability. Their bond deepened during the years of evacuation in ai Tu District in the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen, where they lived together in farming families, working together, building a school and studying side by side. Back then, Trong was an active member of the Youth Union, being a familiar figure to all. The older students held a vested interest in shaping the next generation to be future Party members, journalists, cultural figures, poets and writers. It was during this pivotal period that the elders noticed Nguyen Phu Trongs unwavering commitment. In his final year, he was recruited into the Party. Meanwhile, we were destined for the battlefield, Thanh recalled. After graduation, his friend Nguyen Phu Trong was employed at the Cong San (Communist Review) magazine, starting as an editor, then gradually became the person in charge of the magazine this was also the career progression of a journalist. "From the 90s onwards, the country's economy had started to improve, we wanted to reconnect with each other and we would almost always meet up after Tet, and organised many of the gatherings at the Vietnam News Agency, where memories flowed and bonds rekindled," Thanh said. The veteran journalist said that he owes the Party leader a 'thank you' as he played a key role in the establishment of the National Archives and Exhibition Centre Artistic Photos. When Thanh was the Chairman of the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) (2006-2009), he wished to complete the establishment of the archives centre. Although the Vietnam News Agency has the largest photo archive in the country, it primarily consists of news and political photos, while other types of photos (such as historical photos before 1945) are not available. Additionally, photos from the general public across the country are also not included. Therefore, we wanted to establish an Archives Centre under the VAPA with a broader scope, so that we can have a more diverse and valuable photo collection about the country, Thanh said. He immediately thought of his friend Nguyen Phu Trong, who was then the Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee. Hearing the proposal for a photo archive about the country, people and revolution, Trong agreed and in just a week I had in my hand a referral for land grant approval from the city People's Committee. The project had been going on for 14 years and had yet to be implemented and in just three years, the centre was opened, Thanh said. Revolutionary literature carried us forward In the spring of 2011, Thanhs old classmate took office as the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. All the members of the Literature Class VIII gathered to congratulate Nguyen Phu Trong on his new position and also to applaud their teacher Ha Minh uc on his 76th birthday. Thanh recalled that at the class reunion, his friend Trong was very respectful and deferential towards teacher uc. Despite holding the highest position in the Party, he said humbly: "This is the result of the Party's training, the teachings of teachers, and the encouragement and support of our classmates." The General Secretary also shared: "There are people in our class who are more talented and have endured greater hardships going to battlefields, but I was fortunate enough to enter politics this was not due to any special innate abilities." According to Thanh, when in the university, they all admired Tran Hung ao [a 13th-century military commander] with his Hich Tuong Si (The Exhortation to the Military Generals), Nguyen Trai with Binh Ngo ai Cao (Declaration of the Restoration of Peace), Nguyen Binh Khiem (aka Trang Trinh) with his poetic works and other writers from the pre-revolutionary period such as Nam Cao, Nguyen Cong Hoan, Xuan Dieu, Che Lan Vien, Te Hanh and Nguyen inh Thi. At that time, we did not think we would get into politics, and neither did Trong, because we were all still students and didn't know what we would end up doing or where. Life and the revolution led us forward, and Trong was one of the students who went on to succeed in the political path, Thanh said. Attending the 75th anniversary of the Viet Nam Association of Literature and Arts in 2023, General Secretary Trong gave a speech, in which he expressed his concern that there are not many works that truly contribute to the advancement of our country and nation. Therefore, the Party leader advised the artists and writers to follow the teachings of late President Ho Chi Minh, which is Nay o trong tho nen co thep (Now in poetry there should be steel), meaning that even in peacetime literature, there must be a fighting spirit. The General Secretary was also a leader who was wholeheartedly dedicated to the development of Viet Nam's progressive culture. When implementing the Party Central Committee's Resolution on cultural and artistic work, he deeply absorbed the task and mission that President Ho Chi Minh have identified: "Culture must light the way for the nation." Even in the twilight of his life, he remained steadfast and insightful a testament to his unwavering commitment. Guided by President Hos wisdom and inspired by patriotic predecessors, Trong embodied respect and immense value. He was not at all aloof, he never distanced himself from his teachers, students and friends and always lived in genuine harmony. This essential quality defines Nguyen Phu Trong, earning him the highest esteem, Thanh said. VNS HA NOI Paintings by artists from Thailand, Myanmar, and Viet Nam are on display at Viet Nam National Fine Arts Museum to commemorate curator Shireen Naziree. The exhibition entitled Celebrating The Curator Shireen Naziree is held by Nguyen Thu Hang - Blue Gallery's owner - in collaboration with Bangkok-based Thavibu Gallery's owner Jorn Middelborg. The exhibition displays more than 40 paintings by 20 famous artists including Thai Santi Thongsuk, Jirapat Tatsanasomboon, Burmese U Lun Gywe, Aung Kyaw Htet and Vietnamese Le Quang Ha, Pham An Hai, inh Quan, Thanh Chuong, couple Trinh Tuan and Cong Kim Hoa, Ha Tri Hieu, Van Duong Thanh, Nguyen Thi Chau Giang and ang Xuan Hoa. Naziree was an independent curator and an influential art researcher in Southeast Asia. She had many decades of association with Southeast Asian painting, tirelessly working for the development and international integration of art in this region, especially in the 1990s of the 20th century and the early 21st century, until her sudden death in 2018. Her international curatorial practice included working with some of the region's most important artists and emerging talents from the region and interacting with art institutions in Southeast Asia and Europe. She wrote extensively on both the traditional and contemporary art practices of the region, with a particular focus on Malaysia, Myanmar, and Viet Nam. She wrote, in collaboration with Vietnamese artists and artist historian Phan Cam Thuong, a book entitled Impressions and Expressions - Vietnamese Contemporary Painting which is one of the important publications on contemporary art in Viet Nam. The exhibition features artists all of them Naziree had met, befriended, and supported their artistic journeys. "We initially planned to organised an exhibition in her honour one year after her passing," said Hang. "But due to the global pandemic, this year we have fulfilled this wish. "Alongside this exhibition, we have compiled a catalogue with Naziree's writing about the artists translated into Vietnamese. Although it may still have shortcomings, we hope to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of her evaluation and insights on Vietnamese art as an international researcher and independent curator. "Thanks to her efforts, Vietnamese art has reached the world and found a voice in the art market." Attending the exhibition opening ceremony were Thai, Vietnamese artists and Naziree's daughter and assistant. Celebrating The Curator Shireen Naziree SHIREEN NAZIREE runs till July 29 at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc. VNS On the 203rd anniversary of the Independence of Peru, Ambassador Patricia Raez wrote to Viet Nam News about Peru-Viet Nam relations July 28 marks the 203rd anniversary of Peru's Independence and National Day. At the same time, this year is very important because we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Peru and Viet Nam. The 30 years of ties between our countries have led to the establishment of a mutually beneficial relationship in various fields. Both countries have an ancient history, a rich and varied gastronomy, and aspire to achieve increasingly higher levels of socioeconomic development. Over the past three decades, we have established bilateral procedures, both in the political-diplomatic and economic-commercial arenas. We have the Political Consultation Mechanism between Peru and Viet Nam that meets periodically between the Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs. There is also the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Affairs and Technical Cooperation at the level of Vice Ministers, which we hope to hold meetings later this year. Both countries have growing economies with a high degree of openness, and we believe in multilateralism, globalisation, and respect for international law. We have important similarities and give support to each other's candidates within the framework of the United Nations. We are part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Cooperation Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean (FEALAC). In January 2024, Peru became an ASEAN Development Partner - the sixth country in the world to obtain this type of relationship - which demonstrates our commitment to continue strengthening our ties with Southeast Asia and means a new stage with the bloc to increase the flow of trade and cooperation and to project Peru's interests among ASEAN member states. In recent years there have been several meetings at the highest official levels between Peru and Viet Nam. The most recent was between the Presidents in November 2023, on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders Summit, in San Francisco, and the meeting between Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which took place last May within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Conference in Paris. At a commercial level, Peru is Viet Nam's sixth trading partner in Latin America and exchanges reached more than 700 million dollars in 2023. Given that both countries are members of the CPTPP, there is a lot of potential to continue growing steadily in this area, considering that many products are exempt from tariffs. Precisely one of the main goals is to increase Peruvian exports to Viet Nam, in order to have a more balanced trade relationship. With the opening of the Chancay Megaport in Peru this November, the maritime transport time between Peru and Viet Nam will shorten from 40 to 25 days, which will increase capacity and efficiency to the exchange of goods and will also open opportunities in the sector of logistics services. On the other hand, Viet Nam is the main Southeast Asian investor in Peru, having funded 1.3 billion dollars in various projects, made possible by Viettel and Petrovietnam. The Embassy has been participating in many events and trade fairs in Viet Nam, such as Food Expo and Cafeshow, to gain access for Peruvian products here locally. The first Mission of Peruvian businessmen to Vietnam took place this past May, and met with their counterparts. With regards to culture, the Embassy has been organising various events this year, both to celebrate the 203rd anniversary of the Independence of Peru and the 30 years of bilateral relations with Viet Nam. From July 18th to 23rd we held a photo exhibition about the Nature Preserves of Peru in an art gallery in Hoan Kiem. In October, we will be holding a Quechua Pop (Q-Pop) concert in Ha Noi Opera House. As Quechua is the language of the Incas, this concert will be the first of its kind and we expect a large turnout. In 2024, Peru is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). This coming November we anticipate that the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam will arrive in Peru to participate in the APEC Leaders Summit. This will also be a good opportunity to celebrate 30 years of bilateral relations with encounters between our highest authorities. As can be seen, there is a very active exchange and dialogue in different fields and we are looking forward to even stronger relations in the coming years, particularly in terms of trade and investments, and also exchange of delegations. Personally, I arrived in Viet Nam this past May. It is my first time in Southeast Asia and I am impressed by the dynamism and industriousness of the Vietnamese people and by the desire to achieve higher levels of development. As Peru celebrates 203 years of independence and 30 years of diplomatic relations with Viet Nam, I will work to nurture our relationship, so cooperation between our countries continue to be fruitful for the people of both nations. VNS HA NOI - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 25 received Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committees Political Bureau, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee and Special Representative of Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, who leads the Chinese delegation to attend the state funeral for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Viet Nam. PM Chinh took the occasion to recall special milestones in the Viet Nam-China relations involving both Party General Secretary Trong and Party General Secretary and President Xi, particularly their historic visits in 2022 and 2023 as well as the elevation of the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State consistently regard the development of the long-standing, stable friendship and cooperation with the Chinese counterparts as an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority in Viet Nam's foreign policy. The PM said Viet Nam is ready to work with China to effectively implement the high-level common understandings following the direction set by the two top leaders, with key focuses including promoting visits and exchanges at all levels, increasing cooperation between the two countries parties, ministries, sectors and localities, organising more people-to-people exchanges, and improving experience sharing in theoretical work, party building, and national management. It is also necessary to deepen practical collaboration in such areas as economy-trade, investment, and transport infrastructure connectivity, as well as to effectively implement high-level agreements and common perceptions regarding the control and settlement of sea-related disputes. For his part, Wang extended deep sorrow and condolences from the Chinese Party, State, and people for the passing of Party General Secretary Trong, describing him as a staunch Marxist, an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese Party, State, and people, and a great friend of the Chinese people. He stressed that China firmly supports Viet Nam in pursuing a development path suitable to Viet Nam's situation and continuously promoting its cause of socialism's construction. Wang expressed his confidence that the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties and countries will develop further according to the direction set by the late Vietnamese Party leader and General Secretary, President Xi on continuously deepening and elevating the countries comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. VNS HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on July 25 received Minister of War Veterans and Rights Holders of Algeria Laid Rebiga, who is in Vietnam to attend the funeral for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The Algerian minister said he had handed over a letter of condolences from President Abdelmadjib Tebboune to President To Lam, and expressed deep sorrow at the death of the Party leader, who has a prominent place in the heart of Vietnamese and Algerian people. He laid stress on the significance of his visit to Viet Nam, noting that Algeria attaches importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation with Viet Nam and wishes to promote bilateral ties across the board. Deputy PM Quang thanked Algerian leaders and people for their sympathies and emphasised that General Secretary Trong is an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese people, who has left many legacies including in external affairs. He affirmed that Viet Nam consistently follows the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and attaches importance to the friendship and cooperation with traditional friendly countries in Africa, particularly Algeria. The Deputy PM proposed that the two sides actively prepare for the exchange of high-ranking delegations in the time ahead, with a view to opening a new chapter, a new period in bilateral ties, while continuing to effectively maintain existing cooperative mechanisms, including the inter-governmental committee and political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level. Quang also urged that the two countries continue to coordinate closely and support each other at international forums for the goal of peace and development for every nation, region and the world as a whole. VNS Houston fire Department Chief Samuel Pena speaks during a press conference at Houston Fire Station 102 after severe flooding in the region, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Kingwood. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer As Sam Pena's tenure as Houstons fire chief ends, Houston City Council members applauded his service after eight years with the department. Pena plans to retire, and will be replaced by Tom Munoz, A 24-year veteran of the department who currently leads both Houstons Office of Emergency Management and Public Safety and Homeland Security office, Mayor John Whitmire announced Friday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The news broke before many council members received a formal confirmation on Penas exit. Here's how City Council members reacted: Edward Pollard Pollard said the mayor was afforded his own opportunity to appoint new department heads how he wanted. He said Pena had served the city extremely well, and called him a first class act whose leadership has contributed in meaningful ways to Houstonians. Pena was also always present and a great communicator whenever there were issues in Pollards district, and the outgoing fire chief would often call directly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pollard said there had been rumors a new fire chief was coming. Even with those rumors swirling around City Hall, he went above and beyond with his professionalism and his service to the city, Pollard said. And so I just want to commend him, and for people to know that from the council side of the street, he has been nothing but extraordinary in everything that he's brought to the office. Julian Ramirez Ramirez said it was up to Whitmire to choose his new department heads, but said he had great respect for Pena, who he saw everywhere in the community. Ramirez said he'd miss working with the outgoing chief, and was confident Munoz would do a good job. Joaquin Martinez Martinez, who formerly worked with Council Member Robert Gallegos, said he always admired the chiefs communication with elected officials. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Twila Carter Carter called Pena a stellar individual. Sallie Alcorn Alcorn said she had nothing but great things to say about Pena and that he worked through a difficult time where the fire union didnt have a contract. He was a really great fire chief and I wish him all the best, Alcorn said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mary Nan Huffman Nan Huffman said she was sad to see Pena go, and that he had done a lot for the citys residents. He's been there every step of the way, Huffman said. Im sad, I think he was a great chief. Abbie Kamin Kamin wrote in a text to a reporter that Penas exit was a big loss for our City, and that the outgoing chief never faltered in his commitment to the department and the city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He put the best interests of Houstonians above politics every single time, Kamin wrote, calling him one of the best (shes) had the privilege to work with. Letitia Plummer Plummer said Pena had left a mark on the Houston Fire Department with his "distinguished service," she wrote via text. "His leadership during critical events, including Hurricane Harvey and the World Series, illustrates his commitment to the people and our city. I am profoundly grateful for his service and will miss him immensely." Carolyn Evans-Shabazz Evans-Shabazz said losing Pena was a loss for her district. "Samuel Pena will be missed by me, and I believe the constituents of District D," she said. Amy Peck Peck, who chairs the council's public safety committee, wrote in a text she was grateful for Pena's service and that she had seen Munoz's leadership and compassion firsthand. "Our fire department is comprised of excellent men and women who work hard for our city every day," Peck wrote. "I am confident that they will continue to do a great job serving our community under Munoz's leadership." HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 25 received General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy PM and Minister of National Defence of Laos, who came to attend the state funeral for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State, Government, and people, PM Chinh thanked the Lao Party, State, Government, and people for sharing this great loss, as well as their sentiments towards Viet Nam in general and the General Secretary and his family in particular. Highlighting the sentiments and the top priority General Secretary Trong consistently gave to the special Viet Nam - Laos relations, he said the late leader considers cooperating with and assisting Laos as a task of Vietnam. The Party chief used to affirm that defence - security is one of the most important pillars of the special bilateral ties, according to PM Chinh. The Vietnamese Government leader asked the two countries armies to keep strengthening solidarity and cooperation in improving the defence capacity; protect the shared borderline of peace and stability, thus actively enhancing the material and spiritual life of border residents and boosting cross-border trade; increase high-level mutual visits and meetings; work together to hold the border defence friendship exchanges between the two countries; and step up partnerships in education, training, and human resources development. PM Chinh also congratulated Laos on its successful organisation of meetings during the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2024, affirming Vietnams consistent support for and readiness to give assistance within its capacity to help Laos successfully hold the ASEAN Chairmanship this year. Offering condolences to the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam and the bereaved family, Chansamone Chanyalath said the Lao Party, State, and people grieved the passing of General Secretary Trong. He agreed with his hosts opinions and said the Laos Ministry of National Defence will coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to effectively carry out cooperation activities, especially all-level delegation exchanges, ideological education, the sharing of defence experience, border management and safeguarding, logistics, military technique, and military medicine, among others, thereby contributing to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. VNS BEIJING The Vietnamese embassies in China, Japan and India opened two-day respect-paying ceremonies and condolence books for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25. In Beijing, deputy head of the Communist Party of China Central Committees Organisation Department Zhang Guangjun conveyed the most profound condolences on the passing of the Vietnamese General Secretary. "We are always ready to stand united and cooperate with Viet Nam to advance the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic partnership," he wrote in the condolence book. The delegation from the Lao Embassy wrote that with the passing of General Secretary Trong, the Lao Party, State and people lost a close comrade, who has made great contributions to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Viet Nam. US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns wrote that the US would remember the late leader's commitment to the process of reconciliation and building a future of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. A similar ceremony was also held by the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau the same day. Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Cui Jianchun, Chief Executive of Hong Kong John Lee, Lao Consul General Ammala Saenchonghack, Philippine Consul General Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan, Russian Vice Consult General Vadim Savin were among those who have paid last respects to General Secretary Trong at the general consulate. In Tokyo, representatives from diplomatic missions of China, India, Cambodia, Laos, Russia, the US, various Japanese government agencies and organisations, Japanese friendship associations and Vietnamese associations, students and workers living there gathered to offer incense in memory of the late Party leader and sign the condolence book. Notable attendees included Japanese Vice Minister of Defence Matsumoto Hisashi and Special Envoy of the President of the House of Councillors Omura Shutaro. The Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka prefecture also opened a condolence book on July 24. Governor of Fukuoka prefecture Hattori Seitaro hoped that the Vietnamese people will overcome this grief and build an ever-growing nation. Vice Chairman of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly Eguchi Yoshiaki expressed gratitude for the General Secretarys contributions to fostering friendship between Fukuoka and Viet Nam. In New Delhi, Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, President of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party JP Nadda, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Doraisamy Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury also signed the condolence book, highlighting the late leaders contributions to Viet Nams progress and its relations with India. VNS HA NOI The humility, revolutionary ethics and political thinking of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong are invaluable assets for the Vietnamese people, the value of which extends beyond the borders and has an influence on the left-wing movement and revolution in the world, according to a Cuban official. Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and head of its Economic Productive Department made the remarks during an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on July 25 in Ha Noi as he is a member of the Cuban delegation to the funeral of the late Party leader of Viet Nam. He noted that First Secretary of the PCC and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on July 24 morning (local time) paid homage to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Vietnamese Embassy in Havana, he said, adding after learning about the sad news, a high-ranking delegation was immediately set up to attend the Party chiefs state funeral, and the Cuban delegation was the first foreign delegation to arrive in Viet Nam for the event. The official went on to say that Cuba has held three days of state mourning in commemoration of the Vietnamese Party leader. Besides, Cuban mass media have run various articles on the late leader's ideology and theories on socialism and global revolution movement, seeing it as a way to guide the young generation to continue the revolutionary process, develop the nation and enhance the relations between the two countries, he said. According to him, the Vietnamese Party chiefs international prestige demonstrates the increasing position of Vietnam in the international arena. Party General Secretary Trong, despite holding various positions, remained humble, simple and close to the people and generations of leaders. He went on to highlight important achievements in the bilateral relations, with Vietnam being a strategic partner of Cuba in all areas. Viet Nam is the second Asian country having increasing trade ties with Cuba, and is now the largest investor in the Latin American nations Mariel Special Development Zone, and the biggest rice provider for the nation, he elaborated. The two countries have signed various cooperation plans across the domains of innovation, science-technology, pharmaceutical industry, biological industry, education, and many other sectors. As Viet Nam and Cuba share the common ideal of developing and building socialism toward the highest goal of social equality, they have developed many joint projects for both nations' prosperous development and the benefits of their people. Jorge Luis Broche affirmed that the two countries need to bolster their economic and trade ties as well as share experience in socio-economic development and socialism building, highlighting Viet Nams experience in the area is valuable for Cuba, which is updating its economic model, to overcome challenges. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Friday morning met with General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and his spouse. Thongloun Sisoulith was in Viet Nam leading a high-level delegation from the Lao Party, State and people to attend the funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. During the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his deepest gratitude to them all, as well as to General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith and his spouse, for their heartfelt condolences and solidarity with the Vietnamese Party, State and people over the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He particularly noted the two-day national mourning ceremony held in Laos, exemplifying the unique, steadfast and special relationship between the two countries. Prime Minister Chinh highlighted that during his lifetime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always valued the traditional special relationship between Viet Nam and Laos, working tirelessly to strengthen and develop it. He also thanked President Thongloun Sisoulith's spouse for her touching letter to General Secretary Trong's family. On behalf of the Lao Party, State and people, General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith expressed profound condolences and solidarity with the Vietnamese Party, as well as with General Secretary Trong's family. He emphasised that the passing of General Secretary Trong is a great loss, not only for Viet Nam, but also for Laos, which has lost a close comrade and a great friend. He acknowledged General Secretary Trong's significant contributions to the special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two. General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith praised General Secretary Trong's leadership, which guided the Vietnamese people to achieve significant milestones in renewal, national construction and development, while elevating Viet Nam's role and position both in the region and internationally. Prime Minister Chinh congratulated Laos on its recent achievements and reaffirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people strongly and comprehensively support Laos in its renovation, defence and nation-building efforts. He expressed confidence that under the leadership of General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party will successfully implement the resolutions of its 11th National Congress and fulfill its international responsibilities in 2024. Regarding the future direction of bilateral relations, both sides agreed to continue close coordination in effectively implementing high-level agreements, outcomes of the 46th meeting of the Viet Nam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee and the results of State President To Lam's visit to Laos. They emphasised the importance of high-level exchanges and cooperation in defence and security as key pillars. Both sides also agreed to strengthen the legal framework for comprehensive cooperations, promote economic, trade and investment cooperation and facilitate business operations in both countries. They committed to addressing obstacles in key project implementation and prioritising partnerships in education, culture, tourism, banking and labour, while enhancing people-to-people exchanges. VNS Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and head of its Economic Productive Department made the remarks during an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on July 25 in Ha Noi as he is a member of the Cuban delegation to the funeral of the late Party leader of Viet Nam. HA NOI The respect-paying ceremonies for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued on the morning of July 26 at the National Funeral Hall in Ha Noi, Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in ong Hoi Commune of Ha Noi's ong Anh District. From early morning, seemingly endless streams of people from all over gathered to bid a final farewell to the leader who dedicated his life to the nation and its people. On the evening of July 25, due to the large numbers of people waiting to pay their last respects to the General Secretary, the visiting hours at the National Funeral Hall were extended until midnight. The ceremonies at Thong Nhat Hall and in his hometown were extended to 11pm instead of the previously announced 10pm, to accommodate the public. Among those queuing near the National Funeral Hall was ang Thi Thu Huong, a teacher from Van Yen Primary School in Ha ong District, Ha Noi. She arrived at Han Thuyen Street at 11 p.m. on July 25 to pay her respects. Seeing the increasing number of people arriving from all directions, Huong decided to stay and wait through the night. She shared, "There are so many people from distant provinces waiting in line. We shared pictures of the General Secretary and stories about him to pass the time. Everyone is eager to pay their respects to him." Then Trung Thanh, a 17-year-old Nung ethnic minority boy, travelled 340 km alone from the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang to Ha Noi to pay his respects. He shared that early on the morning of July 24, he prepared a few sets of clothes and some money and took a bus to Ha Noi. On July 25, after arriving in the capital, Thanh immediately took a bus to the late leader's hometown in Lai a Village. After paying his respects there, he went to the National Funeral Hall, wishing to pay his respects a second time. Thanh also plans to go to Mai Dich Cemetery in the afternoon to bid farewell to the General Secretary one last time. From the early morning of July 26, thousands of people gathered in front of Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City to say goodbye to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. In addition to city residents, many came from other southern localities, travelling hundreds of kilometres, some arriving in the middle of the night, and others travelling the day before. The hall was overwhelmed with tears, sorrow, and mourning. Tran Thi Thu Trang, holding a bouquet of white lilies she brought from her hometown, said she travelled from Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City the previous afternoon and stayed at a relative's house to ensure she could arrive at the hall by 6 a.m. to pay her respects. An active member of the Women's Union, Trang shared that she has closely followed the General Secretary's activities over the years and deeply admires his lifelong dedication to the country and its people. From Long Thanh District, ong Nai Province, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tham brought her two children, aged 7 and 5, to Ho Chi Minh City to pay their respects. Tham recounted that she had paid her respects alone the previous day, but after telling her children about it, they expressed a desire to go with her. Born into a family with a revolutionary tradition, she deeply values those who have dedicated their efforts to the country and its people. By bringing her children, Tham hopes they will understand and appreciate these sacred values. In the late leaders hometown, Ngo Thi Ngoc Ly, a volunteer serving the funeral services, stated that on the evening of July 25, not only residents of ong Anh District but also many people from other regions came to Lai a to pay their respects. Joining the line of mourners on the morning of July 26, some women in traditional Tay ethnic minority costumes from Lao Cai Province offered incense to bid their last farewell. Luong Ngoc Ha shared that at midnight on July 25, they gathered and boarded a bus to the capital, arriving at the General Secretary's hometown at 6 a.m. "Our delegation consists of 37 people from Chieng Village, Cam uong Commune, Lao Cai Province. We all admire and deeply respect the character and personality of the General Secretary. Although we had never met him in person, when we heard of his passing, everyone was choked with emotions and sorrow. Many elderly individuals wanted to come but couldn't due to health reasons, so we came on their behalf to express our heartfelt gratitude and respect for a leader who dedicated his life to the nation and its people," Ha shared. VNS After more than five decades in politics, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong leaves behind a legacy that will never be matched. Man of the people, a pioneer in fighting corruption, and a firm friend of many countries worldwide. Here, people who knew him best share their memories of our nations son. HA NOI - ang Thi Phuc, the primary school teacher of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, at 92 years old, made her way to the National Funeral Hall at 5 Tran Thanh Tong to bid a final farewell to her former student. Amidst the long lines of people paying their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong from early this morning, the sight ang Thi Phuc, arriving in a wheelchair deeply moved everyone. Before his casket, she broke down in tears, taking each step with her trembling legs. At the venerable age of 92, ang Thi Phuc shared her feelings: When Trong was ill, I couldn't visit him. Now, I couldn't even see him one last time. I regarded Trong as my youngest sibling, and losing him feels like losing a family member. I mourn the loss of an honest leader who cared for the people. ang Thi Phuc taught General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in the fourth grade. In a class of 48 students, she had a special impression of Trong, the youngest but the most academically gifted and diligent in participating and contributing to class discussions. Amidst her sorrow, she left a heartfelt note: "My little student, I love you dearly. Why do I have to mourn you like this? Your teacher - ang Thi Phuc." VNS HA NOI A memorial service for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, Nguyen Phu Trong, was held at 1pm on Friday at the National Funeral Hall at 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Ha Noi. Simultaneous services were also organised at his hometown in ong Hoi Commune, ong Anh District, Ha Noi, and the Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City. Among the leaders attending the service at the National Funeral Hall were State President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Party Central Committee's Secretariat Standing Member Luong Cuong, and former high-ranking Party and State officials. Delivering the funeral eulogy, State President To Lam said the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a huge and irreparable loss for our Party, our nation, and our people. "Our country has lost a talented leader. The world communist and progressive movement has lost a sharp theorist. International friends have lost a sincere friend and close comrade. The family, clan, and homeland in ong Hoi have lost an outstanding son," he said. After nearly 60 years of rich and persistent revolutionary activities, Professor, Doctor, and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, "with his scholarly and sharp intellect, left behind a valuable ideological and theoretical system about Viet Nam's revolutionary path in the new era." He strongly inspired and led the entire Party, people, and army with intelligence, humanistic spirit, noble compassion, strong will, and determination. He also had the personality and honour of a communist soldier who wholeheartedly served the Fatherland and the people with the mindset that Honour is the most noble and sacred thing. President Lam emphasised that throughout his life of revolutionary activities, building and rectifying the Party and political system held a particularly important position to Trong. Under his leadership, for the first time, our Party issued a thematic resolution on building and perfecting a law-governed socialist state of the people, by the people, and for the people. As State President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Trong was always concerned with building a legislative body that is truly the highest representative body of the people, truly democratic, and acts as a representative of the people and their legitimate rights and interests, Lam said. Lam hailed Trong for possessing a profound and sharp political vision. The Party leader elevated the level of strategic thinking, creating new developments for Vietnamese defence, security, and foreign affairs with the imprint of bamboo diplomacy. He was always steadfast in the viewpoint that regards the people as the root, the people are the subject, the centre of the oi moi (renewal) process." The casket of Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, wrapped in the national flag, then left the National Funeral Hall to make way to Mai Dich Cemetery for the burial service at 3pm. VNS HA NOI National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man on Friday hosted a reception for President of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), Chairman of the Supreme Privy Council to the Cambodian King and President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who is leading a high-ranking delegation to Viet Nam to attend the funeral of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Man thanked the Cambodian King, the CPP, Senate, National Assembly, Government and many agencies and organisations of Cambodia for extending their condolences to the Party, State and people of Viet Nam over the passing of Party General Secretary Trong and send a high-ranking delegation to Viet Nam to pay last respect to the leader, which is a great consolation to the Party, State and people of Viet Nam and shows the special sentiments of the CPP leader himself to General Secretary Trong and the bereaved family. The NA Chairman lauded the role that Hun Sen plays in maintaining and promoting the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries over the years. He said he believes that the new generation of Cambodian leaders, under the guide of Hun Sen and veteran leaders of Cambodia, will make contributions to the development of Cambodia and bring the traditional friendship and solidarity between Viet Nam and Cambodia to a new height. Man noted that bilateral cooperation mechanisms over the years have been implemented effectively, especially the high-level meeting of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Standing Board of the CPP Central Committee, as well as the Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam exchange mechanisms. The sound relationship between the Viet Nams National Assembly and the National Assembly and Senate has contributed to fostering and deepening the cooperation between the two countries, he said. The Vietnamese NA leader invited the President of the Cambodian Senate to visit Viet Nam early to discuss and map out development orientations between the two countries in general and the Vietnamese NA and Cambodian Senate in particular. For his part, Hun Sen conveyed deep condolences from the CPP, King Norodom Sihamoni, the Senate, the National Assembly and the people of Cambodia to the Party, State and people of Viet Nam. Sharing his memories with General Secretary Trong, Hun Sen said that during more than a decade as the General Secretary of the CPV, Trong made important contributions to promoting the Viet Nam-Cambodia relations, and has devoted his whole life to the peoples happiness and the reinforcement of the solidarity, friendship and common development of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia. Affirming the sound relations between Viet Nam and Cambodia on the channels of Party and State and at the ministry, sector and local level, Hun Sen said he hopes that in the coming time, the two sides should continue to promote collaborations through all channels and aspects, especially in social-economic affairs to further improve the living conditions of the two peoples. Highly valuing the fruitful cooperation between the two legislatures over the years, the Cambodian Senate President expressed his hope that the Vietnamese NA and Cambodias NA and Senate will further bolster their cooperation. He took the occasion to convey Cambodian NA President Khuon Sudarys invitation to Man to pay an official visit to Cambodia. Man recognised Hun Sens proposals on strengthening bilateral relations through all channels and areas. He said that currently, Viet Nam is actively preparing to welcome King Norodom Sihamoni and the Queen Mother. Man thanked Cambodian NA President Khuon Sudary for the invitation and pledge to make the visit at an appropriate time. VNS Newly appointed Houston Fire Chief Thomas Munoz, right, and Mayor John Whitmire speak to reporters during a press conference to announce Munoz as the new fire chief Friday, July 26, 2024, at Houston City Hall in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Tom Munoz, who spent 24 years as a Houston firefighter before leading state and city emergency management, will be the city's new fire chief, Mayor John Whitmire told KPRC Friday morning. Munoz will replace Sam Pena, who has run the department since December 2016. Pena plans to retire, Whitmire told KPRC. Munoz was previously the director of Houstons Office of Emergency Management, and moved to head the citys Public Safety and Homeland Security office May 30. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heres what to know about the new fire chief. Munozs fire, military and emergency response service Munozs has been in public safety and emergency response for 26 years. He served 24 years with the Houston Fire Department, where he ended his time as the departments assistant chief of homeland security and planning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Munoz spent 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard reserves, eventually retiring as a commander. He took on several positions throughout his years in the military, including deputy incident commander for the New Orleans Vessel Removal Projects, spill liaison for Texas City and as San Juan, Puerto Ricos Hurricane Maria Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer. He has five USCG Commendation Medals. Munoz left the Houston Fire Department to become the emergency manager and homeland security director in Texas City. He returned to Houston to assume the same position at OEM in 2021. What is Munoz inheriting as the new chief? Munoz returns to HFD right as the Houston Professional Firefighters Association starts its new contract following an eight-year stalemate. That contract could reach up to $1.5 billion, and includes $650 million of back pay to union members. Advertisement Article continues below this ad NEW CONTRACT: Houston City Council approves landmark settlement to resolve yearslong dispute with firefighters HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Friday hosted a reception for Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, who is in Viet Nam to pay last respects to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. PM Chinh thanked the Malaysian Deputy PM for coming here to pay tribute and share the sadness with the family of the Vietnamese Party chief, describing the gesture as a vivid demonstration for the strategic partnership and close friendship between the leaders and people of both nations. He also took the occasion to express gratitude to other Malaysian leaders for sending messages of condolences, and affirmed Viet Nam has respected the sentiments that the Malaysian Government and people have given to the late Party leader, who wholeheartedly devoted to the nations construction and development, as well as the promotion of the relations with Malaysia in particular and ASEAN as a whole. Conveying the deepest condolences of the Malaysian leaders and people to their Vietnamese counterparts and the family of the bereaved, Fadillah Yusof expressed his admiration for the tireless devotion as well as great and important contributions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the countrys construction and development over decades. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party chief is a friend of Malaysia and other countries in the ASEAN bloc. On the occasion, the two sides discussed and reached consensus on several orientations to bolster the bilateral relations across areas. PM Chinh suggested the two nations continue realising the outcomes of the discussions between General Secretary Trong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the latters official visit to Vietnam in July 2023, including enhancing the exchange of high-level visits and contacts, sharing experience, supporting each other and striving to sign a cooperation agreement in the Halal industry soon, continuing effective coordination and humanitarian treatment for detained Vietnamese fishermen in line with international law and the sound relations between the two countries. He laid stress on support for Malaysias ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. Agreeing with PM Chinhs opinions, Fadillah Yusof affirmed that Malaysia stands ready to assist Viet Nam in the development of the Halal sector, and concurred to strengthen cooperation in the domains of green energy, clean energy, renewable energy, digital transformation, semiconductor production and AI, striving for two-way trade of US$18 billion a year in the coming time. They also agreed to continue close coordination to build an ASEAN community with sustainable development that plays a central role in handling strategic issues in the region and the world, including the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) one. VNS HA NOI The respect paying ceremony for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued on the morning of July 26 at the National Funeral Hall in Ha Noi, with high-level delegations from foreign countries and international organisations paying their last respects and expressing deep condolences. Among them were high-level delegations from Belarus led by Siarhei Khamenka, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic (upper house) of the National Assembly of Belarus; from Malaysia led by Deputy Prime Minister Yab DatoSri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof; from the Philippines led by Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr; from Thailand led by Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office and the PMs Special Envoy Jakkapong Sangmanee; and from the Communist Party of Britain led by a representative of its leadership Kyril Whittaker. In the condolence book, Deputy Chairman Siarhei Khamenka, on behalf of the Belarusian President and people, expressed his deep condolences over the passing of a true patriot of Viet Nam and a sincere friend of the Belarusian people. Thailand will always remember him, he added. Malaysian Deputy PM Fadillah Yusof wrote that the late Party chief was a truly dedicated leader who tirelessly served his country. Viet Nam has lost a steadfast and committed leader who made great contributions. May his legacy inspire future generations, he wrote, affirming that the Party leader made invaluable efforts to significantly strengthen the Viet Nam-Malaysia strategic partnership, contributing to regional peace and prosperity. Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr wrote that the Philippines shares the profound grief and great loss felt by the Vietnamese people over the passing of an outstanding leader, diplomat, teacher, intellectual, and most cherished son of Viet Nam''. May his exemplary life and contributions to Viet Nam and the world noble life and immense contributions to Viet Nam and the world be remembered by generations to come, and may his love for peace and integrity long burn and inspire the hearts and minds of our fellow ASEAN brothers. Special Envoy of Thai PM Jakkapong Sangmanee, meanwhile, wrote that the late Part chiefs leadership and dedication significantly contributed to Viet Nam's stable and prosperous development. He was a great friend of Thailand, playing a crucial role in fostering a stable and strong relationship between the two countries. His visit to Thailand in 2013 marked a significant chapter, elevating the bilateral diplomatic relations to a strategic partnership. The people of Thailand will always remember the Vietnamese Party General Secretary. Whittaker jotted down his farewell to "a revolutionary comrade of the highest calibre, leader of the Vietnamese people and light of the revolutionary movement." VNS HA NOI Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Luong Cuong on July 26 received Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) Leonid Kalashnikov and Chairman of the Presidium of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Central Committee Shii Kazuo, who came to attend the state mourning of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. At the meeting with the Russian official, Cuong sincerely thanked the Central Committee of the KPRF, Chairman of the KPRF Gennady Zyuganov and members of the KPRF for their special sentiments, deep condolences and respect to General Secretary Trong. Cuong thanked the Central Committee of the KPRF for sending a delegation led by Vice Chairman Leonid Kalashnikov to attend the state funeral of General Secretary Trong. Cuong highlighted that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong devoted his whole life to the country and the people and paid great attention to strengthening international solidarity. In his lifetime, General Secretary Trong had special sentiments for Russia, Russian people, and Russian culture. He always paid attention to cultivating, making efforts and contributing to consolidating and developing the traditional Viet Nam-Russia friendship, comprehensive strategic partnership, and the relationship between the two parties. Expressing gratitude for the support that the former Soviet Union and Russia have given to Viet Nam, Cuong affirmed that the Party, State and people of Viet Nam will firmly adhere to the foreign policy, implement Trongs legacies in developing the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in general and the KPRK in particular, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, stability and development in the world. For his part, Kalashnikov expressed his condolences for the great loss to the Party, State, people of Viet Nam and the bereaved family, and shared memories between General Secretary Trong and leaders of the KPRF. He said that Russian people and communists pay great attention and express their condolences for the passing of General Secretary Trong, adding that the KPRF is very interested in studying the thoughts of General Secretary Trong and practical experience in implementing the "bamboo diplomacy" and the fight against corruption in Viet Nam. At the meeting, the two sides also discussed issues to strengthen cooperation between the two Parties and the two countries in the coming time. Meanwhile, at the meeting with the Japanese official, Cuong also emphasised that General Secretary Trong attached importance to the friendship and traditional relations between the two parties and two countries. He stressed that with the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multi-lateralisation, and diversification, Viet Nam always attaches importance to and wishes to continue developing the comprehensive strategic partnership with Japan, including inheriting and promoting the tradition of friendship between the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) and the Japan Communist Party (JCP). On this occasion, Cuong thanked the JCP in particular and the Japanese people in general for supporting Viet Nam during its cause of oi Moi (The Reform), socio-economic development, and socialism building. He affirmed that Viet Nam will continue to consistently implement its foreign policy, following the wishes of General Secretary Trong. Showing deep sympathies to the Party, State and people of Viet Nam, Kazuo highlighted that General Secretary Trong is a Marxist theorist and an outstanding leader who made great contributions to the international communist and workers' movements. Under the leadership of the CPV led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam have made many great and historic achievements in the cause of oi Moi and socialism building. Kazuo recalled his meetings with Trong, emphasising that the General Secretary's passing is a great loss for the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam, and the JCP has lost a close and trusted friend. He highly valued the theoretical and practical achievements of General Secretary Trong in Viet Nams development, especially those in foreign affairs, which have greatly contributed to peace and stability in the region and the world. The official said he believes that the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam will definitely overcome the pain and loss, and successfully fulfill the will of General Secretary Trong. On this occasion, the two sides discussed and agreed to strengthen the relationship of friendship and cooperation between the two parties and countries. Cuong presented the guest with a book on building and developing comprehensive and modern Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy. VNS HA NOI - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man hosted a reception on July 26 for Siarhei Khamenka, Vice Chairman of the Council of the Republic (Senate) of Belarus, who is leading a delegation to Viet Nam to attend the state funeral of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Man said that the Belarusian delegation's attendance at the state funeral demonstrates the sincere feelings and sharing of the countrys State and people towards the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam during this period of sorrow and loss. Viet Nam always values its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Belarus and remembers the sincere support and assistance that the Belarusian people provided for Viet Nam in its struggle for national liberation and reunification in the past, as well as its current nation building and development cause, he said, expressing his wish to further enhance cooperation with Belarus in all areas. Viet Nam will continue the foreign policy set forth by General Secretary Trong, which consistently values and develops friendship and cooperation with traditional friends, including Belarus, Man affirmed. Recalling General Secretary Trong's two official visits to Belarus in 2009 as Chairman of the National Assembly and in 2014 as Party General Secretary, Man stated that Viet Nam highly values the political relationship between the two countries, which continues to be maintained and developed following these visits. In particular, the Viet Nam ese NA always supports the enhancement of its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Belarus in such areas as security, defence, economics, trade, investment, education and training, science and technology, culture and tourism, and local cooperation, he said, adding the legislature will continue to implement the cooperation agreement between the two parliaments, signed in April 2009 during Trongs visit to Belarus. To promote bilateral parliamentary cooperation, the top Viet Nam ese legislator proposed both sides step up the exchange of delegations at all levels, share information and experiences in legislative and supervision affairs, maintain consultations, information exchange, and collaboration among legislators within the framework of multilateral inter-parliamentary forums, and coordinate in building and completing the legal framework, thus facilitating cooperation between the two governments, localities, and businesses in all fields. Siarhei Khamenka conveyed his profound condolences of Belarusian leaders and people to the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam on the passing of General Secretary Trong; and handed over a message of condolences of the President of Belarus to NA Chairman Man, emphasising that Belarus has lost a good friend who made significant contributions to the development of the two countries friendship and collaboration. He noted that despite the geographical distance, the two countries share similar future visions. He said that he will forward Man's proposals to the Chairman of the Belarusian Senate, and believes that the relations between the two countries in general, and the two parliaments in particular, will continue to grow further. VNS HA NOI - The Ministry of National Defence on July 26 handed over the State Presidents decisions to two officers who will join the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Major General Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Viet Nam Department for Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO) under the ministry, said in order to prepare replacement forces, the department has selected highly qualified officers and organised various training courses following requirements of the UN while sending officers abroad for training. The two officers to be deployed to the UN missions this time have participated in two major peacekeeping exercises the Competency Evaluation for Prospective Peacekeeper Programme (CEPPP) and the Viet Nam - India Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX) 2023. He affirmed that, preparations for the deployment of the two officers have been basically completed. The two officers themselves have expressed their determination to fulfilling their tasks. Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien said that joining UN peacekeeping missions is an honour not only for each individual but also for the Viet Nam People's Army (VPA). Officers of the VPA have affirmed their mettle, will and capacity in the eyes of international colleagues and friends over the past 10 years of Viet Nam's participation in this special humanitarian activity, he added. Chien, who is also Chairman of the defence ministry's steering committee on participation in the UN peacekeeping operations, requested the two officers to strictly follow the Party, State and armys foreign policies, the VPA's disciplines, regulations of the United Nations and laws of the host countries. The officers were urged to quickly grasp the local situation and perform well their assigned duties. He asked the VDPO coordinate with relevant agencies to select and train suitable personnel to prepare a reserve force for future deployments. Viet Nam has to date deployed over 800 officers to the UN peacekeeping missions in Abyei, Central African Republic and South Sudan, and the UN Headquarters. According to heads of the UN missions and agencies, Vietnamese peacekeepers have shown strong performance in implementing their assigned tasks with professionalism and discipline, leaving good impressions on mission leaders, friends, and international colleagues with specific, practical, and humane contributions. VNS HA NOI The State Funeral Board and the family of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a thank-you message following the burial service for the Party leader on Friday afternoon. The message reads: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, the State Funeral Board and the family of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, express our sincere thanks to compatriots, comrades and soldiers nationwide, compatriots abroad, and international friends for showing deep-rooted sentiments, boundless regret, and profound respect for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; for coming to pay tribute to, sending letters and messages of condolences, as well as attending the memorial service, and seeing off comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, to the glorious history of the civilised and heroic Vietnamese nation. In recent days, millions of hearts in Viet Nam and around the world are looking towards Ha Noi, HCM City, and his hometown of ong Hoi, where the state funeral for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was held. Hundreds of thousands of people from all corners of the country, regardless of distance or weather, have respectfully waited along the roads to bid the last farewell to the General Secretary to his final resting place. Hundreds of leaders of countries and territories have sent letters, telegrams, and messages of condolences; hundreds of international delegations have attended the respect-paying ceremony, the memorial service, and the burial ceremony; thousands of delegations with hundreds of thousands of people have come to pay their respects to the General Secretary; and thousands of delegations have paid their homage at our representative agencies abroad. Once again, the State Funeral Board and the family sincerely thank the special sentiments of compatriots, comrades and soldiers across the country, our compatriots abroad, and international friends towards comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, and towards the nation and the civilised and heroic Vietnamese people. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIET NAM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE VIET NAM FATHERLAND FRONT HA NOI More than 400 delegations came to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan to pay tribute to and write in the condolence book for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on Thursday and Friday. Senator Natsuo Yamaguchi, President of the Komeito Party a partner of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the ruling coalition in Japan, affirmed that the fine and enduring relationship between Viet Nam and Japan saw significant contributions of General Secretary Trong. Building on the foundation established and contributed by the Party chief, Yamaguchi hoped that the two countries will further strengthen the bilateral ties, which he said, is the best way to honour the late leader's efforts. Japanese Minister for Digital Transformation Kono Taro wrote in the condolence book: "Our sentiments are with the people of Viet Nam". He also expressed his hope for the continued strength of the bilateral relationship. Chief of the Japanese Joint Staff Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide wrote: "The Japan Self-Defence Forces stand with the people of Vietnam in this moment of sorrow." Special Envoy of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Director-General for Foreign Affairs Hironori Yamamoto noted that the Vietnamese Party chief exercised a strong leadership to further Vietnam's development. He also so highlighted the Party chief's significant contributions to enhancing the Viet Nam-Japan friendship relations over the past years. Governors of Japanese prefectures also expressed their appreciation for the General Secretarys contributions to the bilateral ties and offered respectful wishes for his eternal rest. Former Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Yushita Hiroyuki hailed General Secretary Trong as an eminent leader of Viet Nam and a great friend of Japan. On Thursday and Friday, the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands hoisted the national flag at half-mast and opened a condolence book for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Gerrie Willems, Acting Director of the Asia and Oceania Department at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representing the Dutch Royal Family and Government, wrote in the condolence book. Ambassadors and charge d'affaires from European, Latin American and Asian countries, particularly the ambassadors of ASEAN member countries in the Netherlands, also came to pay their respects and wrote in the condolence book, honouring the General Secretary's practical contributions to strengthening Viet Nam's friendship and cooperation with nations. From Thursday to Friday, nearly 30 diplomatic representatives of various countries and over 200 Vietnamese nationals in Singapore came to the Vietnamese Embassy to pay their respects and bid farewell to the Party chief. Diplomatic representatives of the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Israel, and the APEC Secretariat also came to pay homage to the Party chief, reflecting the broad international respect and admiration for General Secretary Trongs leadership and legacy. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Friday for Jakkapong Sangmanee, Minister Attached to the Thai Prime Minister's Office and the Thai PMs Special Envoy, who is in Viet Nam to attend the funeral for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The Vietnamese Government leader expressed his deep gratitude to the Thai minister and delegation for coming to Viet Nam to pay respects to the Party leader, describing this as evidence of the friendship and close ties between leaders and the people of the two countries. He also extended his sincere thanks to Thai leaders for their condolence messages, affirming that Viet Nam highly appreciates the warm sentiments from the Thai Royal Family, Government, and people towards General Secretary Trong who devoted his whole life to the country's development and laid a solid foundation for the Viet Nam-Thailand Strategic Partnership in June 2013. PM Chinh took this occasion to reiterate his invitation to Thai PM Srettha Thavisin to visit Viet Nam and co-chair the 4th Viet Nam-Thailand joint cabinet meeting at a suitable time. Jakkapong, on behalf of the PM, Government, people of Thailand, extended the deep condolences PM Chinh and via the PM to the Party, State, Government, and the people of Viet Nam, as well as the bereaved family of General Secretary Trong over the country's great loss. He expressed his admiration for the Vietnamese Party chiefs important contributions to the renewal and development cause of Viet Nam as well as his role in advancing the Viet Nam-Thailand Strategic Partnership. The minister affirmed that Viet Nam is one of Thailand's important partners in the region, particularly in the economic field. He thanked the Vietnamese Government and called for its continued support and favourable conditions for Thai businesses to invest and operate in Viet Nam. He also asserted that the Thai Government will consistently not allow hostile forces to use Thailand's territory to carry out activities that undermine neighbouring countries, including Viet Nam. On this occasion, the two sides discussed and agreed on several bilateral cooperation directions in the coming time, including the effective implementation of the "Three Connections" strategy, strengthening cooperation in the areas of security, trade, tourism, and transport, with a focus on stronger aviation, road, and rail connectivity. VNS KIEN GIANG Kien Giang Province plans to expand marine aquaculture by using modern methods to increase farmers incomes. The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province has huge potential for marine aquaculture with its coastline of more than 200km and 143 small and large islands. Its waters teem with high-value marine species with such as cobia, grouper and pomfret fishes and pearl oysters. Nguyen Thanh Nhan, deputy chairman of its Peoples Committee, said: The province has identified the marine economy as a focus of development, especially effective and sustainable development of marine aquaculture. The province is implementing a plan to develop marine aquaculture in 2020-30. It had 3,870 floating cages for breeding marine species as of last year with an annual output of 3,910 tonnes. It has the largest number of such floating cages of any province in the delta. Cage aquaculture has been popular in the province since 2000 and has grown significantly in the last five years due to its high efficiency and reliability. It is carried out mostly in Kien Hai and Kien Luong districts and Phu Quoc and Ha Tien cities. The provinces Agriculture Extension Centre is implementing a model that used high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floating cages in place of traditional wooden ones to enhance breeding efficiency. There are 69 HDPE floating cages with a total volume of 3,530cu.m in the province. They produce yields of 16 kilogrammes of aquatic species per cubic metre, four or five kilogrammes more than wooden ones. Le Van Xeo, director of the Tien at Co-operative in Kien Hai Districts Lai Son Commune, said the extension centre provided support to his co-operatives members to set up 10 HDPE cages in 2022. After seeing their efficiency during one to two harvests, most members switched to them, he said. The HDPE cages have a life of 20 years as against three or four years for the wooden ones, he said. HDPE floating cages cope better with strong waves than wooden ones and fish raised in them develop well. But not many farmers are able to buy them since their cost is high. To develop marine aquaculture sustainably, the province aims to step up the use of high-tech breeding methods, including the use of HDPE cages. High profits Farmers in coastal areas and islands have bred more than 2,800ha of aquatic species in marine cages and harvested 2,000 tonnes as of early June. Ninh Van Son, who has been raising fish in Kien Luong Districts Hon Nghe Commune for 15 years, said this year he bought more than 10,000 fish fry to breed, mostly pearl grouper, cobia, yellow pomfret, and red drum, in four HDPE cages and 16 wooden cages. He has sold more than 2,000 mature fish so far this year and earned profits of VN100 million (US$3,900), he said. The prices of marine aquatic species have been high since the end of last year and so most farmers are making high profits, he said. Breeding fish in HDPE cages is efficient but each costs VN40-60 million ($1,600-2,300), and so he does not have enough money to buy more of them, he said. I hope the Government will [provide] soft loans or [allow] repayment in instalments so that farmers can invest in the cages. Development Kien Giang targets having 7,500 cages and an annual output of 29,890 tonnes by 2025, increasing to 14,000 and 105,690 tonnes by 2030. It has taken a number of measures to help farmers develop marine aquaculture in recent years, organising many training courses and seminars to train them. Vo Thi Tham, who has 40 floating cages and breeds various fishes in Kien Hai Districts Hon Tre Commune, said: I and my husband participate in all seminars and training courses on breeding techniques and apply them. My family has used HDPE floating cages for two years. She harvests 40 tonnes a year and earn VN1 billion ($39,000), she said. But the province faces difficulties such as small scale of breeding and disease outbreaks, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Le Huu Toan, its director, said concentrated breeding areas would be set up for marine aquaculture, linkages would be created between various stakeholders in the supply chain and identifying codes for farmers would be issued. The province plans to strengthen fisheries extension activities, ensure breeding areas and water environment meet stringent standards, and enhance disease forecasting and water quality to help farmers to avoid losses. It will create favourable conditions for farmers to access soft loans and find markets for their produce at home and abroad. The province has issued licences for four marine aquaculture projects costing a total of VN695 billion ($27 million) and having a total breeding area of 2,197ha. VNS HCM CITY Farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are having difficulty harvesting their early summer-autumn rice and protect young rice plants since heavy rains have inundated many fields. The countrys rice granary has been hit by prolonged heavy rains in recent days brought by a tropical depression. In Soc Trang Province, farmers in low-lying places like My Tu and Thanh Tri districts and Nga Nam Town are beginning the harvest of 19,000ha of summer-autumn rice but many fields are inundated, reducing yields and increasing costs. In My Tu District, My Tu Commune has 100ha of ripe rice but farmers cannot harvest them because machines cannot operate in flooded fields. Ly Van Tao in My Tu Commune said his one hectare of rice ripened last week but he could not harvest it. The commune does not have an electric pumping station to bail the water out of fields and most farmers have to do it themselves, and this raises production costs by VN1-2 million (US$40-80) per hectare, he said. In low-lying areas, rice fields are often 25-35cm under water during the rainy season, according to the provincial Irrigation Sub-department. Pham Tan ao, its head, said his agency is mobilising farmers to pump water out of fields and operating sluices to drain them. In Kien Giang, the countrys largest rice producing province, farmers sowed the summer-autumn rice crop on 276,000ha staggering the cropping. They began harvesting the crop at the end of last month, have completed 150,000ha so far, and expect to finish it in August. Le Huu Toan, director of the Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said to protect the remaining crop, local administrations and farmers would mobilise all resources and take advantage of sunny weather to harvest rice quickly when it is about 85 per cent ripe. In Ca Mau Province, heavy rains have damaged nearly 600ha of rice in Tran Van Thoi District sowed late and are 40 days old. The last dry season caused farmers sow the summer-autumn rice 15-30 days later than normal, and so their young rice crop has been inundated and damaged in the prolonged rain, according to the Tran Van Thoi Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development. Nguyen Viet Khai, its head, said rice fields have often been inundated during the rainy season in recent years, and resolving the problem needs a closed irrigation system with 16 pumping stations with a total capacity of 600,000cu.m of water per hour. The district has petitioned the provincial Peoples Committee and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to build the irrigation system and pumping stations, he added. In this summer-autumn crop, Ca Mau has planted 35,000ha of rice, 29,000ha in Tran Van Thoi. In other localities, farmers have begun harvesting rice early to avoid risks from the weather by the time the crop ripens. In Can Tho, farmers have harvested summer-autumn rice earlier than scheduled and completed harvesting all 71,280ha of summer- autumn rice. Their average yield has been 5.9 tonnes per hectare, the same as a year ago. VNS The CBO estimates the immigration surge will create $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade, mostly from income taxes and spending by the estimated 8.7 million migrants living in the U.S. during that time. Eric Gay/AP Community members and activists hold a rally ahead of May Day to demand that Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston Police Department develop a comprehensive plan to protect community members from anti-immigrant legislation like Texass Senate Bill 4 on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at City Hall in Houston . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Max Aleman wears a Mexican flag to show his suport as he waits in a line that stretches multiple blocks down Richmond Avenue from the Mexican Consulate building Sunday, May 2, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Maria Tong waves with an American flag at her husband and daughter after becoming naturalized citizens Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at M.O. Campbell Educational Center in Houston. Tong, originally from Mexico, was among more than 1300 Houston-area residents who naturalized Wednesday. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The line of persons desiring to vote in the Mexican election, stretches multiple blocks down Richmond Avenue from the Mexican Consulate building Sunday, May 2, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Voters sing a Mexican patriotic folk song, "Mexico lindo y querido which means Beautiful and Beloved Mexico to pass time as they wait to vote in the Mexican elections in a line that stretches multiple blocks down Richmond Avenue from the Mexican Consulate building Sunday, May 2, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer The recent surge in migration across the southern border could help slash the federal deficit by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade, according to a recent report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO estimates the immigration surge will create $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade, mostly from income taxes and spending by the estimated 8.7 million migrants living in the U.S. during that time. Those same migrants would cost the federal government just $300 billion in health care and other costs, according to the estimate, bringing the net benefit to $900 billion. The new study builds on an extensive body of research showing immigrants are a boon to the economy, especially at the federal level. Immigrants have federal taxes withheld from their paychecks, and pay sales tax, property tax and more. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But it includes one big caveat: the total doesnt factor in the costs of border crossings to state and local governments, which in some cases have spent heavily to accommodate the massive influx of asylum seekers. Texas has given hundreds of millions in grants to border counties that have at times seen packed jails, shelters and hospitals as crossings reach historic levels in recent years in addition to billions more to voluntarily send state troopers and National Guard to arrest migrants at the border under Gov. Greg Abbotts border security crackdown. New York City, where Texas has been busing migrants for years, has spent more than $4 billion to accommodate them, the CBO report notes. The findings underscore a longstanding tension at the heart of Texas' many ongoing battles with the Biden administration on its handling of immigration: while the federal government oversees immigration enforcement, it is typically the states that bear the greatest costs for public schools, health care and more. Texas has argued repeatedly in court that immigrants are a drain on the states resources. In a lawsuit challenging an Obama-era policy, Texas argued the state spent $90 million to provide emergency Medicaid services to undocumented immigrants. Abbott has repeatedly called for the federal government to reimburse the state for costs associated with his border security program, Operation Lone Star. He has also said Texas should find a way to challenge longstanding Supreme Court precedent that requires public schools to educate undocumented children. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But other studies have found the economic benefits far outweigh the costs, even in Texas. A Rice University study from 2020 found the state of Texas made more than $420 million off immigrants living in the state illegally in 2018. That study, which replicated an outdated state comptroller report, found that for every $1 the Texas state government spends on the estimated 1.6 million people living in the state illegally that year, it brought in $1.21 in tax revenue. The study found that they paid some $2.4 billion in state sales taxes, property taxes and consumer taxes on gasoline, vehicle inspections and more, the study estimated. It estimated they cost the state just more than $2 billion in education, health care and prison costs. A 2019 study, meanwhile, found immigrants in Houston are responsible for more than 26 percent of the areas gross domestic product and have accounted for a third of the regions population growth over the past decade. HA NOI On Friday morning, the national funeral for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong entered its second day. The respect-paying ceremony continues from 7am to 1pm at the National Funeral House, 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Ha Noi, and simultaneously at the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as in his hometown in ong Hoi Commune, Ha Noi's ong Anh District. Speaking at a conference on H2 investment opportunities, Dat Tong, senior market strategist of Exness Investment Bank, said, The advent of working from home during the pandemic is here to stay, but there is much debate about the productivity of working from home. However, it cannot be denied that the adoption of technology by employees increases to an unprecedented high level due. Pre-pandemic, employees mainly went to the workplace and rarely used technology. As working from home has been lasting for the past three years, employees start to get used to technology, especially AI. Indeed, several new AI applications have been brought into life. Along with the rapid development of AI, many companies have increasingly utilised AI to produce goods and services. In particular, 20 per cent of the IT industry has adopted AI in their works, Tong said. Oxford Economics has created an economic model digging into the 18,000 tasks that can be automated by AI and assessed from high to medium and low levels of AI adoption. The findings reveal that AI can have an impact on productivity and GDP growth depending on each level. Specifically, AI technology could boost GDP by 0.62.5 per cent in 2027. Therefore, Vietnam needs to include this increase in upcoming productivity in GDP forecasts to have more detailed and closer assessments, he said. In addition, the Exness Investment Bank strategist pointed out that the supply of digital assets like Bitcoin continues to increase on the market while bitcoin mining supply drops every four years. There is still sustainable market demand for ETF funds. Nearly $1.2 billion was injected into the market through bitcoin ETFs last week, marking the third consecutive weekly inflow after Germany's government has been selling almost all of its remaining Bitcoin available in the previous weeks. Bitcoin's market cap has jumped to $1.3 trillion, indicating the attractiveness of the digital asset market. The current market has better resistance and absorption than many years ago, when capitalisation increased and many different actors participated in the market, such as the government and ETFs. Ether ETFs started trading on July 23, a day after receiving final approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. This will continue to help the market grow in capitalisation in the future. Big players developing asset management services for all Wealth management services to protect and increase assets are becoming more popular, and not only for the rich. Dat Tong, senior market strategist at Exness, spoke to VIRs Nguyen Phuong about the potential of the wealth management services in Vietnam. Major role to play for fresh investment channels amid shifting funding flows The global economy is experiencing rapid and complicated changes, and businesses in particular are swimming in the vortex. Thai Viet Dung, director of Exness Vietnam, told VIRs Hara Phuong about the pros and cons of seeking new investment channels. Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), is working with air carriers on solutions to aircraft shortfalls by reducing turnaround time, optimising aircraft operation during the day, and increasing flights after 10pm. We coordinate with airlines and Vietnamese diplomatic agencies abroad to support and create better conditions for them to open and increase direct flight routes, and especially resumption of international flights to destinations such as Danang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc, and Dalat, Thang said. His comments come amid a drop in the number of domestic flights and lower-than-expected recovery of international routes in the first half of this year, ringing alarm bells about flight operation efficiency among air carriers. Vietnam Airlines is trying to pick up the pace with more international routes Photo: Le Toan According to the CAAV, the domestic segments performance has been weak, with domestic tourist arrivals hitting 17 million, falling over 19 per cent on-year. Due to the lack of aircraft, airlines had to reduce the number of flights on domestic routes. This is also a reason for the fall, Thang added. Dang Anh Tuan, deputy general director of Vietnam Airlines, said, While there were more than 55,000 domestic and international flights during January-June, we still faced many challenges due to the aircraft shortfall. He blamed the situation on the fact that the airline halted operation of 12 Airbus A321 aircraft for technical checks, and its unit Pacific Airlines returning leased aircraft to clear debts and restructure. Vietnam Airlines recovery of international routes is still lower than expected, and international flight revenues contribute 65 per cent of the airlines total revenue. Vietnam Airlines focuses on major markets such as the US, China, and Japan. Specifically, flights to China are recovering slowly compared to general forecasts. In the first five months of the year, the Chinese market saw a decrease of about 55 per cent compared to before the pandemic. Japanese tourists coming to Vietnam only reached 60 per cent compared to 2019, and a US route to San Francisco was opened by the airline in 2022, but it has yet to cover its costs. Le Hong Ha, general director of Vietnam Airlines, said, Long-haul flights are still a big challenge for airlines due to great competition. But the contribution of the US route to Vietnam Airlines is significant, bringing good results when other routes have not recovered, Ha said Meanwhile, Bamboo Airways has cut flight frequency on a number of unprofitable routes in recent months and is focusing on restructuring. Its fleet numbers fell by a fifth from 2022 due to restructuring and since early 2024, the airline has rented three A320 aircraft, aiming to increase its fleet to 12 by the end of the year. Bamboo general director Luong Hoai Nam said, The company still aims for 2024 to be the last year of business loss. From 2025, the business will break even and become profitable in the following years. Within the next three years, we will be listed on the stock exchange. Bamboo Airways is focusing on main routes to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, and on tourist and public service routes with high demand; as well as international routes to Southeast Asia. To ensure operating needs, Bamboo Airways needs an approximate $70 million in the last months of 2024, through capital mobilisation from credit institutions and domestic and foreign investors. Vietjet has not been as affected by the aircraft shortfall thanks to its business strategy, and continues to open new routes. In 2024 it has opened direct flights connecting Hanoi with Sydney, bringing the total number of connecting flights between Vietnam and Australia to seven. The airline also opened direct flights from Hanoi to Hiroshima in Japan and Ho Chi Minh City to Chengdu in China. Aviation expert Ngo Tuan said, Unlike Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet focuses on the niche market by opening flights to small cities and tourist destinations. This helps it gain advantages and competitive edge and better survive this difficult time. For instance, Vietjet operates the most flights to India and Australia. Yet to disclose its first-half results, a Vietjet representative said that the airlines flights achieve an average seat occupancy ratio of 87 per cent, and technical reliability of 99.7 per cent. To meet operational needs, the company continuously invests in its fleet and, as of late December 2023, Vietjet boasted 105 aircraft. Currently, air carriers are planning to rent more aircraft to serve the opening of more routes and increase flight frequency, pinning high hopes on growth. For example, Bamboo Airways will reopen some domestic routes such as Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat, Thanh Hoa, and Phu Quoc. It will also look into to re-operating several regular international routes to destinations like Bangkok. Bamboo Airways aims to increase its fleet to 18 aircraft by the end of 2025 to operate more key domestic and international routes. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines will expand operations on domestic routes such as Hanoi to both Dalat and Phu Quoc, and Ho Chi Minh City to both Thanh Hoa and Chu Lai. Pacific Airlines will focus on operating similar routes. Several factors affecting aviation sector recovery Pacific Airlines has recorded zero passengers since the start of April after the budget airline returned its last aircraft at the end of March in an attempt to write off debts, perfectly encapsulating the ongoing struggles of businesses operating in the aviation sector. Vietnam Airlines faces severe aircraft shortage, considers Chinese planes The CEO of Vietnam Airlines has disclosed that the airline's severe aircraft shortage is expected to persist until the end of 2024. To mitigate the impact, Vietnam Airlines is exploring the incorporation of Chinese-developed C919 aircraft into its fleet. Vietnam Airlines to launch Hanoi-Phnom Penh direct flight Vietnam Airlines on July 13 announced a new direct flight route between Hanoi and Phnom Penh and signed cooperation agreements with Cambodian partners to boost aviation and tourism development. Number of aircraft receiving AOC drops during January-July As of July, the total number of aircraft of Vietnamese airlines receiving air operator certificate (AOC) stood at 195, a drop of 36 compared to the same period last year, statistic from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Of which, the number of commercial aircraft utilised by the airlines was 167, a year-on-year decline of 51. Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith writes in the condolence book (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - High-ranking delegations from Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Cuba paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25, expressing their grief for the death of the Vietnamese Party leader. In the condolence book, Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith noted the profound sadness at the death of General Secretary Trong. He wrote that the Lao Party, State, and people will always remember the General Secretarys great merit and invaluable contributions to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam. "We lost a respectable comrade, a close and great friend," he wrote, affirming that the Vietnamese Party leader's reputation and legacy will forever live on. The Chinese delegation is led by Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning (Photo: VNA) Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning, leading the Chinese delegation to the respect paying ceremony, expressed deep sorrow at the passing of the General Secretary, calling him a great friend of the Chinese people. CPP President and President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Techo Hun Sen offers incense to the late Party leader (Photo: VNA) Extending condolences to leaders and members of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Techo Hun Sen wrote that the CPP has lost a comrade and a visionary leader who strongly supported and developed the bilateral long-standing friendship and cooperation in all aspects between Vietnam and Cambodia in the spirit of friendship between the CPP and the Communist Party of Vietnam. A Russian delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly Petr Olegovich Tolstoy pays respect to the Vietnamese leader (Photo: VNA) Petr Olegovich Tolstoy, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia, wrote in the condolence book that the Russian people will remember and highly value the General Secretarys significant contributions to establishing and advancing the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership built on traditional friendship, trust and mutual support. "We will forever remember the excellent leader," he wrote. The Cuban delegation is led by President of the National Assembly of People's Power Esteban Lazo Hernandez (Photo: VNA) President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez offered the deepest condolences at the death of General Secretary Trong, who is a close and loyal friend of Cuba. He said the rich theoretical knowledge and extensive revolutionary experience of him are significant to the cause of socialism building in Vietnam and a source of reference for the international communist movement. Trong's research in Marxist-Leninist theory, Ho Chi Minh Thought and Vietnam's Doi Moi has strategic significance, he wrote. The Vietnamese Party leader's successful visits to Cuba are evidence of the excellent relations between the two countries and the will to continue consolidating and expanding the relations, Hernandez wrote. He recalled his meeting with General Secretary Trong in September 2023, saying that he will forever remember that meeting, as he is the last Cuban leader to have had the chance to exchange views with him, a close friend of Cuba. In the afternoon on July 25, many ambassadors, representatives of various countries and international organisations in Vietnam came to pay their respects and express profound sorrow at the passing of the Vietnamese leader. As part of the State funeral for the Party leader, the respect-paying ceremony is held at the National Funeral Hall from 7am to 10pm on July 25, and 7am to 1pm on July 26. The memorial service is scheduled for 1pm on July 26 at the National Funeral Hall, followed by the burial ceremony at 3pm at Mai Dich Cemetery in the capital city. Leaders, people bid last farewell to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong Since the early morning of July 25, large numbers of leaders and people from all walks of life have paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and in his hometown in Dong Hoi commune of Hanois Dong Anh district, showing their great grief over the passing of the Party leader. Indonesia media highlights Party General Secretarys great role in Vietnam's renewal process Indonesian news agencies and newspapers have run articles highlighting the great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to national construction and development in Vietnam. Vietnamese embassies in Indonesia, RoK, Australia open condolence books for late Party chief The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia held a respect-paying service and opened a book of condolence for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 and 26. Respect paying ceremony held for Party General Secretary in Cambodia The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia opened two-day respect paying ceremony along with the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 morning. Moscow mourns Vietnamese Party chief A two-day respect paying ceremony began on July 25 morning at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to honour Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Jakarta Indonesian news agencies and newspapers have run articles highlighting the great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to national construction and development in Vietnam. Kompas research magazine on July 20 published an article hailing the outstanding role of General Secretary Trong and emphasising his imprints on Vietnam's development. According to the article, the Party leader has been known globally for introducing the bamboo diplomacy" approach, which is flexible and capable of responding to geopolitical winds in the world. While developing international relations, Vietnam bases on national values and stays open to all partner countries without losing its identity. The large-scale anti-corruption campaign initiated by the General Secretary is an unprecedented tough, effective measure. He is also a model of purity and corruption combat, winning the peoples trust. This is one of the key factors to create consensus in national development. The passing of the General Secretary is a great loss to Vietnam. Meanwhile, Tempo newspaper reported that after nearly 60 years of working, General Secretary Trong made great and extraordinary contributions to the glorious revolutionary struggle of his Party and nation. His passing is a huge loss to the Party, State and people of Vietnam and his family. "Nusantara Post" newspaper assessed that under the leadership of the Party leader, Vietnam has become a rising power in Southeast Asia, balancing historical relationships with a modern approach in international diplomacy. In addition, the Communist Party of Vietnam emphasised the importance of maintaining a socialist orientation and adapting to global economic changes through the Doi Moi (Renewal) policy. Sharing the same views, Ipotnews and Indonesia Satu newspapers highlighted that General Secretary Trong led Vietnam to establish good and balanced relations with major countries, gathering national internal strength to maintain impressive economic growth over the past decade. Other major newspapers and media agencies in Indonesia such as The Diplomat, CNN-Indonesia, Metro TV, RRI, and Liputan-6 also reported the passing of the Vietnamese leader and praised his role in the country's development. Cuban leaders mourn Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on July 24 morning (local time) paid homage to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Vietnamese Embassy in Havana. African political parties leaders sign condolence books in memory of Vietnamese Party chief General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) Solly Mapaila on July 24 afternoon came to the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa to pay his respects and sign the condolence book following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. UN Secretary-General, ambassadors pay tribute to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong Leaders of the United Nations (UN) and ambassadors of countries to the UN on July 24 paid tribute to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN in New York, the US. A high-level delegation from Belarus led by Siarhei Khamenka, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic (upper house) of the National Assembly of Belarus, pays last respect to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - The respect paying ceremony for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued on the morning of July 26 at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, with high-level delegations from foreign countries and international organisations paying their last respects and expressing deep condolences. Among them were high-level delegations from Belarus led by Siarhei Khamenka, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic (upper house) of the National Assembly of Belarus; from Malaysia led by Deputy Prime Minister Yab DatoSri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof; from the Philippines led by Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr; from Thailand led by Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office and the PMs Special Envoy Jakkapong Sangmanee; and from the Communist Party of Britain led by a representative of its leadership Kyril Whittaker. In the condolence book, Deputy Chairman Siarhei Khamenka, on behalf of the Belarusian President and people, expressed his deep condolences over the passing of a true patriot of Vietnam and a sincere friend of the Belarusian people. Thailand will always remember him, he added. Malaysian Deputy PM Fadillah Yusof wrote that the late Party chief was a truly dedicated leader who tirelessly served his country. Vietnam has lost a steadfast and committed leader who made great contributions. May his legacy inspire future generations, he wrote, affirming that the Party leader made invaluable efforts to significantly strengthen the Vietnam-Malaysia strategic partnership, contributing to regional peace and prosperity. Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr wrote that the Philippines shares the profound grief and great loss felt by the Vietnamese people over the passing of an outstanding leader, diplomat, teacher, intellectual, and most cherished son of Vietnam ''. May his exemplary life and contributions to Vietnam and the world noble life and immense contributions to Vietnam and the world be remembered by generations to come, and may his love for peace and integrity long burn and inspire the hearts and minds of our fellow ASEAN brothers. The high-level delegation from Thailand pays tribute to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Special Envoy of Thai PM Jakkapong Sangmanee, meanwhile, wrote that the late Part chiefs leadership and dedication significantly contributed to Vietnam's stable and prosperous development. He was a great friend of Thailand, playing a crucial role in fostering a stable and strong relationship between the two countries. His visit to Thailand in 2013 marked a significant chapter, elevating the bilateral diplomatic relations to a strategic partnership. The people of Thailand will always remember the Vietnamese Party General Secretary. Whittaker jotted down his farewell to "a revolutionary comrade of the highest calibre, leader of the Vietnamese people and light of the revolutionary movement." Over 1,560 delegations bid farewell to Party General Secretary As many as 1,565 delegations with 55,600 people paid their final respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Hanoi's outlying district of Dong Anh from 7am to 9pm on July 25. Intl friends pay last respects to Party General Secretary Expressing their deep condolences to the Party, State and people of Vietnam, leaders from many countries and international friends came to Hanoi on July 25 to say goodbye forever to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Tens of thousands line up at night to pay respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong As the night deepened, more and more people headed toward the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong in Hanoi on July 25. They stood orderly in lines stretching for kilometers, waiting for their turn to pay respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. At the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Expressing their deep condolences to the Party, State and people of Vietnam, leaders from many countries and international friends came to Hanoi on July 25 to say goodbye forever to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Myanmar Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Admiral Tin Aung San wrote in the condolence book that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made great contributions in upgrading the relationship between the two countries to a comprehensive cooperative partnership during his visit to Myanmar in 2017. His passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is also a great loss to Myanmar, Tin Aung San wrote, noting he is a dedicated politician who devoted his whole life to the benefit of the country and its people. The legacies he left behind will continue to inspire future generations of Vietnam as well as make a memorable milestone in bilateral relations between Myanmar and Vietnam. Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Dong expressed his deepest condolences over the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He wrote in the condolence book that under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has recorded rapid economic growth and improved people's lives. He strongly supported closer cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam, and established a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation in the future, including a plan to soon upgrade the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Extending his deep condolences and sympathy to the family of the Party leader and the entire Vietnamese people, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Han Duck Soo hailed Nguyen Phu Trong for devoting his entire life to the development of Vietnam. Taking notes in the condolence book, Australian Senate President Sue Lines affirmed that Australia appreciates the warmth and sincerity that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong gave to the relationship between the two countries. The most important achievement in the bilateral relationship during the term of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the upgrade of the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This would not be made without his support and leadership. The General Secretary's dedication to Vietnam and its people has been valued by the international community. His legacies and commitments to Vietnam's peace will remain forever. In the condolence book, Special Envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister and former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide wrote that he will always remember Party chief Trongs great contributions to promoting the friendship between Vietnam and Japan. Sharing this immeasurable loss with Vietnam, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Council of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un sent a wreath to pay tribute to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Paying respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, National Security Advisor of India Ajit Doval extended the deepest condolences to the leaders and people of Vietnam as well as the family over his passing, an uncountable loss of Vietnam. India highly values the valuable contributions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the development of Vietnam as well as the strengthening of the India-Vietnam friendship. Also on July 25, many ambassadors, representatives of countries and international organisations in Vietnam paid homage to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and extended their profound condolences over his passing. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Military Commission, passed away on July 19 at the age of 80. For nearly 60 years of working, he made significant and particularly remarkable contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. He was granted the Gold Star Order, the 55-year Party membership badge, and many other noble orders and medals of Vietnam and other countries. The respect-paying ceremonies take place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from 7am to 10pm on July 25, and from 7am to 1pm on July 26. The memorial service will be held at 1pm on July 26 at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi. The burial ceremony will take place at 3pm on the same day at the capital citys Mai Dich Cemetery. Vietnamese embassies in Indonesia, RoK, Australia open condolence books for late Party chief The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia held a respect-paying service and opened a book of condolence for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 and 26. Respect paying ceremony held for Party General Secretary in Cambodia The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia opened two-day respect paying ceremony along with the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 morning. Moscow mourns Vietnamese Party chief A two-day respect paying ceremony began on July 25 morning at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to honour Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Thai PM, Bruneian Princess pay respect to late Vietnamese Party leader The Vietnamese Embassies in Thailand and Brunei on July 25 began respect-paying ceremony and opened condolence books for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. Foreign leaders pay last respects to Vietnamese Party chief High-ranking delegations from Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Cuba paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25, expressing their grief for the death of the Vietnamese Party leader. More condolences sent to Vietnam over Party General Secretarys death Following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, senior leaders from various countries, international organisations, parties, and friendship organisations worldwide have sent condolences to the CPV Central Committee, the President, Prime Minister, and people of Vietnam, and the late leaders family. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's casket leaves National Funeral Hall (Photo: VNA) Hanoi A memorial ceremony was held at 1pm on July 26 for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. The service was organised simultaneously at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and the late leaders hometown in Dong Hoi commune of Hanois Dong Anh district, by the CPV Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and his family. As of 12:30 on July 26, over 5,600 delegations from central and local agencies, armed forces, the public, and foreign countries and organisations, with more than 252,000 people, had paid their respects to the late leader in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, over 483,000 entries had been made in the electronic condolence book on the e-identification app VNeID, and approximately 3,000 delegations paid their respects at 94 Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad. Attending the memorial service at the National Funeral Hall were Politburo members: State President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Luong Cuong, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien, and other Politburo members and Secretaries of the Party Central Committee. Also present at the ceremony were incumbent and former leaders of the Party, the State and the VFF, veteran revolutionaries, intellectuals, representatives from agencies, organisations, associations, religious organisations, people from all walks of life and international friends. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was born April 14, 1944 in Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi city. His residence is at No. 5 Thien Quang street, Nguyen Du ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi. He started his career on December 5, 1967 and became a Party member on December 19, 1967. He is a member of the Party Central Committee in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tenures; a member of the Political Bureau in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tenures; Chairman of the National Assembly in the 11th and 12th tenures; General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 11th, 12th, 13th tenures; President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the 2016-2021 tenure; Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council; Secretary of the Central Military Commission; a member of the Standing Board of the Central Public Security Party Committee; head of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena; and Deputy of the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th National Assembly. Politburo member and State President To Lam reads the eulogy (Photo: VNA) Reading the eulogy, Politburo member and State President To Lam, head of the Funeral Board, said the General Secretarys passing is a huge and irreparable loss to the Party, nation, and people. The country has lost a talented leader; the world communist and progressive movements have lost a sharp theorist; international friends have lost a sincere friend and a close comrade; and his family, clan, and the hometown of Dong Hoi have lost an eminent son. President Lam noted that throughout his nearly 60 years of diverse, unwavering revolutionary work, Professor, Doctor, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, with his wide and keen intellect, has left a valuable system of ideology and theory on Vietnams revolutionary path in the new era for the entire Party, army, and people. Persisting and creatively applying Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minhs ideology, with the goal of national independence and socialism, ideologist Nguyen Phu Trong, a theory flag of the Party, has clarified the theory of socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam, the role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the socialist-oriented market economy. His invaluable legacy has consolidated the strong trust in the path towards socialism, significantly contributing to the development of the world communist movement, Marxism-Leninism, and Ho Chi Minhs ideology in the present era. With his strategic vision on the current world situation, unceasing efforts to contribute to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment in the region and the world, he opened up a new chapter in the relations between Vietnam and international partners, boosted the countrys friendship with other countries, intensified Vietnams contributions with various commitments and practical acts, and closely combined the strength of the nation and that of the era, strongly bringing the country forward. General Secretary Trong and the Party Central Committee worked out plans, made decisions, and led the successful implementation of the strategic guidelines on Party building and rectification; resolutely and persistently fought individualism, degradation of ideology, morality, and lifestyle, and corruption and other negative phenomena in the Party. This is an arduous fight against internal enemy to make the Party purer and stronger, and affirm the pioneering role, mettle, and intellect, so that the Party is truly of morality and civilisation. The late leader made great devotion and especially important contributions to building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, making it truly a spiritual foundation of the society, an intrinsic strength, and important momentum for national development. With a profound and sharp political viewpoint, he elevated the strategic mindset, creating a new development for the national defence, security, and external affairs of Vietnam. He also brought into play the pioneering role of the comprehensive diplomacy, forming and leading the efficient implementation of the new-era art of diplomacy deeply imbued with the characteristics of the Vietnamese bamboo. Under his leadership, Vietnam has become a trustworthy partner and an active and responsible member in the international stage, and unceasingly carried out intensive, extensive and comprehensive integration into the international politics, the world economy, and the humankinds civilisation, reads the eulogy. President Lam went on to say that running through General Secretary Trongs thought is the people, the humans, and the wholehearted and all-out service to the people, the development of the new socialist people, and the unceasing consolidation of solidarity and unity, firstly those in the Party, the great national solidarity, and the pure international solidarity. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong relentlessly devoted himself to the revolutionary cause of our Party and nation with a steel-like spirit and will, did not backtrack in the face of obstacles and difficulties; dedicated all of his sense of responsibility and revolutionary enthusiasm, worked till his last breath, and made wholehearted and all-out dedications to the Party, the country, and the people, demonstrating a great figure living his life to the fullest for the country, the Party, and the people. He is truly an outstanding and brilliant example of the pure revolutionary mettle and ethics, public-spiritedness and selflessness, a simple, upright, and sincere lifestyle, a democratic, dedicated, scientific, close to reality, and drastic working style which contains consistency between words and actions, along with the respect for and love of people, and the extreme closeness to the people. He was truly the nucleus that mobilised the solidarity, unity, and wisdom of the entire Party, people, and army, received the respect, trust, and pride from cadres, Party members and the people, and was also appreciated and highly valued by international friends, President Lam went on. The State leader added that the General Secretary passed away but his name and career, contributions and dedications, and talent and righteousness will remain bright forever in the glorious history of the Party and the nation, in the gratitude of cadres, Party members and people, and in the sentiment of international friends. His legacy will last forever in the history of Vietnam and be inherited and further brought into play in the cause of renewal, thereby successfully realising the goal of building a peaceful, independent, united, democratic, prosperous, powerful, civilised, and happy Vietnam that he wished and strived for throughout his whole life. Leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; representatives of ministries, departments, sectors, organisations, comrades, compatriots, and international friends observed a minute of silence to commemorate General Secretary Trong. On behalf of the bereaved family, Nguyen Trong Truong, the son of Party General Secretary Trong said: After a period of illness, despite wholehearted care and treatment by the Party, the State, leading medical professors and doctors, and our family, due to old age and severe illness, our father and grandfather passed away at 1:38pm on July 19, 2024 (the 14th day of the sixth lunar month in the Year of the Dragon) at Central Military Hospital 108 in Hanoi, at the age of 80. Our fathers passing is an extremely great and incompensable loss to our family, especially my Mother and his children and grandchildren. From the time our father fell ill until his last moment and throughout the organisation of the funeral, our family has received a lot of affection, encouragement, sincere sympathies, and wholehearted assistance from the Party, the State, central agencies and units, localities, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, along with the affection from people nationwide, overseas compatriots, and international friends. My Mother and our entire family wish to express the most profound and sincere appreciation and gratitude. Delegates observe a moment of silence in memory of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Expressing their grief, leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; representatives of ministries, departments, sectors, organisations, comrades, compatriots, and international friends walked around the leaders coffin, bidding their last farewell to comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, an outstanding and reputable leader of the Party, State and people. In the solemn background music of the song Hon Tu si (Souls of the Fallen), leaders and former leaders of the Party and State carried the coffin of General Secretary Trong to the hearse. The coffin of General Secretary Trong was solemnly covered with the national flag. The hearse carrying the coffin of General Secretary Trong left the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street to his resting place at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi. Crowds of people lined both sides of the route where the funeral procession passed to send off comrade Trong - the exemplary leader who devoted his whole life to the country and the people, to his resting place. On June 26 afternoon, taking place in parallel with the memorial services at the National Funeral Hall, at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, large numbers of representatives from central and local agencies, and people of all walks of life in Ho Chi Minh City attended the memorial service for General Secretary Trong. In the late Party leaders hometown at Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune of Hanois Dong Anh district, local leaders, Trongs relatives and crowd of people gathered to pay last homage to the Party chief. To the people of Dong Hoi, General Secretary Trong is not only an example of simplicity, accessibility and sincerity but also a talented, exemplary and virtuous leader of the Party, State and people. The burial service for Party General Secretary Trong took place at 3pm the same day at the Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi. Foreign leaders pay last respects to Vietnamese Party chief High-ranking delegations from Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Cuba paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25, expressing their grief for the death of the Vietnamese Party leader. More condolences sent to Vietnam over Party General Secretarys death Following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, senior leaders from various countries, international organisations, parties, and friendship organisations worldwide have sent condolences to the CPV Central Committee, the President, Prime Minister, and people of Vietnam, and the late leaders family. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - Following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, senior leaders from various countries, international organisations, parties, and friendship organisations worldwide have sent condolences to the CPV Central Committee, the President, Prime Minister, and people of Vietnam, and the late leaders family. Canada's Governor General Mary Simon said in her message that the Party General Secretary will be remembered for his dedicated service to the Vietnamese people. She said Canada appreciates his support for the establishment of a comprehensive partnership between Canada and Vietnam, which has benefited both peoples. Letters of condolence were sent to President To Lam from Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANUPF) Obert Moses Mpofu, Chairman of the People's Party of Kazakhstan Ermuhamet Ertsbaev, and Chief Representative of Japan's Komeito Party Yamaguchi Natsuo. Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sent a message of condolence to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The CPV Central Committee has received additional messages/letters of condolences from General Secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party Paulo Raimundo, the presidium of the Hungarian Workers' Party, the Swiss Party of Labour, the Central Committee of the Colombian Communist Party, the Peruvian Communist Party; the Communist Party of Peru-Red Fatherland, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front of El Salvador, the international secretary of the Communist Party of Denmark, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Brazil, the Secretariat of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the head of the external relations committee of the Left Party of Germany, the Justicialist Party of Argentina, the Politburo of the Communist Party of Kurdistan-Iraq, and the Central Committee of the Paraguayan Communist Party. The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations received condolence messages from the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity, the China-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Republic of Korea-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Chairman of the Japan Committee for Asian-African-Latin American Solidarity, the Sri Lanka People's Liberation Front, the Egyptian Peace Committee, the Mongolia-Vietnam Friendship Association, and the Australia-Vietnam Friendship Association. UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy sent a letter of condolences to Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. Vietnamese embassies in Indonesia, RoK, Australia open condolence books for late Party chief The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia held a respect-paying service and opened a book of condolence for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 and 26. Respect paying ceremony held for Party General Secretary in Cambodia The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia opened two-day respect paying ceremony along with the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 morning. Moscow mourns Vietnamese Party chief A two-day respect paying ceremony began on July 25 morning at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to honour Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Thai PM, Bruneian Princess pay respect to late Vietnamese Party leader The Vietnamese Embassies in Thailand and Brunei on July 25 began respect-paying ceremony and opened condolence books for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Aleksey Yatskin writes in condolence book (Photo: VNA) Moscow - A two-day respect paying ceremony began on July 25 morning at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to honour Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi described the General Secretary as a humble and approachable leader who always showed affection and concern to his subordinates. He highlighted the "Vietnamese bamboo" diplomatic style initiated by General Secretary Trong, saying it has a very practical meaning for those working in foreign affairs. He said all of those engaged in diplomatic work, both at home and abroad, will never forget the guidance and trust entrusted by the Party, State and people and pledge to keep striving to live up to the expectations of the General Secretary, to better serve the country and people. Aleksey Yatskin, First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, praised the late leaders legacies, saying that the two nations would continue to build on the foundation he laid for the benefit of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership. The condolence book is filled with heartfelt messages and sympathies from representatives of the embassies of Laos, Cambodia, India, and China; Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Councill Andrey Klimov; representatives of major universities in Moscow; Vietnamese associations, businesses and others, reflecting the widespread respect and admiration for the Vietnamese leader. Leaders, people bid last farewell to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong Since the early morning of July 25, large numbers of leaders and people from all walks of life have paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and in his hometown in Dong Hoi commune of Hanois Dong Anh district, showing their great grief over the passing of the Party leader. Indonesia media highlights Party General Secretarys great role in Vietnam's renewal process Indonesian news agencies and newspapers have run articles highlighting the great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to national construction and development in Vietnam. Vietnamese embassies in Indonesia, RoK, Australia open condolence books for late Party chief The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia held a respect-paying service and opened a book of condolence for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 and 26. China's advanced satellites for climate, carbon monitoring now operational Xinhua) 10:46, July 26, 2024 BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's atmospheric environment monitoring satellite and terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite have been officially put into operation, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Thursday. During their in-orbit testing, these satellites demonstrated favorable application results across multiple areas, including ecological environment, forestry and grassland, geographic surveying, meteorology, agriculture and emergency disaster response, according to an official of the CNSA. The two satellites will provide crucial data to effectively address global climate change and support China's goals of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. The atmospheric monitoring satellite is the world's first to utilize active laser detection, employing a combination of active laser, hyperspectral, multispectral and high-precision polarization techniques for comprehensive observation, according to the CNSA. It is capable of conducting extensive, continuous, dynamic and round-the-clock comprehensive monitoring of atmospheric fine particulate matter, pollutants, greenhouse gases, clouds, aerosols, as well as environmental elements such as land surfaces and water bodies. Additionally, it has for the first time achieved global round-the-clock high-precision detection of carbon dioxide column concentrations at 1 PPM. The terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite, also known as "Goumang" (named after the ancient Chinese god of spring, growth and life), is the world's first remote sensing satellite for forest carbon sinks combining both active and passive observation methods, the CNSA said. It employs a range of remote sensing methods, including laser, multi-angle, multispectral, hyperspectral and polarization techniques, to detect vegetation biomass and productivity, and monitor atmospheric aerosol distribution. It also meets the needs of geographic surveying, disaster assessment, and agricultural remote sensing. "Goumang" has achieved quantitative remote sensing detection of forest vegetation height, biomass, and chlorophyll fluorescence, enhancing the forest carbon sink monitoring capabilities of both China and the world. The CNSA will further explore the satellite application scenarios, enhance the overall application effectiveness, and promote the sharing and utilization of satellite data resources. China successfully launched the atmospheric environment monitoring satellite on April 16, 2022, and the terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite on Aug. 4, 2022, both from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Crowds line up at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi to pay last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Hanoi As many as 1,565 delegations with 55,600 people paid their final respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Hanoi's outlying district of Dong Anh from 7am to 9pm on July 25. The attendees included leaders from the Party, State, ministries, agencies, mass organisations, localities, and units, as well as the military, diplomatic delegations, international organisations, international friends, and fellow citizens, according to the organising board of the state funeral. At the National Funeral Hall, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee delegation, led by Politburo member and State President To Lam, paid tribute to General Secretary Trong and offered condolences to his family. The Government delegation was led by Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the State President delegation by Politburo member and State President To Lam, the NA delegation by Politburo member and NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and the VFF Central Committee delegation by Politburo member, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien. Former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh; former Presidents Nguyen Minh Triet, Truong Tan Sang, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Vo Van Thuong; former PM Nguyen Tan Dung; former NA Chairpersons Nguyen Sinh Hung, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and Vuong Dinh Hue; along with many other incumbent and former leaders of the Party and State also came to pay respects to the late leader and offer their heartfelt condolences to his family. The respect-paying ceremony will continue in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from 7am to 1pm on July 26. The memorial service is scheduled for 1pm on July 26 at the National Funeral Hall, followed by the burial ceremony at 3pm at Mai Dich Cemetery in the capital city. Indonesia media highlights Party General Secretarys great role in Vietnam's renewal process Indonesian news agencies and newspapers have run articles highlighting the great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to national construction and development in Vietnam. Respect paying ceremony held for Party General Secretary in Cambodia The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia opened two-day respect paying ceremony along with the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 morning. Foreign leaders pay last respects to Vietnamese Party chief High-ranking delegations from Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Cuba paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25, expressing their grief for the death of the Vietnamese Party leader. Delegations from the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Peoples Council, Peoples Committee, Fatherland Front, and people from all walks of life observe a minute of silence to commemorate Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi More than 5,600 delegations with over 252,000 people formally paid tribute to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Hanoi's outlying district of Dong Anh during the two-day state funeral on July 25-26. The attendees included leaders from the Party, State, ministries, agencies, mass organisations, localities, and units, as well as the military and diplomatic delegations, international organisations, international friends, and fellow citizens. As many as 434 delegations with 136,886 people bid farewell to the late leader at the National Funeral Hall, 1,588 delegations with 56,600 people in Dong Hoi commune, and 3,585 delegations with 58,532 people in Ho Chi Minh City. There were 100 foreign delegations coming to say goodbye to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. According to the organising board of the state funeral, over 483,000 people sent their heartfelt condolences to the late leader via the e-identification app VNeID. The immense turnout for the national mourning prompted the organising board to extend the respect-paying ceremony to 24:00 at the National Funeral Hall, and 23:00 in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Hoi commune instead of 22:00 on July 25 as announced earlier. The memorial service was held at 1pm on July 26 at the National Funeral Hall, followed by the burial ceremony at 3pm at Mai Dich Cemetery in the capital city. Intl friends pay last respects to Party General Secretary Expressing their deep condolences to the Party, State and people of Vietnam, leaders from many countries and international friends came to Hanoi on July 25 to say goodbye forever to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Tens of thousands line up at night to pay respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong As the night deepened, more and more people headed toward the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong in Hanoi on July 25. They stood orderly in lines stretching for kilometers, waiting for their turn to pay respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Memorial service held for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong A memorial ceremony was held at 1pm on July 26 for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. A CPP delegation led by Honorary President Samdech Heng Samrin at the ceremony (Photo: VNA) Phnom Penh The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia opened two-day respect paying ceremony along with the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 morning. Throughout the morning, delegations from the Cambodian Royal Palace, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), the Senate, the National Assembly, and various Cambodian ministries and agencies visited the Vietnamese Embassy to sign the condolence book and pay their last respects. Senior Minister in charge of General Affairs of the Ministry of the Royal Palace Kuy Sophal conveyed a letter of condolences from King Norodom Sihamoni to Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang, and condolences from the King and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk to leaders and people of Vietnam over the passing of the late Party leader, who he said is a close friend of Cambodian people. Leaders of the CPP, the Senate, the National Assembly of Cambodia hailed the General Secretary as an eminent leader of Vietnam and a close, longstanding friend of Cambodia who made significant contributions to the fraternal friendship and close cooperation between the two countries Parties, Governments and people, affirming that his legacy will remain forever in their hearts. Representatives from diplomatic missions and international organisations in Cambodia, as well as from the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia (KVA), the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Vietnam-Cambodia Business Association (VCBA), and the Cambodian Alumni in Vietnam Association (CAVA) also paid their last respects to the Vietnamese Party leader. The respect paying ceremony at the embassy will last through July 26. State Funeral for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong: Memorial service in Ho Chi Minh City A memorial service for Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is held at the Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City. Cuban leaders mourn Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on July 24 morning (local time) paid homage to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Vietnamese Embassy in Havana. African political parties leaders sign condolence books in memory of Vietnamese Party chief General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) Solly Mapaila on July 24 afternoon came to the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa to pay his respects and sign the condolence book following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. UN Secretary-General, ambassadors pay tribute to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong Leaders of the United Nations (UN) and ambassadors of countries to the UN on July 24 paid tribute to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN in New York, the US. Leaders, people bid last farewell to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong Since the early morning of July 25, large numbers of leaders and people from all walks of life have paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and in his hometown in Dong Hoi commune of Hanois Dong Anh district, showing their great grief over the passing of the Party leader. Indonesia media highlights Party General Secretarys great role in Vietnam's renewal process Indonesian news agencies and newspapers have run articles highlighting the great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to national construction and development in Vietnam. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin writes in the condolence book at the respect-paying ceremony at Vietnamese Embassies in Thailand on July 25. (Photo: VNA) Bangkok - The Vietnamese Embassies in Thailand and Brunei on July 25 began respect-paying ceremony and opened condolence books for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. In Thailand, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin as well as representatives from various Thai ministries and departments came to the embassy to pay their respects. In the condolence book, PM Srettha extended deepest condolences to the government and people of Vietnam on the passing of Party General Secretary Trong. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the government, and the people of Vietnam during this difficult time. The mourners also included ambassadors and diplomats from many foreign embassies in Thailand, and representatives from various associations, businesses, and the Vietnamese community. The entries in the condolence book expressed deep respect and sorrow for the late Party General Secretary, highlighting his role in enhancing Vietnam's relations with other nations. They affirmed that his legacy will be upheld in a worthy manner and continue to positively contribute to strengthening Vietnam's international ties and global standing. On the same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei also opened a two-day respect-paying ceremony and a condolence book for the Party General Secretary at its premises. Princess Hajah Masna, the sister of Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, paid tribute to the late Vietnamese leader on behalf of the Brunei royal family and government. Princess Hajah Masna, on behalf of the Brunei royal family and government, writes in the condolence book at the respect-paying ceremony at Vietnamese Embassies in Brunei on July 25. (Photo: VNA) Numerous ambassadors and heads of foreign missions in Brunei also paid their respects to the General Secretary, including ambassadors of Japan, Laos, China, the US, Australia, France, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Iran, Timor-Leste, among others. Indonesia media highlights Party General Secretarys great role in Vietnam's renewal process Indonesian news agencies and newspapers have run articles highlighting the great contributions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to national construction and development in Vietnam. Vietnamese embassies in Indonesia, RoK, Australia open condolence books for late Party chief The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia held a respect-paying service and opened a book of condolence for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 and 26. Respect paying ceremony held for Party General Secretary in Cambodia The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia opened two-day respect paying ceremony along with the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 morning. Vietnam has seen a remarkable surge in the adoption of cryptoassets over the past few years. It ranks third globally in cryptocurrency owners, following India and the United States, with nearly 26 million people owning digital currencies, according to Crypto Crunch App. In 2023, a report by Chainalysis highlighted that Vietnam ranked third in estimated cryptocurrency gains by country, with approximately $1.18 billion in estimated gains. Dr. Nguyen Nhat Minh and Dr. Thai Trung Hieu, lecturers of Blockchain Enabled Business at RMIT University A significant trend is the growing interest in decentralised finance and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These innovations attract investors, creators, and entrepreneurs leveraging blockchain technology for new business models. For instance, Chainalysis suggests that play-to-earn gaming and NFTs are significant drivers of Vietnams crypto interest. The demographic profile of crypto users in Vietnam is diverse, including young professionals, tech enthusiasts, and small business owners seeking alternative investments. Vietnamese tech companies and startups are at the forefront of cryptoasset innovation, offering solutions that enhance transaction efficiency and security. These advancements position Vietnam as a regional leader in blockchain technology and foster a vibrant ecosystem of innovation. The crypto market has become a significant income source, contributing to job creation and business opportunities. Furthermore, cryptoassets have the potential to enhance financial inclusion by providing access to financial services for the unbanked population, leading to greater economic participation and improved living standards. Despite these promising developments, the cryptoasset landscape in Vietnam faces challenges. Security issues, including fraud and hacking incidents, remain a significant concern and undermine investor confidence. Market volatility also poses risks, with drastic price fluctuations potentially leading to substantial financial losses. Necessity of regulations Vietnams regulatory framework for cryptoassets is still in its nascent stages. Digital assets present unprecedented challenges, not only for Vietnam but for countries worldwide. Currently, Vietnamese law does not recognise ownership rights over digital assets. Despite this, trading and mining of digital assets continue to thrive, driven by the robust development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This regulatory gap creates an uncertain environment for investors and businesses, potentially stifling innovation and growth. The unregulated nature of the crypto market in Vietnam exposes investors to significant risks, including fraud, market manipulation, and security breaches. As more people are interested in owning and investing in digital assets, there is an urgent need for regulations that protect consumers and ensure transparency in the market. This includes measures to prevent deceptive practices and safeguard against cyber threats. Implementing robust consumer protection regulations can build investor confidence and encourage more widespread participation in the crypto market. Unregulated crypto markets can also pose threats to the broader financial stability of Vietnam. Without proper oversight, there is a risk of financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorism financing. Regulations are essential to maintain market integrity and prevent such illicit activities. Ensuring financial stability involves creating a regulatory environment that balances the benefits of cryptoassets with the need to protect the financial system from potential disruptions. Besides the lack of regulations to mitigate risks, the rapid development of technology today also demands regulations to foster a conducive environment for innovation in the digital economy. To encourage the growth of blockchain technology and cryptoasset markets, it is essential to provide clear guidelines and support to create a healthy and fair playing field for businesses. This can further attract foreign investment and support local startups, driving economic growth and technological advancement. Photo: Shutterstock Primary approaches to regulation There are some key areas of interest in global practices regarding cryptoasset regulation, with the first being enhanced regulatory frameworks for investor protection. As cryptocurrency investment grows, robust regulatory frameworks are essential for protecting investors. In general, enhanced regulations ensure transparency, mitigate risks, and prevent fraud in the digital asset market. By fostering a secure and stable environment, these measures bolster investor confidence and support the sustainable growth of the cryptocurrency industry. In 2018, Hong Kong established one of its first comprehensive regulatory regimes for cryptoassets, setting new standards for fund managers, distributors, and platform operators. This regime addresses regulatory gaps and arbitrage issues from the previous framework, significantly enhancing investor protection. When compared with the regulatory approaches of the US, the UK, and Singapore, Hong Kongs regime is significant. However, concerns remain, particularly regarding the regulatory scope, the application of traditional standards to non-securities cryptoassets, issues with the sandbox mechanism, and the need to balance investor protection with market development. In the same fashion, Japanese regulation mandates that any entity wishing to provide cryptoasset exchange services to Japanese residents must register as a cryptoasset exchange provider. The primary objectives of this regulation are to protect investors and customers of cryptoasset exchanges and to prevent cryptoasset-related terrorist financing and money laundering. This framework ensures that exchanges operate transparently and securely, safeguarding investor interests and maintaining the integrity of the financial system. The second area involves integration of cryptoassets into traditional financial regulations. One straightforward approach to addressing regulatory issues for cryptocurrencies is integrating them into traditional financial regulation. This integration aims to bring the benefits of cryptocurrencies, such as efficiency and innovation, into the established financial system while ensuring stability, security, and compliance. By adapting existing regulations to accommodate digital currencies, authorities can address risks like fraud and volatility, fostering a safer and more transparent market. Among several challenges of this integration is understanding the relationship between cryptocurrencies and securities. Securities law is essential for ensuring transparency, fairness, and integrity in capital markets. It governs the issuance, trading, and disclosure of financial instruments like stocks and bonds, aiming to protect investors, promote efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. However, whether cryptocurrencies could be seen as securities remains a subject of debate among global financial organisations and the cryptocurrency industry. While several financial organisations argue that digital coins should be classified as securities, many leaders in the industry disagree, asserting that cryptocurrencies might differ from securities as they often serve as utility tokens, operate on decentralised networks, and offer global, inclusive financial access. Classifying them as securities could stifle innovation, create regulatory confusion, and impose restrictive frameworks not suited to their unique nature and purpose. The final factor is balancing innovation and regulation, as excessive regulation could cause negative consequences. For example, there are debates saying that the US Securities and Exchange Commission seems not to meet its core mission of protecting investors, maintaining efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation. Rather, its enforcement of pre-digital-asset laws has led to inadequate compliance and higher capital costs for crypto-issuers, ultimately harming the market and its participants. Based on the current cryptocurrency market in Vietnam, it is recommended to address two key regulatory issues: protecting investors and users, and establishing balanced regulations that promote industry growth and innovation. Achieving an equilibrium between innovation and regulation is essential to create an environment where new ideas can thrive without compromising consumer protection and ethical standards. Officials and staff at the embassy and Vietnamese representative agencies, and representatives from the Vietnamese community in Indonesia pay resspects to the late Party leader. (Photo: VNA) Jakarta The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia held a respect-paying service and opened a book of condolence for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25 and 26. Officials and staff at the embassy and Vietnamese representative agencies, and representatives from the Vietnamese community in the host nation observed a minute of silence in commemoration of the late Party leader. Writing in the condolence book, Ambassador Ta Van Thong expressed the sorrow of staff members at the embassy over the death of General Secretary Trong. He stressed that the late leaders life and career will be a shining example for the Vietnamese people and party members to follow. Representatives from diplomatic missions in Indonesia and local authorities and agencies came to the embassy to pay tribute to the late Party chief. They expressed grief and high valued the contributions of General Secretary Trong to Vietnam's development and relations with other countries in the world. Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Ahmad Basarah paid his last respects to the Vietnamese Party leader on behalf of the Indonesian parliament and the fifth President of Indonesia Megawati Soekarno Putri. At a respect-paying ceremony for the late Party leader at the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) the same day, Ambassador Vu Ho underlined General Secretary Trongs great devotion and contributions to national construction and development of the nation as well as to the building of a strong Party. Delegates from RoK ministries, political-social organisations, Vietnamese organisations, and foreign diplomatic missions including Brunei, Kuwait, the EU, Ireland, Laos, Russia, Singapore and Venezuela paid tribute to the late Vietnamese Party leader and wrote in the condolence book at the embassy. Chairman of the Korea Vietnam Economic and Cultural Association (KOVECA) Kwon Sung Taek, representing friendship organisations with Vietnam, signs the condolence book. (Photo: VNA) On behalf of the RoK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Vice Minister Kim Hong Kyun wrote in the condolence book. Representatives from many Korean businesses, business and social-cultural organisations, as well as the media also came to the embassy to pay their last respects to the Vietnamese leader. In Australia, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese General Consulates in Sydney and Perth have opened condolences books on July 25 and 26 for Party General Secretary Trong. Writing in the condolence book, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam described the death of the Party leader as a great loss for the Vietnamese Party, military and people while promising to complete the entrusted political mission and strive to contribute to the Vietnam Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the peoples interest and the regions peace, stability, cooperation and development. Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michelle Chan writes in the condolence book (Photo: VNA) Representatives from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade paid tribute to General Secretary Trong and acknowledged his leadership, vision and contributions to the Vietnam Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Representatives from local administrations, foreign diplomatic delegations and the Vietnamese community in the nation also came to pay respects and wrote in the condolence book. State Funeral for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong: Memorial service in Ho Chi Minh City A memorial service for Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is held at the Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City. Cuban leaders mourn Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on July 24 morning (local time) paid homage to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Vietnamese Embassy in Havana. African political parties leaders sign condolence books in memory of Vietnamese Party chief General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) Solly Mapaila on July 24 afternoon came to the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa to pay his respects and sign the condolence book following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. UN Secretary-General, ambassadors pay tribute to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong Leaders of the United Nations (UN) and ambassadors of countries to the UN on July 24 paid tribute to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN in New York, the US. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. How bad can your money problems get? We asked money professionals to spill the beans on some of the most challenging situations theyve encountered with their clients. Though weve changed names and a few details to protect privacy, these stories highlight how even the most daunting money problems have solutions. Members only Selling a money pit Elizabeth wanted help selling her husbands house to contribute toward his care. George had moved to an assisted living facility about a year earlier. Elizabeth was living with her daughter, so Georges empty house had fallen into disrepair. We listed the house, which had a mortgage balance of $190,000, for $325,000, but we soon learned that George had refinanced the house, adding $100,000 in debt. A buyer offered $330,000 but wanted nearly $10,000 in closing costs. The inspection revealed damage, prompting the buyer to ask for a $5,000 price cut. Then an $8,000 credit card debt popped up. Elizabeth would have had to pay $3,000 to close the sale. I started negotiating. First, the credit card debt came down. Then the buyer lowered the repair costs to $2,500. I cut my commission by $1,500, and the buyers agent reduced her fee by $500. Elizabeth walked away with only $800 or so, but she avoided more expenses or foreclosure. Tabitha Richardson, real estate broker, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Pro tip: When you sell a house, always be prepared for additional expense, from repairs to closing costs. But keep in mind that everything absolutely everything is negotiable. Valero Doval A skyrocketing insurance premium Despite making no changes to their property and never filing a claim, Betty and Don, retirees in a $1.1 million house near Lake Tahoe, were dropped by their insurer. Under current California rules, the insurer could not properly underwrite and price the policy to cover the areas increased fire risk. I explained that to maintain similar coverage, they would have to replace their old $1,800 annual policy with two new ones. The first would cover everything but fire damage for $3,100 annually. For fire coverage, they would have to use Californias FAIR plan (which stands for fair access to insurance requirements). More than 30 states offer last-resort policies providing basic coverage for properties exposed to high risks, typically from natural disasters. But the FAIR premium cost was still high: $6,800 for the couples 2,000-square-foot home. To cut their premiums, we raised the deductible to $10,000 on the residential policy and to $15,000 on the FAIR policy. Next, we lowered the coverage of personal property on both policies from $700,000 to $150,000, removed coverage for an additional shed-like structure, and eliminated coverage for the cost of temporary housing if damage forced them from their home. That cut their total premiums to about $6,000, down from nearly $10,000. Its still a lot more than they were paying, and their coverage is lower, but they are protected. Karl D. Susman, insurance broker, Los Angeles Pro tip: Dont compare past insurance options with current ones. Today you may need to either reduce your coverage or pay higher premiums. There are steps you can take, however, to reduce the likelihood of property loss such as installing a noncombustible roof, covering the eaves to prevent embers from getting underneath, and clearing brush from around your house that may help lower your premium. A $270,000 Social Security payment Clara, 82, had never received a Social Security check despite contributing to the program since 1970. She had applied late, mistakenly believing that the monthly benefit based on her work record would continue to grow until she turned 72. (It stops growing at 70.) An even bigger problem was that when Clara, an immigrant, submitted her initial application to the Social Security Administration (SSA), she had lost the certificate of naturalization proving she was a U.S. citizen. She requested a copy from the federal Citizenship and Immigration Services agency (USCIS), but the copy never arrived. Nine years later, in 2023, her daughter found her original certificate in a storage box. She and her mother hand-delivered it to her local SSA office. Yet Clara, 81 at the time and facing financial difficulties, received no benefit. Her children then contacted my company. Boorara Ore Reserve Supports Development Perth, July 26, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to announce the results of the Boorara Ore Reserve Study ("ORS" or "Study"). The proposed mining project is 100% owned and is located 15km east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, adjacent to the Super Pit in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields (Figure 1*). HIGHLIGHTS - Independent JORC (2012) Ore Reserve for Boorara completed by AMC Consultants shows a financially viable project highlighted by the following: o Open pit mine design producing 1.24Mt at a fully diluted grade of 1.24g/t Au for 49.5koz over an approximate 14 month mine life o Ore Sale Agreement (OSA) at 92.5% metallurgical recovery produces 45.8koz recovered o Project generates $19.9M in free cash flow (after capital) at a gold price of A$3,300/oz - Boorara is fully permitted with all statutory approvals in place - Mining and haulage contracts well advanced - Binding OSA has been executed with Paddington Gold Pty Ltd (Paddington), a wholly owned subsidiary of Norton Gold Fields Ltd for treatment of Boorara ore - Development decision expected imminently along with commencement of mining in the current September 2024 Commenting on the Ore Reserve, Managing Director and CEO Mr Grant Haywood said: "We are very pleased that the independent Ore Reserve has validated our initial work that allows us to move forward with mining at Boorara and bring strong cashflows into Horizon. Our contract negotiations are well advanced and are the final key milestone outstanding in relation to bringing this asset into production. Horizon has strong optionality within its large resource book of projects, which we aim to develop in conjunction, and following, development of Boorara to be a sustainable gold producer and generate more cash in this strong gold price environmental for the foreseeable future." Boorara Overview The Boorara Gold Project is located 15km east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (Figure 1*) adjacent to the Super Pit, and 1km southwest of the Nimbus Silver-Zinc Project site where established offices are connected to mains power and existing water supplies. The deposit is hosted in a quartz dolerite comprising a sheeted quartz vein array system with bounding shear zones and late-stage cross faults. Mineralisation occurs as northwest dipping sheeted and stockwork quartz-carbonate vein arrays within the quartz dolerite host rocks, and steeply dipping zones along sheared geological contacts trending to the north-northwest. Boorara Ore Reserves Study The Study was undertaken independently by AMC Consultants and is based on the following key parameters: - Gold price of A$3,300/oz - Open pit mining operations and road haulage conducted by contractors - Ore processing through Paddington's 3.8Mtpa Paddington Mill, located ~56km by road from Boorara - Project implementation and oversight by Horizon's own team in conjunction with contractors The key Study outcomes for the project are included in Table 2* below: The estimated Ore Reserve, which constitutes 100% of the production target, has been prepared by competent persons in accordance with JORC Code 2012. AMC conducted an engineering study (the "Study") as of 25 July 2024. The Study, prepared with an accuracy of +/-15%, considered all relevant mining modifying factors, allowing an Ore Reserve to be estimated in accordance with the JORC Code. Classification of the estimate is shown in Table 3*. The Boorara Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are inclusive of those Mineral Resources modified to produce the Boorara Ore Reserves that can be economically mined by open pit mining methods. The Ore Reserves make up 100% of the production in the Study. Mr Adrian Jones continues to be the Competent Person for the 25 July 2024 Boorara Ore Reserve estimate, and supervised preparation of the estimate with assistance from specialists in each area of the estimate. Mr Jones is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and is employed by AMC Consultants Pty Ltd. He has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralization, type of deposit under consideration, and in open pit mining activities, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code. Mr Jones consents to the inclusion of this information in the form and context in which it appears. The information compiled by Mr Jones was prepared by specialists under direction of the responsible people identified within this Study report. Mr Jones is satisfied that the work of the specialists is acceptable for the purposes of Ore Reserve estimation. Each person has accepted responsibility for this report in their area of expertise. The Proved Ore Reserve estimate is based on Mineral Resources classified as Measured, after consideration of all mining, metallurgical, social, environmental, statutory and financial aspects of the project. The Probable Ore Reserve estimate is based on Mineral Resources classified as Indicated, after consideration of all mining, metallurgical, social, environmental, statutory and financial aspects of the project. Financial analysis undertaken in June 2024 shows that, at 25 July 2024, the future revenues to be derived and costs incurred to access those revenues produce a viable project using the assumptions presented in this estimate. The Boorara Ore Reserve reflects the mining of four pits across three mineralised zones within the Mineral Resource, one small and one large pit within the Regal (North) deposit (pits 1 and 2), one within the Crown Jewel deposit (Central, pit 3), and one pit in the Royal (South) deposit (pit 4) as shown in Figure 2*. The removal of a very limited amount of waste over burden is required to reach the ore zones in most areas, with ore within 5m of surface in the Regal zone and Crown Jewel deposits, whereas the amount of cover increases to the south, with approximately 10m to be stripped in the Royal zone before exposing ore for mining. Grade control drilling has been partially completed over the project during previous mining operations, with infill grade control drilling planned to commence in the coming weeks. Ore production will commence within the first month of mining, followed by processing followed thereafter once sufficient stockpiles have been built and grade determined to transport to the mill. The Study assumes low powder factor "paddock" blasting will be conducted to ensure acceptable dig rates without unnecessary ore movement impacting ore loss and dilution. Final pit depths are up to 85m. Next Steps - Award open pit mining and surface ore haulage contracts - Finalise management and technical team for Boorara - Commence grade control infill program *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/8M7UOVP6 About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Related Companies Empire Signs Gas Sales Agreement with NT Government Sydney, July 26, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Ltd ( ASX:EEG ) ( EEGUF:OTCMKTS ) signs 10-year binding Gas Sales Agreement with the Northern Territory Government to supply 25 TJ per day from Carpentaria Pilot Project. - Empire Energy Group Limited ("Empire") has signed a binding long-term Gas Sales Agreement ("GSA") to supply the Northern Territory Government ("Buyer"): o up to 25 Terajoules (TJ) of gas per day for 10-years (~75 Petajoules total, 100% Empire) from Empire's Beetaloo Basin properties commencing in 2025 ("Initial Supply"); and o an additional 10 TJ+ per day for up to 10 years at the option of the Buyer to be made available by Empire if production levels from the Carpentaria project exceed 100 TJ per day ("Option Supply") - The volume under the Option Supply is limited to 10% of production from the Carpentaria Project if production reaches 100 TJ / day. This would require additional pipeline capacity to be developed to facilitate increased supply to Australia's East Coast and / or Darwin - Gas will be delivered to the Power and Water Corporation ("PWC") operated McArthur River Gas pipeline ("MRP") on an ex-field take-or-pay basis at market-competitive gas prices, escalating at 100% of the Consumer Price Index. The Option Supply would be at a slightly lower price than the Initial Supply, providing the potential for long-term affordable energy supply for the people of the Northern Territory if larger scale development occurs - A T-piece connection has already been installed into the MRP by PWC at the proposed location of the Carpentaria Gas Plant ("CGP") to allow for delivery of gas from the CPP into the MRP - The binding GSA is conditional on customary conditions for an agreement of this nature including Empire reaching a final investment decision for the Carpentaria Pilot Project, NT regulatory approvals for the installation of the CGP and sale of gas under the Beneficial Use of Test Gas provisions of the NT Petroleum Act. These regulatory approval processes are well advanced - Empire holds a 100% interest in EP187 in which the Carpentaria Pilot Project will be located - Empire is targeting commencement of gas sales from the Carpentaria Pilot Project in mid-2025 Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood: "Empire has been actively pursuing production from the Beetaloo Basin since 2011, with strong support from the NT Government for this objective since 2018. Subject to final approvals, we anticipate being the first company to provide gas supply from the Beetaloo, commencing next year. This agreement comes at a critical time for the energy security of the NT. It demonstrates our commitment to providing energy for Territorians and will facilitate hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into the NT economy. The project will provide local jobs, support NT businesses, and create direct revenue streams for traditional owners and the NT Government. We look forward to working with traditional owners, local communities and all Territorians to deliver this exciting project." About Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) is a Sydney based Australian oil and gas company holding 100%-owned and operated assets with unconventional targets in the Northern Territory Beetaloo Sub-basin and central trough of the McArthur Basin. Empire is an active Beetaloo Sub-basin operator, focused on maturing its assets to production. Following the successful appraisal drilling and flow testing of the Carpentaria-2H and 3H wells in Empire's EP187, Empire is targeting first gas flow in H1 2025 at its Carpentaria Pilot Project. The Pilot has a targeted sales gas rate of up to 25 TJ per day utilising the existing McArthur River Pipeline. Related Companies In conversation with Adgully, Pallavi Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, redBus, delves into the strategic approach behind the companys successful Travel to Vote and Seat Guarantee campaigns, which leveraged contextual marketing to capitalize on the unique travel peaks during the recent 2024 Lok Sabha election period. Chopra shares insights on how redBus tailored its messaging and media to effectively cater to the spike in bus travel seen during elections, resulting in a record number of seats booked in a single day. She also discusses the challenges faced during the campaign, the impact on business metrics, and the lessons learned that will influence future marketing strategies. Could you describe the strategic approach redBus took with the Travel to Vote campaign and how it was tailored to meet the unique travel peaks during the election period? We took a strategic decision to use contextual and moment marketing at a national level to effectively cater to the spike in bus travel seen during elections. The message and medium was contextualized to the moment the election period to maximize business impact. Let me go through each aspect. During elections, we know that news viewership increases and viewers are tuned for breaking news. Keeping this in mind, redBus strategically chose to dominate the news genre by advertising its election sales in this space on TV and digital platforms. We were probably the only brand which ran customised campaigns in regional TV news channels as well as national Hindi channels like AajTak, corresponding to the states election phases. Our aim was to let users know about easy accessibility and affordable travel for voters to return to their hometowns to cast their ballot. We connect close to 10,000 unique towns across 4.2 lakh routes and so we were very well placed to help passengers even to remote areas. Our innovative ad format was contextualized for news channels and designed to cut through the clutter our ads looked like they were breaking news. This concept was fantastically executed by our creative agency Leo Burnett. Together, they helped us break through the clutter and grab eyeballs in fact, we had news channels calling us to understand if redBus would advertise with them! This strategy of moment marketing had a significant impact on business. redBus hit a record number of seats booked in a single day. What were the key that challenges you faced while implementing the Seat Guarantee Sale campaign, and how did redBus overcome them to ensure passenger confidence and satisfaction? The summer travel trends which we have relied on historically were naturally disrupted by the elections this year. So, the first order of business was to accurately identify travel demand peaks. For this, we used our data forecasting tool to accurately predict expected travel across multiple states many of them going to elections simultaneously. A lot of this forecast happened with a very short lead time in some cases as little as 10-15 days! Within this tight timeline, we had to cater to huge travel demands. In Tamil Nadu, the first state to go to elections, the forecasted travel demand was as high as Diwali! We correctly anticipated that the biggest events elections and IPL would completely dominate viewer mindshare. To get any share of voice at all, we would have to come up with a concept which was completely out of the box. I think we achieved this very well with our ad campaign. The Breaking News format was a unique approach for your TV campaign. Could you explain why this format was chosen and how it contributed to the campaigns success? The Breaking News format was chosen for our TV campaign to leverage the high viewership of news channels during the election season. By contextualizing our messaging device to the news genre, redBus aimed to break through the advertising clutter. The content looked organic and flowed seamlessly into the channel format, looking like native content. On top of it, we played our ads exclusively as stings, which allowed the ad to flow seamlessly into news segment, almost looking like native content! This unique approach allowed us to effectively engage a large audience tuned into election coverage, significantly contributing to the campaigns success. With the Travel to Vote and Seat Guarantee campaigns reaching millions of viewers, how did redBus ensure effective engagement and conversion from these ads? redBus campaign led to a great increase in searches of redBus platforms (app and website), transactions, acquisition of new customers, and engagement rate compared to that of last year. We saw that customer transactions during the campaign period were 123% of transactions in the same period in 2023, across the country. I think the sheer number of eyeballs grabbed and attention captured also increased, as the number of new customers acquired on redBus platforms was 111% of the same period in 2023. In fact, there was an acceleration of new users coming to our platform and we saw a week on week growth in the number of new users within the peak election season itself. For example, with our sale, which corresponded to Phase 3 and 4 of the elections, we saw a 30% growth in new users compared to the previous week. Could you share some insights on the impact of these campaigns on redBus business metrics, such as the increase in bookings, customer acquisition, and engagement rates? During the election dates in April and May 2024, redBus saw an unprecedented number of travellers, because it is obviously a high activity period. In the campaign period, searches were 119% of searches on redBus platforms (app and website) in the same period in 2023. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in particular responded positively to redBus election related campaigns. In the campaign period, searches were 150% of the same period in 2023, on redBus platforms (app and website). The campaign was also very successful in Uttar Pradesh, where there was about a 150% increase in searches, transactions and new customers acquired compared to the same period in 2023. Engagement rate on communications (app notifications) to existing users was 160% of the engagement rate for the same period last year. How did redBus leverage digital platforms differently compared to traditional media in these election-related campaigns, and what were the outcomes of this strategy? redBus approached this campaign with a Regionification strategy, through which our digital campaign targeted both brand awareness and performance campaigns in Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, and Bengali, using a combination of breaking news format and other thematic messages. We targeted consumers with a high affinity for news consumption both through the appropriate regional TV channels and on digital platforms. The campaign included digital display ads on Meta and Google, digital video ads through YouTube bumpers, and various performance campaigns, including UAC and others. The reach for the digital campaign alone was approximately 170 million in 4 days thats 50% of Indias online transactors! What lessons did redBus learn from these election-related campaigns that will influence future marketing strategies, especially in terms of moment marketing and contextual advertising? redBus gained valuable insights from its high intensity seasons which we will implement in future marketing strategies, particularly our insights regarding moment marketing and contextual advertising. While we have executed contextual marketing in the past, we saw business impact amplified during this campaign by leveraging a winning combination of context, media and messaging which resonated deeply with the target audience. In particular, the efficacy of the Travel to Vote and Seat Guarantee Election Sale campaigns demonstrated the importance of agile strategy adjustments to meet changing consumer behaviour. The campaigns highlighted the effectiveness of anticipating and catering to spikes in travel demand. Moving forward, redBus will continue leveraging moment marketing strategies to align with significant events and capitalize on high-engagement contexts, ensuring campaigns resonate deeply with target audiences and drive measurable business impact. Johnsons baby, a pioneer in baby skincare, launches its latest television campaign (TVC), featuring Bollywoods illustrious actors, Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. The new round of advertising features a fun, playful, and heartwarming film starring one of Bollywood's most favourite father-daughter duos. The film conceptualised by DDB Mudra reinforces the brands unwavering commitment to help protect a babys delicate skin from day-one with products formulated using only 'baby safe ingredients. The new film captures a fun banter between Anil and Sonam Kapoor as they don their real-life roles on reel, making reference to the veteran actors iconic role as Mr India (1987). The film opens with Sonam bathing the baby with Johnsons Baby Soap. As a concerned grandfather, Anil Kapoor expresses his worry about the babys delicate skin, noting how it can lose moisture after a bath and emphasising the importance of protection pehle din se. What follows is a fun exchange between Sonam and the baby, who reacts with glee as she remarks, Moisture gayab ho jaata hai? Mr. India hai kya? Sonam then goes on to highlight the superiority of Johnson's baby soap, specially formulated with naturally derived glycerin and vitamin E. This gentle formula helps to protect the babys natural moisture and healthy skin barrier, making it the perfect choice for newborns from pehle din se. Manoj Gadgil, Business Unit Head-Essential Health & Vice President Marketing, Kenvue, said, Over the years, Johnsons Baby has been a trusted partner to parents, working consistently to deliver the best for their babies. We are now delighted to share our latest advertising campaign, featuring Anil Kapoor and, Sonam Kapoor. It aligns with our brand proposition to help protect* from day 1 as we offer superior products created from only baby safe, gentle ingredients to help protect a babys skin from Day 1. We are confident that this new film will resonate with mums. Talking of his experience in doing a TVC for Johnsons baby, Anil Kapoor added, "Johnsons baby is an iconic brand, a brand that has always been a trusted partner for parents like us in our parenting journey. It was in Johnsons that Sunita and I trusted when our babies were born, from their first bath and first massage to many more milestones. I am delighted to be part of Johnsons latest campaign along with my daughter Sonam, which makes this campaign even more special to me. As sa father, and now a grandfather, I cannot overstate the importance of choosing only trusted brands to help protect and provide the best care for your baby from Day 1. Sonam Kapoor also shared her thoughts on the campaign Johnsons baby is a brand we have all grown up to, it brings back many childhood memories. Today, as a mother, protecting my babys skin is of utmost importance. I only use brands which are baby safe with gentle ingredients which help protect babys skin from Day 1. I am thrilled to be part of the Johnson's baby campaign alongside my father. This collaboration is close to my heart because it reflects the love and dedication every parent feels for their child. Harshada Menon & Siddhesh Khatavkar, Executive Creative Directors, DDB Mudra said, When theres a baby in the house, everything becomes fun. Which is why, for us, this series of ads are not really ads. They are fun instances that happen between a caring grandpa, a loving mom and a cute baby and Johnsons baby products playing an active part in it. The highly anticipated 'Protection* ka Promise, Pehle Din Se' campaign goes live across prominent television channels, digital platforms, and social media networks. Also read: Publicis Groupe to acquire influencer marketing company Influential TV9 Network, through its esteemed News9 Kargil Honours ceremony 2024, celebrated the indomitable spirit of the Indian Armed Forces, paying homage to the heroes of the Kargil War on its 25th anniversary. The event, held at Le Meridien, New Delhi, was a profound tribute to the soldiers who exhibited unparalleled bravery and made the ultimate sacrifice during the 1999 conflict. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the News9 Kargil Honours, recognizing the outstanding contributions of several individuals and units. The awards were presented by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, alongside Mr. Barun Das, Managing Director and CEO of TV9 Network. Honourees of the News 9 Kargil Honours Lt General Mohinder Puri (Retd): Recognized for his exceptional leadership of the 8 Mountain Division, which played a pivotal role in capturing key strategic points such as Tololing and Tiger Hill. His command was crucial in turning the tide of the conflict in Indias favour. Lt General Yogesh Kumar Joshi: Honoured for his leadership of the 13th Battalion of the JAK Rifles in the successful capture of Point 4875, also known as Batra Top. His strategic acumen and bravery were instrumental in securing victory in one of the toughest battles of the war. Air Marshal PS Ahluwalia (Retd): Acknowledged for his pivotal role in the successful deployment of Mirage aircraft, which were instrumental in targeting enemy positions and providing crucial air support to ground troops. Brigadier Devinder Singh (Retd): Awarded for commanding the 70 Infantry Brigade in critical battles. His leadership in the Batalik sector, the battle for point 5203, and the assaults on the Jubbar Complex were crucial in reclaiming significant territories from enemy control. Brigadier Umesh Bawa (Retd): Honoured for his leadership in the capture of the Pimple Complex, a key strategic point that was fiercely defended by enemy forces. His tactical expertise ensured a significant victory. Colonel Rajeev Kumar (Retd): Recognized for his command of the 18 Grenadiers in the battle at Mushkoh Valley and other strategic points. His gallantry and strategic planning were vital in securing these critical victories. 5 Para Regiment: Celebrated for their high-altitude operations in Mushkoh and in the Batalik sector. Their bravery and resilience in extreme conditions exemplified the spirit of the Indian Army. Captain Yashika Tyagi (Retd): The first female Army officer to be posted in Leh and serve during the Kargil War, Captain Tyagi was honoured for breaking barriers and serving with distinction in challenging conditions. Special posthumous honours were conferred on: Major C B Dwivedi and Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse: Both officers were celebrated for their ultimate sacrifice, epitomizing the highest values of duty and courage. Their families received the awards on their behalf, a poignant reminder of their heroic contributions. In addition to the military honours, key doyens in the Indian defence manufacturing industry were also recognized for their support of the Indian Armed Forces: Mr. Baba Kalyani, Chairman and MD of Bharat Forge Ltd, for his leadership of Bharat Forge and successful supply of 1 lakh shells to the army in record time, at a point when the war effort was running low on ammunition. Mr. Sukaran Singh, CEO of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, the head of one of Indias largest defence and aerospace companies in the private sector, undertaking multiple strategic projects for the Indian armed forces and defence development agencies. Mr. Arun Ramchandani, Head of L&T Defence, who has worked extensively on the design & development of critical equipment and new products for the Defence & Aerospace Business Segment, which includes land-based, air-based, and naval weapon delivery systems. The ceremony concluded with the release of the latest issue of Salute magazine, dedicated to the Kargil War and its heroes, by General Chauhan. The event underscored the nation's gratitude to the brave soldiers who fought and those who laid down their lives for the country, ensuring their legacy lives on. Also read: Emami to acquire men's grooming brand The Man Company Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is embroiled in a secretive legal battle with three of his children over the future of his vast media empire, according to a bombshell report by The New York Times. The 93-year-old billionaire is seeking to solidify his eldest son Lachlans control over News Corp, the parent company of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and other influential outlets. The dispute centers around a family trust that was initially designed to distribute control equally among Murdochs four eldest children upon his death. However, the media titan is now attempting to amend the trust to grant sole authority over the company's assets to Lachlan. This move has ignited a fierce backlash from his other children James, Elisabeth, and Prudence who have joined forces to challenge their fathers decision. The battle for control of the Murdoch empire has taken on added significance in the wake of the insurrection on January 6th, 2021. James Murdoch, once considered the heir apparent, has publicly denounced Fox News for its role in spreading misinformation and fueling political division. His stance has further exacerbated tensions within the family and raised questions about the future direction of the company. As the legal proceedings unfold behind closed doors, industry analysts are closely watching the case. A potential court battle is looming in September, just months before the crucial US presidential election. The outcome of this family feud could have far-reaching implications for the media landscape and the political discourse in the United States. The leaked court documents reveal that Murdoch has dubbed his plan to consolidate power under Lachlan as Project Harmony. Ironically, the initiative has sparked anything but harmony within the family. The battle for control of the Murdoch empire comes as the media industry is undergoing rapid transformation, with digital platforms challenging traditional news outlets. The outcome of the legal dispute could shape the future of journalism and media consumption. Unstop, the leading talent engagement and hiring platform for students and alumni, has launched a billboard campaign in Delhi NCR to drive student participation for the highly anticipated Flipkart GRiD 6.0 competition. The campaign has a cheeky message "The choice is yours," which aims to nudge all engineering students to take control of their career trajectories and showcase their skills through this innovative challenge. The messaging illustrates how participation in Flipkart GRiD 6.0 can be a game-changer for all engineering students. Through this opportunity , participants can catapult themselves into higher-paying roles with salaries as much as INR 32 LPA by demonstrating their problem-solving abilities and technical prowess. The campaigns reach extends beyond physical billboards, with Unstop leveraging social media to amplify the message across multiple online channels. Unstop is also driving engagement around the "The choice is yours" idea, fostering a broader conversation in the student community. Alekhya Chakrabarty, VP, Marketing & Growth at Unstop shared his thoughts. It is a simple idea. We ,at Unstop, want every engineering student in India to take part in Flipkart GRiD 6.0. We wanted to drive awareness among all engineering students about how opportunities like these are rare and they should not repent missing out on registering for them. It is a cheeky take on how by winning the challenge the students get the bragging rights, fantastic prizes and an incredible chance to bag a job with a CTC of INR 32 LPA. Also read: Trademark dispute case: Delhi HC rules in favour of original adidas Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the Middle Easts largest indoor theme park, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking extension to its partnership with Etihad Airways, marking a monumental milestone in the theme parks history. This exciting collaboration will bring the excitement of Warner Bros. World to the skies with the launch of the worlds first Warner Bros. World branded aircraft, taking guests pre-theme park experience to new heights. The first-ever Warner Bros. World branded aircraft was unveiled to the public on July 25 at a spectacular launch event held at Warner Bros. World. This exclusive reveal event was a grand celebration of creativity, fun and innovation, showcasing the unique partnership and setting the stage for an extraordinary journey. The partnership between Warner Bros. World and Etihad Airways represents the largest collaboration for the theme park to date. As part of this captivating initiative, an Etihad Airways aircraft Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner has been creatively wrapped with iconic Warner Bros. characters. On one side, guests will be greeted by the mischievous antics of iconic Classic Animation characters like the Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, while the other side showcases the heroic feats of beloved DC Super Heroes. Expressing his enthusiasm about the partnership, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral, said: We are absolutely delighted to partner with Etihad Airways to bring the first-ever Warner Bros. World branded aircraft to fans. This collaboration not only expands the customer experience, but also extends the thrill of Warner Bros. World beyond our parks walls, creating a super vacation with long lasting unforgettable memories for passengers of all ages. Adding to this, Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: Building on the strong reputation we have built as a family-friendly airline, were thrilled to take our partnership with Warner Bros. World to the next level. Our Looney Tunes and DC Super Hero themed aircraft will take our brands to destinations worldwide promoting one of Abu Dhabis many attractions. We look forward to welcoming more and more visitors inspired to visit our home, Abu Dhabi, and in particular delighting our Little VIP guests while they journey with us. Whats more, all young guests aged up to 10 years old, flying on Etihad Airways longer flights will receive brand new Warner Bros. World Kids Packs that are being rolled out across the network this summer. Bursting with creativity, these packs are designed to entertain young travelers with activities that inspire them to draw their favorite superheroes and engage in a variety of fun tasks throughout the flight, ensuring every moment is packed with adventure. Infants will receive a DC Super Hero themed soft blanket, while juniors will receive goodies such as a branded backpack, Super Hero cape, water bottle and activity kit. Adding to the excitement, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi will also debut exclusively branded, dedicated childrens lounge within the Etihad Airways Lounge at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. This whimsical lounge will transport travelers into the incredible universe of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, offering a one-of-a-kind experience that brings the wit of the park to the airport, making every journey as delightful as a visit to the theme park itself. Read More:Etihad's CSK sponsorship impresses fans with Activation MUDA Scam: BJP Urges Governor to Direct K'taka CM to Submit Resignation 2 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, demanding him to direct Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to submit his resignation and to handover the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The BJP legislators held a protest march from the Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan to submit the memorandum. The development has assumed significance in the backdrop of the social activist T.J. Abraham announcing that he will meet the Governor on Friday to seek consent for prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA scam. The memorandum said, We as a responsible Opposition party of the state, urge the Governor to please consider the apprehensions of the larger public, especially those from the SC/STs, citizens of Mysuru district and also of the state. We request you to direct Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to submit his resignation since his family are themselves the beneficiaries of illegal land transactions and unlawful gaining of developed sites. This scam is worth around Rs 4,000 to 5,000 crore and he (CM Siddaramaiah) being the head of the state may not allow fair probe (investigations) into it. Entrust the full investigation of the MUDA scam to CBI transferring it from the state-appointed committees, the memorandum added. Speaking to media persons after meeting the Governor, State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said that BJP along with their NDA ally JD (S), will discuss and decide on the future course of action concerning the MUDA scam and the Valmiki Tribal Development Corporation scam in the coming days. State BJP President Vijayendra accused the Congress government of intimidating tactics by filing FIRs against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and holding protests against it. He said that the Karnataka High Court had stayed the FIR against the ED. He criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that the latter was scared of being implicated in the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board scam. He expected Siddaramaiah to hold a detailed discussion on the MUDA scam and challenge the opposition parties BJP and JD(S) accusing him of running away from the discussion. The State BJP President also added that the Governor had called the Chief Minister on Thursday and sought clarifications regarding the MUDA scam. We will wait and see, he said. Leader of the Opposition (LoP), R. Ashoka, said that the Congress government was involved in huge corruption cases. He pointed out that no ruling party has ever faced such humiliation in the history of any Assembly. He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had taken an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution, of violating it. The LoP claimed that the Opposition was not allowed to speak in the Assembly and alleged that the Speaker U.T. Khader was also biased towards the Congress government. He demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that he had lost the moral right to hold the top constitutional post, adding that the BJP had submitted a memorandum to the Governor in this regard. Will Attend NITI Aayog Meeting, Says CM Mamata Banerjee 2 Bringing an end to speculation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that she will be attending the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On one hand, there is financial deprivation and on the other hand, there is a conspiracy to divide West Bengal. I will be attending the Niti Aayog Meeting to raise my voice of dissent on both of these issues, the Chief Minister said while interacting with the mediapersons at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here before leaving for Delhi. Trinamool Congress general secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is accompanying her to the national capital. She said that she is attending the meeting to raise her voice of protest on the issues of financial deprivation not just against West Bengal but also against the other non-BJP ruled states. All the opposition-ruled states have been deprived in the Union Budget proposals. I cannot accept such favouritism. So I will be raising my voice on behalf of all at the meeting, he said. Thereafter, she targeted the BJP on the issue of the party Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubeys demand on the floor of the House on Thursday for a new Union territory combining Malda, Murshidabad, Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar district and the Santhal Parganas region. All sorts of financial and geographical conspiracies are going on to divide the state. Messages are being spread to divide Bengal. The division of Bengal means a division of the country. We cannot accept this. In such a situation I will be there at the meeting for some time. If I am allowed to get my voice recorded I will do that. Otherwise, I will walk out in protest, the Chief Minister said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, during their visit to the national capital, are also scheduled to hold meetings with the partys Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members. The Chief Minister is also scheduled to interact with media persons in Delhi later in the day. Movie fans now have their first look at Gunner, an action movie that was filmed in the Birmingham area in spring 2023. Actors Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth are prominently featured a trailer released this week by Warner Bros., along with fist fights, gun battles, explosions and a prison escape. (Watch the trailer in the video above.) Viewers in Alabama will recognize a major Birmingham landmark in the trailer, as well. Sloss Furnaces shows up at the 1:11 mark in the video, and the historic ironworks is featured several times throughout the rest of the clip. Freeman plays a laid-back drug lord named Kendrick Ryker in Gunner, directed by Dimitri Logothetis and written by the director with Gary Scott Thompson of The Fast and the Furious fame. Hemsworth portrays the title character, Lee Gunner, a skilled military veteran who butts heads with Rykers drug cartel after Gunners two sons are kidnapped during a fishing trip. The cast also includes Joseph Baena (Arnold Schwarzeneggers son) and Alabamas Grant Feely, who appeared in Disneys Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Several locations in the Birmingham metro area were used during the filming of Gunner in spring 2023, including Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in McCalla and Watermark Place, a former outlet center in Bessemer. Watermark Place was used as a headquarters and soundstage for the film, and Freeman shot most of his scenes there, Logothetis said in a 2023 interview with AL.com. The director also predicted that Freemans performance would be a highlight of the film. I like my bad guy characters to be likable, Logothetis said. I dont think you can get any more likable than Morgan Freeman. He just has such a warmth about him. READ: Gunner director on filming in incredible Birmingham for Morgan Freeman movie Director Dimitri Logothetis, left, filmed an action movie, "Gunner," in the Birmingham area in 2023. Filming took place from late March to mid-April, with a cast that included Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth. (Photo by Anastasia Mikhaylova) Freeman, 87, is an extremely relaxed bad guy in the trailer for Gunner, keeping his cool even when threatened by the intense hero. The drug lords son has Gunners kids, as it turns out, and Gunner wants to make sure they stay alive and well. If he hurts my boys, Im going to kill you and kill everyone you know, Hemsworths character says. Whoa, thats a lot of killing for one man, Freeman wryly responds as Ryker. The kingpin evidently doesnt see Gunner as much of an adversary, but the action-packed trailer proves otherwise. Gunner is set for release on Aug. 16 via digital streaming platforms and in select theaters, according to IMDb. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall argues marijuana should continue to be classified among the most dangerous drugs, saying its linked to rising homeless and welfare dependence, among other problems. Expanding access to marijuana also causes a host of secondary problems, Marshall said in a press release this week. It increases both the number and severity of motor vehicle accidents and creates problems in enforcing laws that prohibit driving while intoxicated. Marshall, along with Republican attorneys general in 10 other states, came out in opposition to the federal governments recent proposal to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Under current federal guidelines, marijuana is in the same drug classification as heroin and LSD, those with no currently accepted medical use. The Biden-Harris administrations rush to legalize marijuana is outside the bounds of the DOJs authority and will lead to disastrous consequences, Marshall said in his release. This is not the first time this Administration has failed to follow the science in favor of a cheap ploy to desperately score some points with voters before November. The proposed move by the federal government, however, would not legalize marijuana, experts say. It would move marijuana to the same drug class as ketamine, which is also illegal for recreational use. More than half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. But Alabama isnt one of them. And though Alabama legalized medical marijuana three years ago, that program has not gotten off the ground. Experts said the reclassification would have almost no impact on Alabama law. The move would likely give dispensaries and other marijuana businesses tax breaks they are not yet entitled to because its considered a harmful drug under the law. But it would not have any impact on individuals or otherwise legalize or decriminalize the drug. Itll still be illegal at the same levels it always was in Alabama under state law, Tim Douthit, chief trial attorney at the Madison County District Attorneys office, told AL.com in May . In a 40-page letter, Marshall and the other AGs from Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, and South Dakota expressed concerns that the move would pose a risk to public health. It is difficult to deny that increasing lawful access to marijuana something rescheduling it to Schedule III would undoubtedly accomplish will damage the public health and exacerbate serious societal ills already plaguing the Nation, the coalition wrote. Though people who are homeless may use marijuana and other substances , according to the American Addiction Centers, in many instances, substance abuse is the result of the stress of homelessness, rather than the other way around. Under Alabama law, marijuana possession can be enforced as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on whether police think the amount is for personal use. There is no listed amount under Alabama state law to determine what qualifies as personal use. The sale of any amount of marijuana is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If the sale is to a minor, the felony can see a conviction of up to 99 years in prison. Certain cities in Alabama, namely Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, have made low-level marijuana arrests a simple ticketed offense. Mobile announced in April that they were considering a similar move. Alabama Death Row inmate Alan Eugene Miller said he has no intention of holding his breath or resisting his execution from nitrogen gas suffocation, but hes worried the state will fail at securing his gas mask because theyre incompetent. I dont think yall know what youre doing, Miller, who would be only the second inmate in America to die by suffocating on nitrogen gas, told a state attorney during a deposition. And these guys cant even open a cell door sometimes. Theyre keystone cops is basically what they are. The deposition was filed as part of an argument Millers lawyers made earlier this week. That filing also said the only training execution team members have for preparing an inmate for the procedure is from an Alabama Attorney Generals Office prosecutor. Miller, 59, is set to die on Sept. 26 at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. The prison is the only facility in the state with an execution chamber and is where most death row inmates are housed. In a Monday filing in federal court, Millers attorneys said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshalls office and its deputy, James Houts, are responsible for training the execution team on how to carry out a nitrogen hypoxia execution. Miller said hes open to having the gas mask fitted to his face prior to his September execution, but only if a doctor, medical professional or third party appointed by a federal judge does the fitting. Thats because he believes the prison workers are incompetent at mask fitting. The execution, if carried out, will be the second using nitrogen in the country. The first was also in Alabama, when the state executed Kenneth Eugene Smith in January. That execution was widely criticized, after Smith convulsed for several minutes on the gurney. State officials have argued that Smith held his breath at the beginning of his execution, delaying the nitrogen entering his body. The best explanation of the testimony is that Smith held his breath and lost consciousness when he breathed nitrogen gasnot that the mask did not fit or that the nitrogen was impure, the Alabama Attorney Generals Office said in a filing earlier this month. Miller has no physiological explanation for how Smith could have suffered due to the States nitrogen hypoxia protocol, it said. But on Monday, Millers lawyers said the state doesnt offer any proof for their claims. The state hang(s) their hat exclusively on the self-serving testimony of a witness who claims to have remembered Mr. Smiths oxygen levels nearly seven months after the execution. The execution team captain didnt write down those oxygen levels, according to Millers lawyers, nor tell anyone about them on the night of the execution. In fact, evidence in the record suggest that the witness could not even see the levels from his position in the execution chamber, and the execution log from Mr. Smiths execution undercuts (the states) entire argument, said the filing. The captains deposition was also submitted in public court records. That man said his responsibility was fitting Smith with his respirator mask for the execution. I have not encountered any person for whom the mask did not fit securely and effectively, he said. During Smiths execution, the captain said he watched the readout for one of the pulse oximeters attached to Smiths earlobe. For a period of time that was longer than I had expected, I noticed that the pulse oximeter continued to read at a steady rate of 97%-98%. I did not notice whether Smith was breathing or holding his breath during this time. The captain said that Smith eventually released a deep breath, and then the pulse oximeter dropped to the low 40s in a matter of seconds. After 40 more seconds, he said, the reading dropped to 17%. This rapid drop in Smiths pulse oximeter readings was what I had expected would happen when Smith began breathing nitrogen. After those breaths, Smiths body did not move again, he said. Millers lawyers wrote that the captain has no medical or scientific training, and had received no training for fitting gas masks. In the heavily redacted filing, the lawyers wrote that he has never read the (REDACTED) which provides instructions on the proper fit. Instead, the filing said, the captain learned how to prepare inmates from state Deputy Attorney General James Houts. Mr. Houts has admitted he is not an expert in nitrogen hypoxia protocols, but nevertheless believes he is qualified to (REDACTED) the States nitrogen hypoxia system because he is a private pilot, a master scuba diver, and served in the military. The filing said Houts, too, has no medical or scientific training. All notes from the states execution log that were included in the filing are redacted. Miller believes, according to his deposition earlier this month, that the states gas mask wont fit him. Various masks havent worked on his face before, Miller said, because he has a large head and face. Hes also unable to wear hats sold to prisoners because they are too small for his head. Ive a big old head, he said in the deposition. According to his Alabama Department of Corrections inmate summary, Miller weighs 351 pounds. Millers team also argued the state wont use a mask with an inherent airtight seal or perform a negative pressure test on the mask. They also said the prison system should provide Miller, or anyone about to face a nitrogen execution, a sedative to reduce the needless suffering that occurs during asphyxiation. An Alabama man has pleaded guilty to threatening via Instagram to kill election workers in Arizona. Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, sent multiple messages through the social media app to election officials in Maricopa County during the 2022 primaries that read, You are so dead, and one message included a photo of Woody from Toy Story face down on the floor with a projectile in his back. Ogstad, indicted earlier this year, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Arizona to one count of making a threatening interstate communication. He was initially charged with five counts of the crime. He is set to be sentenced on Oct. 21 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. On Aug. 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state offices, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening direct messages to an Instagram social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. On Aug. 2, 2022, court records show, Ogstad sent a graphic referencing alleged voter fraud in Maricopa County. You (expletive) think you can cheat. Ha! Stupid (expletive). Hang yourself. On Aug. 3, 2022, Ogstad wrote, You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes. On Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad wrote, You people are so ducking [sic] stupid. Everyone knows you are lots [sic], cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang [expletive]! Ogstad was arrested Feb. 28 in Cullman. The functioning of our democracy requires that our countrys public servants be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives, said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement. We have no tolerance for this kind of heinous criminal conduct and the danger it poses to peoples safety and to our democratic process. Threats and acts of violence targeting those who serve the public will be met with the full force of the United States Justice Department. Violent threats to election workers are threats to our democracy and democratic process. We cannot allow threats of violence against public servants to become normalized, said FBI Director Christopher Wray. The FBI takes seriously all threats of violence against public officials and will continue to pursue threats and acts of violence aimed at election workers. The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office. Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case. In a heightened political climate, people often make online remarks they wish they can take back, Todd Spodek, Ogstads attorney, told CNN after the plea agreement. Unfortunately, Mr. Ogstad let his emotions get the best of him and sent a number of messages that he regrets. An Alabama woman has been convicted of a felony crime in connection with the 2018 death of her infant son. An Elmore County jury convicted Shirley Monique Matthews, 36, of aggravated child abuse, 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney CJ Robinson announced Friday. Matthews husband, 39, is charged with the same crime and has not yet gone to trial. Karson Matthews was born in July 2018 weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Just two months later, in September, he was taken unresponsive to Elmore Community Hospital. At that point, he weighed only 4 pounds, 13 ounces, Robinson said. An autopsy determined Karsons cause of death to be negligence, and the manner of death to be homicide. In an interview with law enforcement, Shirley Matthews admitted to having never taken Karson to the doctor after she was released from the hospital after his birth. Robinson said the mother claimed to be feeding Karson regularly and thought he would eventually gain weight. However, the jury heard overwhelming medical testimony about the childs malnourished condition which led to his death, Robinson said. Shirley Matthews sentencing is set for September. She faces a prison range of 10 to 99 years. This is an opinion cartoon. Sign up for JD Crowes newsletter: Enter your email to subscribe to JDs weekly newsletter, Crowe Jam. Alabamas bass-ackward politicians are always a step ahead of Americas demise. Leading the way backwards is what we do here in this environmentally beautiful, absolutely friendly but politically oppressive deep red state. Alabama people - southerners in general - are good people. Nobodys friendlier or quicker to help their neighbors - or a stranger - fix a flat tire or bury a body than the folks down here. Its perplexing to me that Alabama, its politicians mostly, has no appetite for inclusiveness. The more the merrier works at parties, but not so much in politics. Related: White fragility, fear of diversity rules Alabama legislature. The cost? Our future - al.com DEI - diversity, equity and inclusion - is what most our people practice every day, whether they know it or not. Why is it such a politically divisive issue? ********* Related: University of Alabama System campuses each close DEI offices, reassign staff - al.com Related: Alabama Republi-chickens are scared to death of DEI - al.com All three University of Alabama System campuses will be closing their diversity, equity and inclusion offices and opening new offices under different names. The schools cite a law recently signed by Gov. Kay Ivey that bans DEI offices, programming and training in public colleges and other state agencies. SB129 becomes effective Oct. 1, 2024. Related: Goodman: Alabamas war on DEI could impact what unites us all - al.com ********** On the national stage, VP and Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris has been called a DEI hire by a GOP congressman from Tennessee. Related: Right-wing media figures target Kamala Harris with race and gender-based attacks (msn.com) Its a sign of things to come from an insecure and out of touch Republican party held hostage by a wanna-be dictator with little patience for adversity. Or diversity. Gonna be a wild ride, yall. Hang on to your perversity. Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @jdcrowe@al.com. A suspect wanted for murder in Florida was captured Wednesday in Alabama after he was spotted at an Autauga County restaurant, authorities said. The suspect, who was not publicly identified, was wanted for murder out of Manatee County, Florida. The suspect was at Daisys in Autaugaville when they were taken into custody without incident, according to the Autauga County Sheriffs Office. A search warrant was executed at the restaurant to find evidence of the Florida murder, the sheriffs office said. The suspect was being held by the Autauga County Sheriffs Office pending extradition to Florida. The public was never in danger and the restaurant owner was not involved in this case, the sheriffs office said. The former mayor of Lake View was arrested this month on 11 child-pornography related charges, state court records showed. The charges against Paul Calhoun, who led the Tuscaloosa County town from 2016 until his resignation amid ethics charges in 2020, include producing pornography with a minor, attempted producing pornography with a minor and possession of pornographic material, records showed. Neither an attorney listed for Calhoun nor the Tuscaloosa County assistant district attorney handling his case could be reached for comment by AL.com. The charges in Tuscaloosa County District Court identified the defendant as 53-year-old Lake View resident Paul Anthony Calhoun. Several media outlets reported the defendant is the former Lake View mayor. The charges stem from a July 2 search warrant of Calhouns laptop that yielded 10 images of child pornography, according to one of the charging documents. Two of Mexicos most powerful drug traffickers one a longtime partner of the Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the other his son were taken into U.S. custody on Thursday afternoon, a pair of arrests likely to upend the world of international drug trafficking. Ismael El Mayo Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez were detained at a private airport in El Paso, according to two sources familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly about the case. The Justice Department confirmed the arrests in a brief statement Thursday, with Attorney General Merrick Garland saying that both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartels criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks. Zambada, 76, faces federal indictments in multiple districts across the United States on charges of trafficking tons of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and other drugs across the border. For decades he was business partners with El Chapo Guzman, who is serving a life sentence after a 2019 conviction for his leadership role in the Sinaloa cartel alongside Zambada. Guzman Lopez, 38, was elevated within the cartel hierarchy after his father was arrested. Few details were immediately available about the circumstances of the detentions in El Paso. Its unclear whether the pair were apprehended while traveling or whether they surrendered. Zambada had been wanted by U.S. authorities for many years. The hunt for the drug lord has intensified in recent years as U.S. authorities have crusaded to combat the trafficking of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that killed 100,000 Americans last year. In February, prosecutors opened a new case against Zambada for the manufacture and trafficking of the drug, which has become the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45 years old. He has spent his entire adult life as a major international drug trafficker, yet he has never spent a day in jail, the U.S. State Department website says. In 2021, the U.S. government raised its reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Zambada to up to $15 million. After Guzmans arrest, a violent power struggle broke out, with the former kingpins sons, who are known as the Chapitos, vying with Zambada for control of the Sinaloa cartel. The Chapitos faced a setback last year when one of Guzmans sons, Ovidio, was captured by Mexican authorities and sent to the United States, where he faces drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges. Guzmans arrest followed a notorious 2019 incident in which he was briefly detained at a home in the northern Mexican city of Culiacan, but was later released after cartel gunmen flooded the city and held civilians hostage. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered Guzman released to avoid more bloodshed. Three of Zambadas sons have been prosecuted in the United States, along with his brother, Jesus El Rey Zambada, who pleaded guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges and delivered damning testimony against Guzman during Guzmans trial. Testifying as a cooperating witness, he described how his brother and Guzman formed the Sinaloa cartel and together grew the organization. They were partners, Zambada said on the witness stand. Ismael Zambadas son Vicente Zambada Niebla, 49, also testified against Guzman. He was prosecuted in Chicago and received a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty. He is now believed to be in witness protection. Another son, Ismael Zambada Imperial, known as Mayito Gordo, was extradited from Mexico in 2019 and pleaded guilty to federal charges in San Diego. Believed to be in his late 30s, Zambada Imperial was sentenced to nine years but received credit for time served, and, according to sources familiar with his case, is now residing in the U.S. The third son who was prosecuted, Serafin Zambada-Ortiz, was sentenced toslightly more than five years in federal prison last year after pleading guilty to drug charges. Zambada-Ortiz, who described a harrowing childhood growing up inside his fathers cartel while pleading for mercy from his judge, was released in September 2018 after receiving credit for time served. Mexicans welcomed the news. But some lamented that it was U.S. authorities, not their own, who had captured the suspects. The day will come when it will be our prosecutors office and not the American one who will bring the big bosses of this country to justice so that they pay for all the lives they have stolen, Lilian Chapa Koloffon, a Mexican security analyst, wrote on X. _____ (Hamilton reported from San Francisco and Linthicum from Mexico City.) ___ 2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. In under 48 hours, the head of the staunchly conservative public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention rankled fellow Baptists by applauding President Joe Bidens selfless act of withdrawing his candidacy for re-election. Then, his agency reported he was fired and now they have reaffirmed his leadership. The head-spinning series of events started Sunday, but by Tuesday morning, the SBCs Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission announced that no, leader Brent Leatherwood wasnt fired. Rather, he has the full support of his top board members though its chairman resigned and apologized for the erroneous announcement. On Monday, the commission issued a statement that the ERLCs executive committee had removed Leatherwood in accordance with its bylaws. But on Tuesday, it said, There was not an authorized meeting, vote, or action taken by the Executive Committee. Kevin Smith has resigned as Chair of the Executive Committee. Leatherwood has our support moving forward, the executive committee statement said. Smith, a Florida pastor, resigned both as chairman and as a board member, and he apologized Tuesday, according to a statement on Baptist Press, the denominations official news agency. After multiple conversations with Executive Committee members of the ERLC, I was convinced in my mind that we had a consensus to remove Brent Leatherwood as the president of the ERLC, Smiths statement said. It is a delicate matter and, in an effort to deal with it expeditiously, I acted in good faith but without a formal vote of the Executive Committee. This was an error on my part, and I accept full responsibility. At this time, the Executive Committee does not wish to move forward with my course of action. The previous ERLC vice chairman, Tony Beam, is now chairman. Leatherwood posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday morning: I deeply appreciate everyone who has reached out, especially our trustees who were absolutely bewildered at what took place yesterday and jumped in to set the record straight. Leatherwood had led the embattled agency through three years as the policy spokesman for the nations largest Protestant denomination, but he had not joined in the increasingly public support among many Southern Baptists for former President Donald Trump. After Bidens announcement Sunday that he would not seek re-election, Leatherwood called it a selfless act. We should all express our appreciation that President Biden has put the needs of the nation above his personal ambition, Leatherwood said. Leatherwoods statement prompted fierce blowback on social media from some within the denomination who had already targeted his agency for criticism amid a larger battle to pull the already-conservative denomination even further to the right. Clint Pressley, the SBCs newly elected president, joined in belittling the idea that Biden acted on principle. Sounds right, Pressley posted on X in response to a post by a Southern Baptist professor. That professor, Andrew Walker, said Bidens withdrawal was not an act of valor but rather a case of ultra-powerful Democrats forcing him out. In a follow-up statement Tuesday evening, the ERLC executive committee acknowledged the events had been destabilizing and that it would need to rebuild trust in the agency among Southern Baptists. It said Smith acted unilaterally and that no vote was ever taken to remove Leatherwood. Staff members had issued Mondays announcement of Leatherwoods firing, believing they were acting under the appropriate authority of the board, the statement said but committee members themselves were taken by surprise and ensured the statement was retracted. To be clear, this retraction was about following the procedures laid out in the bylaws of the ERLC, not about responding to pressure from outside organizations, the statement added. The committee recognizes a wide range of opinions on the work of the ERLC, as evidenced by an unsuccessful attempt to defund the agency at last months SBC annual meeting. But such discontent does not rise to the level of a dismissible offense, it said. We find Brent Leatherwood to be a man of utmost moral and ethical integrity. While Leatherwood has been a target of pro-Trump advocates within the SBC, Smith doesnt fit that description. Smith, elected in 2023, was the first Black chairman of the ERLC, according to the agency. He roiled a panel discussion at a sideline event during the 2022 SBC annual meeting when he said some Southern Baptists lost their minds over the election of a Black president in Barack Obama and that some of them became political whores with this whole Trump stuff. Leatherwood came to his job three years ago with conservative credentials. He was a former executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party. He was also a director of communications and policy strategy in the Tennessee General Assembly and worked for several years on Capitol Hill in Washington. Leatherwood is the father of three children who were at the Covenant School in Nashville, last year when it was attacked by a gun-wielding assailant who killed three adults and three other children. Leatherwood joined some other Covenant parents in an unsuccessful effort to advocate for legislation that would keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. Leatherwood also denounced the publication in some news media of documents attributed to the killer, saying that it only worsened the trauma to families of the schoolchildren. He was the driving force behind a group of Covenant parents who went to court to keep the shooters writings from being released to media and other groups that had filed public records requests. A judge recently blocked the release of the writings. Leatherwood and his agency had advocated staunchly conservative stances in areas such as opposing abortion, in keeping with official SBC stances, though he resisted calls to advocate legal penalties for women who seek abortions. At this years annual meeting of the SBC, hundreds attended an unofficial event featuring a video-recorded address by Trump. But Leatherwood hosted a separate event, also attended by hundreds, in which he interviewed former Vice President Mike Pence, another staunch conservative who received the wrath of Trump and many of the former presidents followers after he refused to block certification of Bidens 2020 election victory. That latter event underscored how the commission has continued to occupy a narrow niche advocating for deeply conservative policies without aligning itself with Trump-oriented politics. While Leatherwood maintained his position in office, the effort to oust him reflects the MAGA-ness of the SBC in much of its leadership, said Baptist historian Bill Leonard, referring to Trumps Make America Great Again slogan. Leonard said that although Southern Baptists have touted biblical inerrancy as essential, they have made compromises in their support for Trump and Christian nationalism. It appears that as their numbers decline evangelistically, they are looking to government to undergird their kind of Christianity, said Leonard, author of Gods Last & Only Hope: The Fragmentation of the Southern Baptist Convention. The history of the church, to me at least, reveals that thats always been a historically doomed practice. The ERLC has long been a magnet of controversy. While it doesnt endorse candidates, its the official policy arm for the countrys largest evangelical Protestant body one whose members have been reliable foot soldiers in the conservative Christian political movement that has strongly aligned with Republican causes. In 2021, Russell Moore resigned after eight years heading the ERLC. Moore was targeted for harshly criticizing evangelical support for Trump and said he also faced a backlash over the agencys attempts to address sexual abuse and racism in the largely white denomination. On Monday, Moore called the report of Leatherwoods removal shameful and disgraceful in a post on X. He called Leatherwood a great Christian man who lived through his children barely surviving a school shooting. Southern Baptists, how much more of this are you going to let go on? You cannot pretend not to see what is happening in your name. A Tuscaloosa woman has pleaded guilty fraudulently obtaining a government loan of nearly $100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erica Lasha Prewitt, 42, pleaded guilty this week to defrauding the Small Business Administrations) Paycheck Protection Program, announced Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. According to the plea agreement, Prewitt in August 2020 received a fraudulent PPP loan totaling $96,875. In September 2021, Prewitt submitted a PPP Loan Forgiveness Application in which she claimed her business employed 30 people and the full amount of the loan was spent on payroll costs. Prewitt never owned or operated a business and did not use the PPP loan funds to retain workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities said she used fake documentation to bolster her request. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Jack Harrington is prosecuting. Prewitt is set to be sentenced on November 26, 2024. The maximum penalty for theft of government funds is 10 years in prison. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 relief funds can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. An Alabama woman died Wednesday afternoon following a collision with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 20 in Georgia. Brandy Rodgers, 39, of Oxford, died in the crash at 4:02 p.m. Wednesday. The Georgia State Patrol said Rodgers was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the familys expenses, Rodgers was driving home from a shift as a registered nurse when the crash happened. She is survived by her husband, Jason, and their six children. She was so loved by so many. To know her was to love her. She was the brightest of lights in a sometimes dark world, Jason stated on social media. Sarah Givens, a friend, said Rodgers made nursing look easy. I want to believe that she knew how much we all loved her but what I know for certain is that if you spent even a second with her, you walked away knowing how much you were loved. I saw her show kindness to people who felt like they were forgotten and give grace to the ones who needed it the most, Givens wrote. Some varieties of Boars Head liverwurst and deli meats are being recalled as authorities continue to investigate a listeria outbreak that has reportedly caused two deaths. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Boars Head Provisions Co. has recalled its liverwurst because of possible exposure to the listeria bacteria. In addition, the company is recalling other meats that were produced on the same line and on the same day. The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11 and July 1 and have a 44-day shelf life. 3.5-lb. loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA. The products shipped to retailers have sell by dates ranging July 25 to Aug. 30 printed on the side of the packaging. The other ready-to-eat deli meat products were produced on June 27. 9.5-lb. and 4.5-lb. full product, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. 4-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. 6-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. 4-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head BOLOGNA with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. 2.5-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head BEEF SALAMI with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. 5.5-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT with sell by date AUG 15 on the product packaging. 3-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head GARLIC BOLOGNA with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. 3-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing Boars Head BEEF BOLOGNA with sell by date AUG 10 on the product packaging. The products subject to recall were distributed to retail deli locations nationwide. The products shipped to deli retailers bear establishment number EST. 12612 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. The outbreak was first reported last week. As of Thursday, 34 people were sickened, with all but one hospitalized, according to the Associated Press. Listeria bacteria are most likely to sicken people who are pregnant and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Symptoms include flu-like symptoms, fever, headache and seizures. This is an opinion column. Were used to metaphorical sticks and stones in politics biting, sometimes witty (though usually lame) barbs or sophomoric nicknames aimed at an opponent. Especially from foes with little of substance to say. Especially from Donald Trump. Instead of delving into any depth on matters that matter, he diminishes opponents to a bumper-sticker. An insulting label that evokes guffaws from minions and becomes infectious, incessantly repeated among Republicans as if they were reading from mocking points distributed via Mailchimp. Sleepy Joe. Mean, but okay, we get it. Cute. DEI Vice President. Not so much. The Republican playbook for regaining the presidency is in scraps on the floor, torched to ashes with the tikis their proud supporters like to wield. Their giddy plan was to pummel the 81-year-old President about his age, to harp on his 81-year-old moments, then two-step into the White House. Now, not so much. Not since President Joe Biden acceded to the inevitable and ended his re-election bid, then endorsed his vice presidenthis female vice president of African American and Indian descentto inherit the mantle atop the Democratic ticket. Since then, Republicans have had to slap their hands over their mouths to avoid regurgitating instinctual racist and sexist sticks-and-stones barbs about Kamala Harris. Quips that just might expose the ugliest strands of their DNA. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, following a closed-door meeting Tuesday among House Republicans, declared the election will be about policies and not personalities. Which is strikingly different than what smolders in the ashes of their previous playbook. This is not personal with regard to Kamala Harris, he said, and her ethnicity or her gender have nothing to do with this whatsoever. Translation: Stop it, fellow Republicans. Stop it because now our mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, and wives are watching. Your daughters, too. Because thus far your attacks on Harris have reeked with racism and sexismwith "entitleism. Let's Go Brenda merchandise is being sold across the country as Kamala Harris is the favorite to be the Democratic nominee for the 2024 President election.Deion Johnson Tainting Harris as DEIas countless Republicans have done and continue to do; and even former GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley condemnssays that because she is a non-white woman (because white women, whove benefitted as much as anyone from a half-century of affirmative action policies, have never been so labeled), she is somehow less than. Less than capable. Less than qualified. Less than you. Justify that to your daughter, who likely has more friends who look like Harris than you do. GOP's new racial slurJD Crowe To mock her laugh, challenge her intelligence, and slime her with the silly Marxist label most of your supporters cant even define exposes the depths of your desperation. And worse. To intentionally and childishly mispronounce her name, for goodness sakeas Trump repeatedly, mockingly, and arrogantly doessays demonstratively more about you than her. In grade school, boys pulled a girls ponytail because they liked her. Republicans childishly yank at Harris because they fear her. Some of your mothers, sisters, aunts, and wives may agree with you in opposing Harris candidacy. Maybe some of your daughters, too. That is their right in this nation. Some of them may know this, too: If sexist/racist sticks and stones are your weapon of choice against the woman striving to be the first female president in U.S. history, how will you credibly respond when sexist/racist sticks and stones are someday wielded at them as they reach for their dreams? At your daughters? At their friends? At any of them who, say, struggle to birth children. The most damning and sexist stone thus farits still early, and no doubt every Republican will not receive Johnsons memo was hurled at two years ago by the now - Republican VP nominee JD no exceptions Vance. In an interview on Fox News, he hooted that the nation was run by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that theyve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. He specifically named three people. Its just a basic fact you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children, he said. And how does it make any sense that weve turned our country over to people who dont really have a direct stake in it? Vance stirred the ire of actress Jennifer Aniston, whos publicly shared her fertility struggles. On Instagram stories, she shared: I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day. I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too. Theyre watching, Republicans, so be careful. Or just be you. I was raised by good people who encouraged me to be a good man and surround myself with good people. If I did, they said, good things would happen. I am a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, an Edward R. Murrow Award winner, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, and digital editions of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj. Riots, restrictions on speech and religion, and the takeover of politics and law enforcement are just a few of the unwelcome changes that can be expected in non-Muslim societies as Muslim immigrants increase in number, according to Dr. Peter Hammond. A Christian missionary based in South Africa and author of 40 books, Hammond delineates how Muslims change societies in his book, Slavery, Terrorism and Islam. Citing examples of countries worldwide, Hammond outlines typical activities that occur as the Muslim percentage of the total population increases. It is a warning bell about the gradual, step-by-step changes that can be expected in other countries still undergoing significant Muslim immigration. These societal changes occur because devout Muslims are bound by a 1,400-year-old doctrine of immigration originating in Islamic scriptures and based on Mohammed's migration from Mecca to Medina. Under the religious edict or Hijra, Islamic expansionism and submission of all non-Muslims to shariah or Islamic doctrine must occur. Islamic expansionism and its counterpart, jihad, are first expressed as Muslim demands for special status and privileges within the host country. A higher percentage of Muslims in the host country can soon translate into Muslim control of political processes, law enforcement, media, and the economy, as well as restrictions on freedom of movement, speech and religious practices. The appropriation of goods and property, as well as violence with impunity, can also occur. The situation in at West Bengal in Hindu-majority India, bordering Muslim-majority Bangladesh, illustrates the inherent problems to non-Muslim societies of a growing Muslim population. West Bengal Bengal, an ethno-cultural region, was politically divided in 1947 during the partitioning of British India into independent India and Pakistan. Under this arrangement, the Bengal province was carved in two: the predominately-Hindu West Bengal, a state of India, and the predominately-Muslim East Bengal, which became a province of Pakistan and, in 1971, the Muslim-majority country of Bangladesh. At partitioning, the Muslim population of West Bengal stood at 12% and the Hindu population of East Bengal 30%. Today, with massive Muslim immigration, Hindu persecution and forced conversions, West Bengals Muslim population has increased to 27% (up to 63% in some districts), as per the 2011 census and Bangladeshs Hindu population has decreased to 8%. While the situation for Hindus in Bangladesh is certainly dire, life has become increasingly difficult for Hindus in West Bengal, home to a Muslim-appeasing government and a breeding ground and safe haven for terrorists. For several years, West Bengal has suffered under apparent Muslim-planned riots designed to implement shariah, extract government concessions and grab more territory. Kolkata Riots In 2007, a violent protest broke out in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) against Bangladeshi feminist author, physician and human rights activist, Taslima Nasreen. The demonstrations against Nasreen were a thinly veiled attempt to institute Islamic blasphemy laws and curtail freedom of speech. Nasreen, who was born a Bangladeshi Muslim but chose atheism, had witnessed the horrific treatment of Islamic women in her medical practice, and advocated for freedom of expression, womens rights, non-Muslim rights and abolition of shariah law. In 1993, she published a novel, Lajja (Shame) about a Hindu family persecuted by Muslims. The novel ignited a furor in the Muslim community, which called for a ban on the book and offered a bounty for her death. The novel was subsequently banned by Indian authorities. Nasreen was physically attacked, went into hiding and escaped from Bangladesh to Europe. After 10 years exile, she returned to the east and settled in Kolkata. Her Bangladeshi passport had been revoked and she waited several years for a visa to be able to visit India. While in Kolkata, she continued to write articles critical of Islam despite renewed threats and calls for her beheading. In November 2007, a protest organized by militant Muslims against Nasreen led to riots as Muslims blocked traffic, pelted police and journalists, torched cars and damaged buses. Similar to the justification for the Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris, West Bengali Muslims protested the violation of shariah blasphemy law, which mandates death for anyone who dares to criticize Islam. The army was forced to intervene, Nasreen was placed under house arrest and later forced to leave the area. The banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) were believed to have fostered the mayhem. Canning District Riots In 2013, Muslims in West Bengal were actively lobbying for a second partition of India to create an Islamic super state Mughalistan that would incorporate Pakistan, Bangladesh and parts of India. Meanwhile, ethnic divisions were also stirred up by an upcoming local election. Into this charged situation, the murder of a Muslim cleric by unidentified assailants sparked outrage among Muslims, as thousands mobilized for rioting in the Canning District. An article in a popular weekly publication, Organiser, called the attack a well organized and meticulously planned attack on Hindus. Over 200 Hindu homes were looted and firebombed, hundreds of temples and idols destroyed, and vehicles set on fire amid shouts of Allah-hu Akbar! Repeated calls for help by Hindus went unanswered by the police. Local residents claimed authorities were complicit with the Muslim mobs. Violence in Usti This January 29th, in a market in the Kolkata suburb of Usti, more than 50 Hindu shops were ransacked, looted and gutted by rampaging jihadists. Police mostly watched as bombs were hurled at Hindus indiscriminately. They fired a few random shots into the air and detained victimized Hindu shop owners while their attackers roamed free. A legislative assembly member and the state minister for minority affairs reportedly demanded that local police release the few rioters held in custody. There was limited reporting by the mainstream media that didnt specify the Muslim identity of the perpetrators and West Bengals Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, issued no statement about the violence. Independent sites, Indiafacts and Hindu Samhati, reported the incident with numerous photographs. Political Implications With a 27% Muslim population, enough pressure exists to tip the scales for elected officials precariously toward advancement of an Islamist agenda and make Muslims the most privileged class in West Bengal. In some areas, such as the border district of Murshidabad, which is over 63% Muslim, de facto shariah is imposed on all residents. The vast majority of political candidates, elected officials and law enforcement leadership are Muslim and the economic prospects for Hindus dim as Muslims refuse to patronize non-Muslim businesses. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has received official visits from Hillary Clinton and several U.S. ambassadors, offers a prime example of a political leader who expediently favors Muslim constituents, capitulates to their many demands and entices them with special benefits and privileges. The reality of Muslim vote bank politics, whereby an entire Muslim community votes along lines dictated by the local imam or religious leader, adds to the problem and furthers Muslim control of the state. Banerjee has gone so far in her Muslim sympathies as to publicly recite the Kalima Shahadat, the Islamic conversion prayer, in front of an audience of imams. Because West Bengals Muslims were largely responsible for her election as chief minister, Banerjee has made substantial payback. She approved and validated the academic degrees of 10,000 previously unrecognized Saudi-funded and controlled madrasas (Islamic colleges) four minarets (Muslim towers), honorariums for imams and an exclusively Islamic township. Banerjee called for the establishment of Muslim medical, technical and nursing schools with special subsidies for Muslim students, as well as Muslim-only hospitals. She has favored Muslims to the extent of distributing free bicycles and rail passes to female Muslim students and laptops to Muslim boys. Banerjees political party, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), will most likely send more Islamists to serve in parliament in the future. Reportedly, jihadist sleeper cells inhabit the area under her protection. Meanwhile, the needs of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh are ignored, even as they continue being victimized in West Bengal. In June of 2014, Mamata Banerjee made a highly questionable appointment, Rajya Sabha, to the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Despite multiple warnings from the District Intelligence Bureau that had red-flagged him for instigating violence against Hindus, including alleged participation in the Kolkata and Canning riots and sheltering known terrorists, she selected Pakistani Hassan Imran to serve as MP. Imran is a founder and self-admitted member of the radical student group, the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a recognized terrorist organization banned by the Indian government. He founded and edited a radical weekly magazine, Kalam, which he later turned into a daily newspaper, Dainik Kalam, and sold to the Saradha Group, a financial conglomerate with ties to West Bengal government officials. The publication has advocated for the establishment of Muslim-controlled areas in the state under shariah. Hassan has close ties to local Islamist leaders and has worked with Jamat-e-Islami (JI), a pro-Saudi jihadist group supported by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He also has ties to a chief official of the Islamic Development Bank, a Saudi entity that has financed Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate, the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism funding trial in the United States. JI and the ISI have been linked to efforts to take over the Indian state of Assam and separate it from India. The Saudi-funded terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahadeen, also linked to MP Hassan Imran, has a major base in West Bengal, including bomb-manufacturing units, and has used Wahhabi money to build mosques throughout the state. The Muslim call to prayer is blasted by loudspeaker from early in the morning to late at night and some thoroughfares in the Muslim districts of Kolkata are closed to all traffic for Friday prayers. Recently, Hassan and other associates of Mamata Banerjee were implicated in a financial scandal a Ponzi scheme with the Saradha Group and things are starting to unravel for the chief minister. A major investigation of a consortium of 200 private companies that collected between $4 6 billion from over 1.7 million depositors before it collapsed, may bring down her reign in West Bengal. Her MP appointee, Hassan, is believed to have acted as a liaison between Jamaat-e-Islami and the money launderers. Bangladesh Hindus of West Bengal need only look across the border to Bangladesh to see their future if Muslim immigration continues and the Muslim population exceeds the current 27%. In Bangladesh, with an 89% Muslim population, ethnic cleansing persists unabated, Hindu land is forcibly captured and Hindu homes and businesses looted. People are commonly beaten with no police intervention. Hindus have been tortured and forced to pay the jizya, a tax that non-Muslims are required to pay for protection against Muslim terrorism. Hindu girls, even married women, have been raped, mutilated, kidnapped, enslaved and forced to marry Muslim men. Law enforcement authorities are often complicit in the activities and provide no protection or recourse. Victims are typically threatened if they report incidents to the police. Often, in the case of abduction, police refuse to register complaints and make claims that consensual intercourse has taken place even if the girl is 9 or 10 years old, a non-minor under Islamic standards. Kidnapped Hindu girls who manage to escape report that they were taken to Muslim families in which relatives and friends were invited to rape them over several days while Muslim women facilitated the encounters. This dire future could possibly be avoided in West Bengal, where some speculate that the Saradha financial scandal could go far in exposing Mamata Banerjees dangerous ties to Islamists who seek to wrest control of West Bengal from Hindus. If her government falls as a result, it could be the wake-up call needed to turn the current situation around. It could also serve as an example to other countries facing increasing Muslim immigration and increasing imposition of Muslim values on non-Muslims. A lot of people assume that Democrats heavily influence the media. But that is not just an understatement but an inaccurate statement. To be influenced, the media and Democrats would have to be separate organizations. Also, the Democrats would have to employ their powers of persuasion to influence the media. In reality, the media is the propaganda arm of the Democrats. There is no difference between the utterances of the press and the Democrats. If you want to know what the Democrat leadership is thinking, just follow in the mainstream media. The late great Rush Limbaugh often played a montage of utterances from media pundits about any given event. Not only did the 'experts' have identical opinions, they also used identical keywords. Words such as 'insurrection' or 'collusion' didn't become the de facto term for describing the events of January 6th or the Trump-Russia hoax by accident. These terms were provided by adept wordsmiths in the Democrat party, and the media lapdogs followed the diktat faithfully. They repeated the terms until even those against whom the hoax was perpetrated accepted the premise and used them while defending themselves. We must therefore think of the media as a department within the Democrat party. So what's the PR wing for the Democrats up to now? The Democrat 'elites' had decided that despite 15 million primary votes from regular Democrats, Biden had to go. So they ordered a debate earlier than usual. The fairness shown by debate anchors was an act of sabotage against Biden. Expect the Democrat PR agents masquerading as anchors to have their fangs out against Trump during the second debate. Following the debate, their command was 'destroy Biden,' which all media outlets followed. Some may erroneously think the media was doing its job and presenting facts, but they were merely following diktats. Now that Biden has quit the race, he is a selfless patriot who placed the country before himself. Months ago, Biden was supposed to be sharp. Clearly, these media slaves don't care how ridiculous they appear -- they blindly follow orders. With the nation's foremost word salad chef as the nominee, the latest diktat is to destroy Trump. They couldn't attack Trump immediately after the assassination attempt, they would appear inhuman. Despite what they think, they had to feign 'lowering the temperature' and improving the quality of discourse. But now they realize that the assassination attempt had an impact. It proves that the danger against Trump's life is real, and the Democrat media and their hateful and dehumanizing discourse led to it. MSNBC canceling the broadcast of Morning Joe the Monday after the assassination attempt is proof and acknowledgment. Many have linked this to the myriad of baseless witch-hunts being prosecuted by Democrat judges. This is not to suggest that the media or the judges had any links to the assassin, but that he was brainwashed or influenced by them. The assassination attempt humanized Trump in minds beyond his core base. Most fair-minded people will be alarmed and concerned. They will think, 'If this can happen to him for challenging the establishment, what chance do we have?" Finally, it revealed that Trump is fearless. His display of courage and his tough talk are not an act but reflect his true nature. Few humans would have risen moments after a bullet almost took their life to urge his supporters to fight back against tyranny. The photograph of the moment has made the incident iconic. This needs to be undone now that the word salad chef has to be promoted. So what do the Democrats do? They ordered the media to diminish the death threat and even imply that it was a hoax. Following orders from the PR wing, is the formerly respectable news outlet Newsweek. An article in the magazine quotes FBI Director Christopher Wray's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee where he said it is not yet certain if Trump's injury was caused by a bullet or shrapnel. How did the Newsweek article cover this? Their tweet promoting the article is captioned 'Donald Trump might not have been shot after all.' Their article headline states 'Donald Trump May Not Have Been Hit By Bullet, FBI Director Says'. They are hoping that people don't read the article and make up their minds just by reading the text of the tweet or the headline. They are wishing that people would assume that the shooting was a hoax or even staged by Trump so that it would benefit him politically. Many left-wing conspiracy theorists had claimed this moments after the incident. It must be understood that this isn't a mistake. An article goes through multiple reviews from editors before it is published, even if the writer erred, someone on the editorial team should have rectified the error. The same applies to social media. The fact that this disgraceful material was published proves it was purposeful. This is a vile and disgraceful piece of propaganda. Members of the media often boast about being proponents of DEI. What the media needs is the most important variety of diversity -- diversity of thought. In this situation, if Newsweek had a Trump supporter on their editorial or review board, this headline or tweet would never have been published. But the propagandists within these echo chambers abhor the discord of opposing views. All they want is the chimes of total concurrence. Their goal isn't about quality but how they can outdo each other generating content that will benefit the Democrat and malign Trump. Most organizations have developed a subscriber base who tune in to consume their daily dose of hate. In time, the hate isn't enough to get them inebriated, so the content sinks deeper into the dungeons of hate. It is quite likely that there will be a backlash and that Newsweek will be forced to apologize, change their headline and delete the tweet. But the tweet and headline will be allowed to remain long enough to spread. A casual news consumer reads it and believes it. He tells a few other casual news-consuming colleagues or friends 'I just read Trump wasn't shot at Butler.' "Was it a hoax?" asked one. "Seems so" claims another. This is 'mission accomplished' for the propagandists. This proves the Democrats and their PR agents masquerading as journalists have no qualms about descending to the lowest level. We know they have no ethics, values, or morals, but this is downright evil. So what can you do as consumers? Let's assume your child attends a university in another state and you want to be aware of her well-being and whereabouts. Whom will you trust to provide you with facts, a well-wisher or an ill-wisher? The answer is obvious. The media is an ill-wisher that is doing all it can to destroy you and what you care for. It is wise to completely abandon consuming their propaganda. It is better to be uninformed than misinformed. If you do consume what they are peddling, it is wise to assume that what is being claimed is false until proven true. In a Democracy, the media has a function to act as watchdog on behalf of the citizens. Alas, they have become lapdogs who crawl when asked to bend, prostrate when asked to crawl, and leap with elation when the proverbial biscuit is tossed in their direction. Image: Newsweek - Fair Use Perhaps the most significant factor contributing to the Soviet Unions collapse was a resolute commitment to the infallibility of socialist ideology, coupled with its continued application long after its obvious failure. The failure to learn history and, by extension, internalize the lessons from this dark period is what enables our modern-day Marxists (whom we refer to as leftists or progressives) to believe that they can somehow avoid the consequences of the policies they promote. Modern political history shows that these same people almost always avoid any personal liability for the destruction that theyve wrought. In the Soviet countries, this mindset prevailed until the collapse of that abominable regime in 1991, but not before oppressing, enslaving, and murdering millions. Unfortunately, this worldview persists even today. Adherence to ideological purity is valued above empirical evidence and objective truth, and is particularly prevalent among miseducated Western leftists who identify as secular, whereas those of us who believe in G-d are labeled superstitious. These are the archetypical godless commies. By traditional standards, they display appalling behavior. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who had experience with this, once said, If there is no G-d, everything is permitted. Image: The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 (unaltered usage allowed under German law), which taught Marxists nothing. These ideologues consider their worldview incontrovertible, making them intolerant of opposing viewpoints, which they consider lies. As we witnessed after the June 27 debate, opposing viewpoints are also regarded as inherently sinister. The debate moderators, CNNs Jake Tapper (Fake Yapper) and Dana Bash (the ex-wife of former Obama CIA Chief of Staff and DoD Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash), are two such godless commies, with their own histories of intolerance while feigning virtue. Such cadres concentrate (and flourish) in institutions such as academia, government, non-profit/activist organizations, think tanks (producing few original ideas), and political and other organizations where ideological purity has replaced merit as the basis for career advancement. Here, ideas need not be empirically proven to receive perpetual funding. This explains how Democrats often fail upward, also known as The Peter Principle (people rise to the level of their incompetence). Biden, Harris, Blinken, and Jake Sullivan are prime examples. Thomas Sowell said that the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Yet we still find ourselves struggling with ideologues promoting impracticable ideas/policies provably tested over decades as destructive and morally evil. Unlimited empirical evidence and a well-documented 74-year Soviet period resulting in misery, deprivation, and failure dont dissuade them. Millions remain yoked to this ideology. Its simultaneously perplexing while perversely impressive, speaking to the religious nature of the ideology and the effectiveness of the indoctrination. They hubristically believe that men and the governments they create can somehow bypass, bend, or suspend the laws of nature, avoiding failure. Men can become women and control the weather. Its as if they believe in a magical black hole that can be perfectly timed and exploited by Marxist demigods so capable that they can identify the precise moments in a time continuum enabling them to successfully implement policies that have failed repeatedly and miserably whenever theyve previously been attempted. If that isnt bizarre enough, there is the self-delusion that their intentions are uniquely virtuous and their self-anointed experts (whose status never requires validation) uniquely capable. When these policies, judged on merit (outcome, not intention), inevitably fail, the ideologues will hypocritically claim success or shamelessly place blame on others for not letting them go far enough or implement it correctly. Ultimately, when they realize that the immutable natural laws they have attempted to bypass apply even to them, and they become trapped by the consequences of their actions, they invariably demand more government intervention and additional resources (their favorite), or, they just leave the mess they created for others to sort out. All the while, they insist that their intentions were good and their hearts were in the right place. This occurs when actions have no consequences. Thomas Sowell again: It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong. As weve seen, elections have consequences, but so should actions, particularly for those entrusted with power. Those promoting a collectivist, immoral, anti-human, anti-religion ideology, ignoring the laws of nature, giving money to terrorists and drug cartels, encouraging rioting, bailing criminals out rather than prosecuting them, and calling parents protesting sexual deviance domestic terrorists are trying to overthrow the system. Where I come from, we call that TREASON, which has serious consequences. Progressives adamantine commitment to their ideologys infallibility is what enables them to believe that they can avoid their policies consequences. It is a Soviet mindset, replacing religion, that prevailed in the Eastern bloc until it began to collapse in 1989, and thats been perpetuated in underdeveloped places in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In the Muslim world, it fused with Islam in Algeria, Egypt, and Iraq. This is an integral part of what makes (and keeps) such places underdeveloped. Break free, as Czechia, Hungary, Chile, the UAE, and Taiwan did, and you might find your country developing. Become consumed by it, and your country will likely be destroyed (e.g., Argentina, Greece, Portugal, South Africa, and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe). Although leftism has not claimed even one success (even many Israeli kibbutzim have failed, proving that such social experiments flop even on a small scale), this creepy ideology retains its staying power. Empirical evidence is irrelevant. Ultimately, leftism is a faith, allowing its proponents to believe there must be loopholes in the laws of human nature and causality that apply to a progressive society, allowing its members to have their cake and eat it, too. Their well-documented history of misery, deprivation, and abject failure is no bar to their promoting an anti-human, anti-freedom ideology in the belief that somehow, once implemented, they will magically be spared its consequences. The most vexing aspect of this manifestly self-destructive behavior is the false perception that progressive intentions are somehow more virtuous. When their policieswhich must inevitably be judged on their merits (outcomes, not intentions)consistently fail, progressives will either hypocritically claim success or shamelessly place blame on rivals for not letting you go far enough. Ultimatelyand this is something progressives willfully refuse to acknowledgewhen the immutable natural laws you refuse to consider still make themselves known, you become trapped by the consequences of your actions. People who are not cultists will look at their failures and learn from them. The lefts cultists never learn, though. They just double down on their failures, even as the American experience collapses in ruins around them. Jonathan Gault is a pseudonym. Watching CNN and reading much of the rest of the mainstream media in print and online since last Sunday, when Joe Biden announced that hes not running for reelection, is like a nightmare vision of a dystopian future. True to the Marxist playbook, its nonstop historical revisionism, coupled with the retooling of Kamala Harris as a messianic Obama-type figure. Or, as Kayleigh McEnany of FOX News warned, Get ready for Kamalot. (A play on the common nickname for President John F. Kennedys thousand days in office, courtesy of his widow Jacqueline, as Camelot.) The current PR offensive of the MSM on behalf of Kamala Harris is all the more upsetting and disorienting after what went on during the previous three weeks in the aftermath of Bidens disastrous debate with Donald Trump. From June 28, the day after the debate, until early Sunday afternoon July 21, when Joe Biden abruptly ceased his campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, the MSM for the first time ever began examining and targeting Biden for his physical and mental deterioration. Leaks pointing to the high level cover-up of Bidens limitations were appearing daily. Other leaks confirmed that the most influential Democrat kingmakers Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer were working behind the scenes to ensure that Biden was dumped. It was clear early last weekend that despite Bidens protestations that he was in it to the end, if he didnt go on his own he would be pushed out before the next week ended. As painful as it is, watching CNN (and MSNBC, which arguably is even worse) provides essential insights into the fast-growing propaganda campaign that the political establishment and the MSM will be employing to get Harris elected. A nightly prime time hour on CNN is emblematic. It airs from 10:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET and is hosted by Abby Phillip. Abby Phillip speaking at an event in West Des Moines, Iowa January 10, 2024 Photo by Gage Skidmore // Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Abigail Daniella Phillip is a CNN anchor and a senior political correspondent who anchors CNN NewsNight. She previously worked for Politico covering the Obama White House, The Washington Post as a national political reporter, and ABC News as a digital reporter for politics. Last night, the guests on Phillips program for the hour were five Never Trumpers (including Phillip) and one lone Republican, Joe Pinion. The other guests were Jane Coaston, described as an op-ed contributor to the New York Times; Elie Mystal, a writer for the uber leftist monthly The Nation; Jeff Duncan, the RINO former lieutenant governor of Georgia who came out in March as a supporter of Biden and now enthusiastically supports Harris; and Gretchen Carlson, a disgruntled former FOX News host who successfully sued the channel for sexual harassment after they demoted her in 2016, and has become an anti-FOX mouthpiece since then. CNN puts transcripts of many of its programs on the web, and the transcript of the July 25 Abby Phillip program can be reviewed here. Warning: Reading this transcript may result in elevated blood pressure or other harmful health impacts. While the MSM is now back to reexamining Donald Trump with a fine-toothed comb, and beating the bushes for any legacy video or statements by J.D. Vance that can be used against him, the memory hole, first described by George Orwell in his dystopian book 1984, is being opened wide to disappear Kamala Harriss previous statements and record of non-achievement. For example, in recent days, FOX News declared in an on-screen chyron on Thursday evening, Media Puts Kamala Harris Border Czar Job in Memory Hole. Prominent examples of Kamala Harriss opinions on policing have emerged in a variety of statements she made during interviews starting in June 2020, when violent riots were rocking the nation during the Black Lives Matter Summer of Love following the death of George Floyd. On June 25, 2024, Harris said on the podcast Watch What Happens Live: You know, for far too long the status quo thinking has been to believe that by putting more police on the street youre going to have more safety. And thats just wrong! Thats not how it works. Dont hold your breath waiting for CNN or the rest of the broadcast and print media to cite examples of that important record. Where you will see it is on FOX News. As the lies continue on the rest of the MSM, FOX News is the lone source of a significantly more fair and balanced view of the goings on with justifiable, clear eyed scrutiny of the Democrats. Last night, the content of FOX Newss prime time opinion programs consisted of the truth about the real reasons why Biden was forced to abandon his campaign (a coup at the hands of Democrat kingmakers, as former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and a number of other guests suggested). Even more to the point, as the only counter to the deification of Harris that defines the rest of broadcast, and MSM print and online, news media, FOX News devoted a majority of its nighttime programs to Harris record, including in her own words thanks to many damning archival video clips. Three quarters of Jesse Watters Primetime, guest-hosted by Kayleigh McEnany, was devoted to Harris actual record. This theme was continued on Sean Hannitys program that followed. And even the FOX News news departments hour long show FOX News@Night, which wrapped up the channels live programming at 11 PM ET, has been decidedly critical of Harris. One small ray of hope going forward, for people who get a lot of their news from TV, is the continuing success of FOX News in the ratings. In the latest week of the Nielsen Research television ratings, Monday July 15 through Sunday July 21 (the week of the Republican National Convention), FOX News was by far the most watched cable television channel in the United States both during the 24 hour day (6:00 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET) and in prime time (8:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET). In prime time, FOX News averaged 5 million total viewers, followed by ESPN (1.3 million), and CNN (1.008 million). Perhaps its no accident that if one wishes to see former President Trump interviewed on television, the only place to go is FOX News. This week, Trumps exclusive interview with Jesse Watters was played on Monday and Tuesday nights on Jesse Watters Primetime. On Thursday morning, President Trump was on the phone for a live interview uninterrupted by commercial breaks on FOX & Friends from 7:30 to 8:02 a.m. ET. The video of the interview, which FOX News has titled Former President Trump slams Biden's terrible Oval Office address on 2024 exit: It was a coup, is available here. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who has covered national politics and other topics for over five decades. His most recent interview on BBC Radio in the U.K. can be listened to here. His web page with links to his work and a bio is http://peter.media. Peters extensive American Thinker archive: http://tinyurl.com/pcathinker. His X/Twitter account is @pchowka. Kamala Harris's rise in American politics has been hailed as a historic breakthrough. Yet a closer examination of her career reveals a trail of controversies and questionable decisions that raise serious doubts about her integrity and suitability as a political leader. From leveraging personal relationships for political gain to inconsistencies in her policy stances and questionable actions during her tenure as Californias top law enforcement official, Kamala Harriss track record is riddled with actions that betray the trust of the American people. Her career, marred by allegations of opportunism, hypocrisy, and ethical lapses, provides compelling reasons to question her capability to lead with honesty and integrity. Heres why Kamala Harris should be a figure of skepticism rather than trust in American politics. One of the earliest and most significant controversies surrounding Kamala Harris is her relationship with Willie Brown, a powerful California politician. Brown openly admitted to having a lengthy affair with Harris and appointing her to two lucrative state commissions: the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Medical Assistance Commission. These positions reportedly paid her over $400,000 over five years. These appointments based on sexual relationships rather than merit, cast a long shadow over Harris's career narrative and raise ethical questions about her integrity and the legitimacy of her rise in politics. As California's attorney general, Harris oversaw the prosecution of over 1,900 marijuana-related offenses . Despite this hardline stance, she adopted a pro-legalization position, even admitting to having used marijuana herself in a 2019 interview, when it became politically expedient to do so. This stark contrast between her actions and her public statements demonstrates a troubling inconsistency that calls into question her authenticity and reliability as a policymaker. Kamala Harriss DA office also had to dismiss over 1,000 drug cases when a court ruled in 2010 that her office knowingly did not disclose knowledge of tainted drug evidence. While running for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination against Joe Biden in 2019, Harris shook the Democratic Party by stating that she believed the multiple women who said they were victims of unwanted touching from Joe Biden. Harris's decision to join Biden's presidential ticket after previously accusing him of sexual misconduct is another point of contention. Her sudden shift from a fierce critic to a running mate suggests a willingness to compromise her principles for political expediency. This move, perceived by many as a blatant display of opportunism, undermines her credibility and raises doubts about her commitment to the issues she once championed. Kamala Harris's office has been criticized for covering up police misconduct. In 2015, the Orange County District Attorney's Office was removed from a death penalty trial due to an unconstitutional jailhouse informant program, but Harris's office appealed the removal. Additionally, in 2010, a California superior court judge criticized Harris's office for failing to inform defense lawyers of misconduct by a drug lab technician, leading to the shutdown of a section of the San Francisco police crime lab. These actions not only reflect poorly on her judgment but also highlight a disturbing disregard for justice and accountability. One of the most egregious examples of Harris's questionable ethics involves her office's suppression of evidence that could have exonerated an innocent man on death row. Despite evidence pointing to the man's innocence, Harris's office chose to uphold the conviction, an action that has drawn widespread condemnation and further tarnished her record. Kamala Harris's political career is fraught with controversies that highlight serious ethical failings. From leveraging personal relationships for political gain through quid pro quo, or at least abuses of power, to inconsistent policy stances and a troubling record as California's top law enforcement official, Harris's actions raise significant doubts about her fitness for leadership. As voters, we must demand integrity, consistency, and accountability from our leaders. Based on her track record, Kamala Harris has repeatedly shown that she falls short of these essential qualities. For these reasons, I cannot trust Kamala Harris as a political leader, and neither should you. Parker McCumber is a doctoral student, entrepreneur, commissioned officer in the National Guard, and a political and economic contributor. Follow him on X @Parker_McCumber. Image: Gage Skidmore Why does the WaPo make a disclaimer for the democracy Israels numbers but not the terrorist organization Hamass? In Hamas attack civilians intentionally, Human Rights Watch says (7/17/24), The Washington Post continued its bias against Israel in a systematic way. The Post claims that 38,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and that the Israel Defense forces on Tuesday claimed to have killed or apprehended 14,000 militants and to have killed half of Hamass military leaders since the start of the war. However, only after the Israeli figures does the Post add, The figures could not be independently confirmed. There was no such disclaimer after the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry figure. It seems that only democracies need to have their claims independently confirmed, whereas internationally recognized terrorist organizations have the full trust of The Washington Post for their claims. It says a lot about the integrity, not to mention motivations, of The Washington Post. This requires a correction. The reality of the story behind the numbers is that they show that Israel is fighting one of the most humane urban wars in history, even with Hamas military tunnels underneath most if not all civilian structures in Gaza. Hamas shoots from behind, below, and beside their civilians ensuring a maximal casualty count to aid in their war of global pressure on Israel. War experts applaud Israel for some of the lowest civilian to combatant casualty counts since these figures have been recorded. But it didnt dissuade the Post from its full-throated support of Hamas. To the papers credit, after months of prodding, the Post finally is admitting that the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministrys count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, which would seemingly cast doubt on any semblance of accuracy. But it still feels the need to add the claim that the majority of the dead are women and children. Of course, that additional claim cant be independently confirmed, but that doesnt hold The Washington Post back from propagating it, since it coincides with its anti-Israel agenda. This claim obviously requires a correction as well. Dr. Michael Berenhaus is a freelance activist who works to combat anti-Israel bias in the media. He has been widely published in news sources such as The Economist, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Image: Daniel X. O'Neil via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. How hard was it by 2015 for the political class to know, at the core of their beings, that Joe Biden was a despicable man? Everyone in Congress knew it. They all knew he was a pathological liar, a greedy SOB for whom money was his singular motivation for everything he said and did. They all knew he was a racist. Long before he attempted to humiliate the great Clarence Thomas, he was mentored by Robert Byrd, once an Exalted Cyclops of the KKK. Biden was terrified of his children going to school with blacks, which is why he adamantly opposed bussing. But, even after two previous attempts to become president and failing, once for plagiarizing Neil Kinnocks speech, he was selected by the Democrat party to be installed in order to prevent Bernie Sanders from becoming the Democrat candidate in 2019. It wasnt so difficult thanks to the amped up Covid hysteria. He could stay in his basement and let the media run his pathetic campaign. Thanks again to all the Covid lockdown nonsense, it was easy for the Democrats to flood the states with millions of unverified mail-in ballots and to stuff Zuckerbergs drop boxes with (fake?) ballots. Joe Biden was illegitimately installed in the White House. The result? The Biden administration has been one of the worst, perhaps the worst presidency in U.S. history. That is what the Democrat party did and that is why they are in the grim situation they currently find themselves in today. They dug the hole, and now they are trying to dig themselves out of it, without success. But they keep digging, forgetting the rule about holes. So, the godfathers of the not-at-all-democratic DNC, or whomever was in charge of this cruel enterprise from the outset, decided that, given the polls, Joe had to go. Sure, hes been cognitively impaired for years, but that only made him more malleable; they did not mind that, they embraced it. But seeing that he could not win in 2024, that was unacceptable. The heavies, Obama and Pelosi, as thuggish as Mafia mobsters, moved in with the deal: Joe would go or else the 25th Amendment would be invoked, and Joe would go down hard. They must have offered him a deal, one about which we will likely never know the details. A pardon for Hunter? A promise to take care of the Biden family? No prosecutions for his many, many crimes committed while in the office of V.P. and then president? They also probably promised money, that which Biden craves more than anything else. It is a safe bet that all of the above is true. That is how politics is done in D.C., the most corrupt city in America. Joe Biden is, and has always been, a loathsome person wholly without character, but he is a victim too, a victim of the system he relished being a part of for fifty years. Some might call it karma. Biden promised early on to select a black woman to be his V.P. He said that first and then chose Kamala Harris, a half-Indian, half-Jamaican woman of little color and even less black American experience. No matter. The left always assumes that the American people are stupid. They will fall for the black thing. Most did not, but all those mail-in ballots cinched the deal. He did not much like Kamala, and Jill hates her to this day. Any semblance of friendship or partnership between them is entirely false. Its all a facade, a charade. It is common knowledge that Kamala climbed her way to the V.P. spot in the oldest, not-necessarily-professional way. In crude terms, she slept her way to the top. One of her monikers is still Heels up Harris. But the Dems could not care less about their candidates character. They never have. They gave us the Kennedys, the Clintons, Obama, and all the toadies that signed on to those campaigns and administrations knowing full well that their headliners were borderline sociopaths. Character is not a leftwing value. That has been proven over and over and over again. Republicans occasionally choose poorly too. Who knew that John McCain would betray his party or that Mitt Romney became a presidential candidate without any core conservative values? More recently, Kevin McCarthy colluded with Democrats to further spend the U.S. into devastating debt. Mike Johnson and countless other Republicans in Congress are generally pathetic cowards, afraid to act on the promises they made to get elected. They dont want to rock the lucrative lobbyist gravy train with which theyve been permanently seduced. So, it is left to the few elected representatives with guts to speak for us: Josh Hawley, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Chip Roy, Ron Johnson, Ted Cruz, and a few others who speak up some of the time, but not all of the time. Our elected officials are largely disappointing. They are dedicated to the power they have and to keeping it, without regard for the people who voted for them. The Founders would be sorely disappointed. This lack of reverence for good character is evident throughout the swamp, the bulging bureaucracy that governs our lives. Consider the scum that arose to the top of the CIA (Brennan, Clapper, Haspel) , the FBI (Comey, McCabe, Wray), the IRS (remember Lois Lerner?), etc. As it turns out, most of them are crooks! James Comey, Andrew McCabe and their willingly devious underlings like Peter Strzok, AG Merrick Garland and his anti-Trump thugs like Jack Smith, and the entire entourage that invented and perpetrated the Russia hoax to ruin Trump. They followed up with all the ludicrous and fabricated lawfare cases meant to take him off the campaign trail and to bankrupt him. These are well and truly evil people, wholly without character, let alone respect for the Constitution or the rule of law. Hillary Clinton has for decades used her positions in power to enrich herself, as has Nancy Pelosi; she has a net worth of more than $100 million on her House salary of $174k. Insider trading? They are the tip of the iceberg of government cheaters, those who enter politics to get rich quick, learn the system and then game the system. Biden and Hillary are perhaps the worst of the bunch, but are certainly not alone in their quest for power and money at the expense of the American people. At this moment in time, the U.S. is teetering on the edge of an abyss, a cliche, but nonetheless accurate. For nearly four years, the people who illegitimately installed Biden as president were probably aware of his Parkinsons cognitive impairment during the 2020 campaign. Surely his family knew but went ahead with the scheme to put him in the Oval Office. The Democrat party and the media have covered up this fact for four years; theyre all guilty of gaslighting the American people with the glee of sociopaths. To what end? To keep Democrats in power. Democracy to Democrats means one thing, one thing only they rule over us all. They hate, loathe, and despise all things conservative, conservative people with conservative values, and any public person, celebrity, activist, or politician who dares to promote Judeo-Christian values. Such people must be destroyed. Because Donald Trump is the best representative of those values to come along since Reagan, he must be destroyed. Was the assassination attempt shooter a lone wolf or a patsy like many believe Oswald was? No one knows as yet. The massive security lapse sure seems intentional, but then Bidens and the rest of the lefts Hitlerian rhetoric over the past nine years could surely incite a mentally ill kid. Clearly our Secret Service needs to be radically restructured; so does the FBI, the DOJ, and every other alphabet institution. Equally guilty are our schools that no longer teach traditional values, let alone basic civics! They teach quite the opposite they revel in the destruction of those traditional values. Believing in God can get one fired. Being a drag queen can get you a job reading to kids in a local library. The Biden administration embraces the genital mutilation of children, abortion up to and just after birth, allowing men to compete against women if they choose to identify as women. Hows all that for a wholesale lack of character? Developing good character in our children used to be the number one, the single, most important job of parents. Now you can be cancelled, even fired for protecting the innocence of children, for not sexualizing them in kindergarten, for not promoting LGBTQ+ values in any setting. We are on a wrong path as a nation. Its time to revisit the reverence for good character, for those Judeo-Christian values that are the still profound basis of our Constitution. It is good character that the Founders knew was an absolute necessity for the republic to prevail. The Democrat partys dismissal of character as a prerequisite for a civil society has undermined everything America was meant to be. One has only to consider the extended Trump family, as opposed to the thoroughly dysfunctional Biden family, to grasp the truth of the character counts adage. The lies the left tells about Trump are just that, guilty lies, jealous lies, resentful lies. Shame on all those who tell them and on those who believe them. Image: Free image, Pixabay license. Countless young people across America are fervent proponents of ranked choice voting (RCV), also known as instant runoff voting, and incorrectly accept that it could cure many of our electoral ills from reducing the impact of minority rule to broadening the diversity of political candidates. I was one of those people. Now I realize just how wrong I was. In college, I was happy to spew all sorts of RCV propaganda. I falsely believed that RCV would eliminate minority rule, the spoiler effect, the wasted vote phenomenon, and more! The benefits appeared clear as day. However, as I naively advocated for RCV across my state, I encountered many people who did not share my views. After listening to their arguments and doing more research, several alarming examples and facts quickly crushed my utopian view of an RCV society. Indeed, my opinion of RCV has completely changed. I no longer support the system for three key reasons. First of all, although RCV seems deceptively simple at first glance, a deeper look reveals a level of complexity that isnt just theoretical its real, and it affects voters at the booth. The ballot process, which requires voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than simply checking a box, is perplexing. This brings to light an incredibly important question that supporters of RCV often forget: how does this affect our vulnerable voters? The elderly, people with disabilities, the less educated, and the non-native English-speakers? For these vulnerable voters, the complexity of RCV increases the likelihood of errors. In navigating the new system, they are more likely to misunderstand the ranking process, ultimately leading to their ballot being filled out incorrectly. And what happens to incorrectly filled ballots? Its a dreadfully easy answer: they are thrown away. Because of this, RCV actually decreases the representation and electoral influence of minority voters as such voters disproportionately exhaust their ballots a meek term for getting their ballots thrown out. For example, a study of the 2011 San Francisco mayoral election found that Asian-American and Latino voters had higher rates of incorrectly filled ballots compared to other demographic groups, meaning those specific minority groups had their voices disregarded. An effective voting system would ensure that this does not happen because American elections should be accessible for every lawful voter and ensure that every vote counts. The complexity of RCV also slows down the entire electoral process, increasing both the lines at the polling places and the time it takes to count ballots. Secondly, RCV disenfranchises voters. What misguided supporters of RCV often fail to recognize is that votes cast for lower-ranking candidates can become irrelevant if those candidates are dropped from the tally. In practical terms, this has led to significant numbers of exhausted ballots. For instance, in New York Citys 2021 council race, a staggering 15% of votes were discarded due to ballot exhaustion. In the same year, a mayoral race in Sandy, Utah was decided by only 21 votes, where more than 18% of the original ballots (over 4,000 total) were discarded. According to a study of four local elections in California, between 9.6% and 27.1% of ballots were exhausted before the final round. This effectively undermines the notion of every vote counting equally. In a traditional plurality voting system, a voters ballot is still counted in the overall tally, preserving its impact on the final outcome even if a voters chosen candidate loses. In contrast, RCV swiftly and effectively diminishes voter influence through discarding ballots. This is hardly the mark of a more democratic system. Finally, RCV can also lead to surprising election results that dont necessarily reflect the majoritys will. In the Alaska special congressional race of 2022, for example, a Democrat won in the final runoff phase of an RCV election despite the fact that GOP candidates garnered 60% of the votes in the initial round. This outcome has sparked concerns that RCV actually distorts voter intent more than clarifies it. Maine has also served time as an RCV testing ground, and the muddled results there have been eye-opening. In the 2018 election for Maines 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Bruce Poliquin led in the initial round with a plurality of the votes. However, as votes from eliminated candidates were redistributed in subsequent rounds, Jared Golden won the election in the final round. Once again, RCV fails to promise a valid outcome. Passionate but misguided proponents of RCV, like me in college, would incorrectly argue that the solution to these issues lies in better voter education and outreach. This is undoubtedly important, but it does not fully address the systems inherent flaws. Our constitutional republic should empower, not dilute, the voice of the people. Because of this, RCV will never be practical or effective. Emmaline Merrill is a research assistant for Election Integrity Network, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting the ballots of all American voters. Ms. Merrill is a recent graduate of Southern Virginia University with a B.A. in political science. Image via Raw Pixel. A while back, the Biden administration called upon several companies developing AI to take part in a voluntary pledge to develop the technology responsibly. As lacking as that seems, several companies took part in the pledge. The jury is out on whether theyre actually developing AI safely. In any case. Apple will stick by the pledge. Even though the AI boom happened almost two years ago, were still learning about the potential benefits and dangers of the technology. Were still waiting for solid laws governing AI companies. Until then, all we have are voluntary pledges, lawsuits, and letters to Congress. While several companies have signed the pledge, were already seeing companies laying off employees in lieu of AI tools. Its sad to see, but not unexpected. Apple will stand by the AI pledge brought by Joe Biden While Apple doesnt really identify as an AI company, it sure made a splash when it unveiled Apple Intelligence during WWDC. Since it dabbled in the generative AI market, this makes it a target of regulators. So, it would serve the company well to keep this pledge. Well, thats exactly what the company is doing. This pledge revolves around transparency, security, testing, etc. Theyre designed so that companies dont cause any societal harm with their tools. While weve already seen some harm so far, were sure the government is talking about anything that would cause a Terminator situation. Along with Apple, other companies to join the pledge are Amazon, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. Since this is voluntary, there wont be any consequences if a company violates it. However, we cant rule out any action from regulators due to any effects from them stepping out of line. As for Apple Intelligence, its going to make iOS 18 something to be feared. The company unveiled some extremely impressive features when it announced it, and they put Galaxy AI to shame in some areas. Right now, iPhone users are still waiting for the company to roll out these features. Users should expect them to roll out gradually over the next several months. Microsoft is rolling out a new split interface for Bing. The modified view will have two search results, presumably to counter Googles AI Overviews. Bing interface has AI-generated information mixed with traditional search results Google recently rolled out AI Overviews. It is essentially a summarized information snippet about search queries compiled by Googles Gemini Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). Googles AI Overviews has received mixed reviews, and several internet users hunted for ways to avoid the same. Now Microsoft has tweaked its Bing search engine to infuse AI-generated snippets about search queries. Microsoft adds generative search to its Bing engine Looks a lot like Google's AI Overviews, hopefully without some of the early unfortunate summarieshttps://t.co/K75keIqods Rich Tehrani (@rtehrani) July 25, 2024 The new interface divides Bing search results into two sections, but both are intertwined. While Bing offers regular search results, populated by weblinks that take users outside Bing, there are AI-generated summaries interspersed in the results. Bings new interface has results generated using OpenAIs GPT-4 LLM (Large Language Model). Microsoft seems to be prioritizing AI-generated search results and summaries. However, the company claims this information wont negatively impact traffic to websites and publisher revenue. Hey @Google take note of how Bing sends traffic to the websites they source their AI answers from. Much cleaner approach than what you're doing right now. https://t.co/LApmD4QeaG Eric Enge (@stonetemple) July 25, 2024 Does Gen AI stem outgoing traffic from search engines? Several internet and social media experts have claimed that AI stops users from leaving Google or Bing. Simply put, if search engines summarize answers to search queries, users dont need to visit websites that contain the relevant information. While several digital publications opposed Googles AI Overviews, there might not be a similar backlash for Microsoft Bings new interface. This is because Microsoft appears to have adopted a much more transparent approach. New Bing generative search experience (GSE) with AI layouts and content in Bing Search is being tested https://t.co/5wgcR6LkVP pic.twitter.com/vRyAilyoMf Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) July 25, 2024 Google attempted to serve AI-generated content to search queries noticeably that seemed to lack adequate links to sources or references. Microsoft claims Bings new AI section retains several clickable web links that lead to the source of the information. Microsoft claimed, Early data indicates that this experience maintains the number of website clicks and supports a healthy web ecosystem. Strangely, the companys examples of the new Bing interface reportedly suggest an overwhelming preference of AI for just the top search results. An older iteration offered at least three source links. Google Phone should soon have anti-scam capabilities powered by AI. Specifically speaking, Gemini Nano Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be able to detect spam calls as well as scam calls. APK Teardown reveals Gemini Nano anti-scam protection for Google Phone The Google Phone app is usually the default call management platform for Android smartphones. It has a decent spam call detection engine which either blocks the spam call or alerts users with a warning. It would soon allow reverse call lookups as well. Moving forward, the Google Phone app could get an anti-scam engine powered by Gemini AI. Google has already deployed spam detection on Pixel devices. The same feature could be extended to include scam calls. Google Phones AI-powered scam detection looks nearly ready to go (APK teardown) https://t.co/qwRZuAx8VU Android Authority (@AndroidAuth) July 25, 2024 The upcoming feature reportedly spotted inside Google Phone version 138.0.654539475 beta release, is codenamed Sharpie. Google demoed the Gemini Nano AI-powered scam call detection inside the Google Phone app at the recent Google I/O event. Google claims the feature can provide real-time alerts during a call if it detects conversation patterns commonly associated with scams. Several strings of code inside the beta version of the Google Phone app reportedly indicate the new feature would be able to distinguish between spam and scam calls. Android smartphone users would be able to manually report calls as well if the Phone app lets a potential scam call through. @GoogleIndia add an option for reporting scam numbers in google phone app pic.twitter.com/03hgtnftat Ivan Sikorsky (@ivan_sikorsky) July 23, 2024 Incidentally, Google has developed and tweaked Gemini Nano for smartphones. This suggests most of the AI processing will take place on the device to protect privacy. However, this could also mean several devices that lack capable hardware, might not get this feature. Is Google forcing Gemini Nano Gen AI through backend channels? Google wont be forcibly embedding Gemini Nano AI into the Google Phone app. Android smartphone users relying on the Google Phone app will get a choice. In other words, the Gemini Nano AI for Google Phone could be an opt-in service when it arrives. Google will have Gemini Nano on Google Phone application to detect scam calls and alert you in real time. This may replace your Truecaller application in times in India soon!#GoogleIO #Gemini #GoogleIO2024 pic.twitter.com/ZHB2DtRt16 JumanJi (@heyjumanji) May 14, 2024 Spam calls have been getting easier to spot and block. However, scam calls are quite clever and creative. Moreover, scammers continually improve to evade suspicion and detection. Scam calls usually target some of the least tech-savvy smartphone users. This makes awareness campaigns futile. If an AI engine can help spot a potential scam call, Android smartphone users could exercise caution and protect themselves. Google is set to announce the Pixel 9 Pro Fold next month, at an earlier than usual event in Mountain View. And as usual, Google has had trouble keeping everything from leaking out. So we know quite a bit about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold even Google teased it on YouTube a few weeks ago. So, whats Googles huge mistake with this phone? Well, there are a few, but I can sort of get over most of them. However, changing the front display is a big mistake. On the original Pixel Fold, Google went after a more passport-sized front display. It was wider at a 17.4:9 aspect ratio (for reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 22:9, and it was skinnier in previous versions). There were two things that made this wider front display so much better than the competition. For one, it meant that the Pixel Fold could be used with one hand because it was wider than most other slab and foldable phones. Secondly, and most importantly, in my opinion, when you unfolded it, you were already put into tablet mode since it was in a landscape orientation. With every other foldable (thats not the OPPO Find N2), you need to rotate the phone to get into tablet mode. It doesnt sound like a big deal, but it really does make a difference over time. While I do like the more OnePlus Open-esque style of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Im still going to miss the passport size of the Pixel Fold. The cover display is rumored to be a 6.3-inch Actua Display, which means it is going to fix one of the biggest complaints with the Pixel Fold screen brightness. The inner display is going to be an 8-inch Super Actua Flex display. That actually makes the inner display one of the largest among foldables. Many others are around 7.6- to 7.9-inches. Many people who own the Pixel Fold absolutely love the wider front display. In fact, Ive seen quite a few Redditors claiming they wont upgrade because of this change and a few others opting to buy the year-old Pixel Fold versus waiting for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This was also something that set the Pixel Fold apart from other foldables. Instead, it looks like Google is using a version of the OnePlus Open/OPPO Find N3. In fact, in the latest renders, it looks a whole lot like that phone, with the main difference being the camera module which in itself is a weird design. Google refuses to put flagship cameras on its foldable Googles not alone here, however it would be great for them to set the standard of putting flagship cameras on its foldable device. Arguably the only real foldable that has flagship cameras is the OnePlus Open/OPPO Find N3. While the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 does have pretty good cameras, I wouldnt call them flagship since Xiaomi typically does 1-inch sensors on their flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra and the MIX Fold 4 does not have that sensor. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, HONOR Magic V2 and many others, will be sporting downgraded cameras, once again. Reportedly sporting a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 10.5-megapixel ultrawide and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto sensor. Even the cheap Pixel 9 is sporting a better ultrawide sensor than this phone. While I have not doubt that Google will be able to offer a really great photo taking experience with these cameras, I cant help but wonder why Google didnt include at least a 48-megapixel ultrawide or telephoto, even if they didnt do the dual 48MP sensors that the Pixel 9 Pro sports. The only way I think Google could get away with this is, if the price is lower than the original Pixel Fold. Last year it debuted at $1,799 the same price as Samsungs, which did increase to $1,899 this year. If Google can bring this down to $1,299, I could probably forgive Google for the worse cameras. But I highly doubt that is whats happening here. Despite this, Im still excited for Pixel 9 Pro Fold Even though the Pixel 9 Pro Fold seems to be rather disappointing so far, Im still excited for the announcement in a few weeks. I really liked the Pixel Fold, not only for its size and aspect ratio but also for the Pixel software. I prefer that over other manufacturers skins, but Google does need to add some more features so users can really take advantage of the different screen sizes that foldables offer. Id love it if Google just ripped OnePlus Open Canvas feature and put it onto the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. That is by far one of the best ways to multi-task on a foldable right now. We know quite a bit about this phone already, but theres still more for Google to unpack at its August 13 event. Like the price. Ill be in Mountain View for this launch event, and cant wait to finally see it in person. WhatsApp has reached 100 million monthly active users in the US. The Meta-owned messaging platform, which is already the biggest instant messaging app in the world, hit the milestone on July 25. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the news on his WhatsApp channel. WhatsApp reaches 100 million monthly active users in the US Founded in 2009 and acquired by Meta (then Facebook) in 2014 for approximately $19.3 billion, WhatsApp became the worlds most popular instant messaging app in 2015. By 2020, the app had more than two billion users worldwide. It is the primary means of Internet communication in several regions, including Latin America, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, and Africa. The platform facilitates more than 100 billion messages each day globally. However, despite its massive popularity, WhatsApp couldnt penetrate the US messaging industry as much as the rest of the world. It appears thats slowly changing. With 100 million monthly active users, it is now among the most popular messaging apps stateside. Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Seattle are the fastest-growing markets for WhatsApp in the US. The app also experienced significant growth in Southern states. It has over 10 million users in Texas. This is the first time data pertaining to users has been released since Metas acquisition of the messaging app and demonstrates how the messaging platform, already the biggest messaging app in the world, has experienced tremendous growth in the US, WhatsApp spokesperson Ashley OReilly said in a press release. The company continues to bet on its Android-iOS interoperability. Unlike Apples iMessage, WhatsApp works like a charm on both platforms. Apples RCS adoption for iMessage could hurt WhatsApp WhatsApps Android-iOS interoperability bet has been working because of the lack of RCS support on iPhones. This made cross-platform messaging to and from Android phones boring. It relied on the SMS standard, meaning that users missed out on modern features like read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality image and video sharing, end-to-end encryption, and more. Of course, a distinct green bubble for Android messages (iPhone messages appear in blue bubbles). WhatsApp eliminated it all, offering the same messaging experience no matter what device you and your friends use. However, Apple is now leveling up the playing field with RCS support for iMessage. Starting with iOS 18, iMessage will work with the RCS messaging standard used by Google Messages on Android. This will ensure a standardized messaging system on both platforms, potentially at the expense of WhatsApps growth. Hopefully, Meta is preparing its next move. An alternative healer who failed to get medical help for a 71-year-old diabetic woman who died after she stopped taking insulin at his slapping therapy workshop has been found guilty of her manslaughter. Danielle Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, in October 2016 while taking part in the Paida Lajin therapy event, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly. Hongchi Xiao, of Cloudbreak, California, was convicted by the jury at Winchester Crown Court of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex. The 61-year-old was extradited for the trial from Australia, where he had previously been prosecuted over the death of a six-year-old boy who also died after his parents withdrew his insulin medication after attending the defendants workshop in Sydney. The court heard that Mrs Carr-Gomm, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1999, was left howling in pain as she became seriously ill before she died on the fourth day of the workshop. Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Mrs Carr-Gomm had sought alternatives to her insulin medication for type 1 diabetes because of her vegetarianism and fear of needles. She had first joined a Paida Lajin workshop, which means slap and stretch, run by the defendant in Bulgaria in July 2016. She became seriously ill after stopping her insulin medicine before she restarted and subsequently recovered. Mr Atkinson described how Mrs Carr-Gomm went on to attend another of Xiaos workshops in Wiltshire in October of that year. The court had heard how Xiao said well done to Mrs Carr-Gomm, after she told the group she had stopped taking her insulin at the week-long retreat, and she became seriously ill. Mr Atkinson said that by the third day she was vomiting, tired and weak, and by the evening she was howling in pain and unable to respond to questions. A chef at the workshop, Teresa Hayes, told jurors Mrs Carr-Gomm was delirious and frothing at the mouth before she died, adding that she wanted to call an ambulance but trusted those with more experience of the holistic healing method. Danielle Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in a slapping therapy workshop in October 2016 (CPS/PA) Mr Atkinson described how the defendant failed to get medical help for Mrs Carr-Gomm before she died in the early hours of the fourth day. The prosecutor said: Those who had received and accepted the defendants teachings misinterpreted Mrs Carr-Gomms condition as a healing crisis. He said that Xiao had been an exponent of Paida Lajin for 10 years and had written a book on it. Mr Atkinson said: It is said to be a method of self-healing in which poisonous waste is expelled from the body through patting and slapping parts of the body. He added: He does not have medical qualifications or training. In a book that he wrote about Paida Lajin, the defendant asserted that the taking of insulin leads to liver and eye problems, and that in contrast the Paida Lajin was safer and more reliable than existing healing practices which would result in significant improvement or full recovery in 90% of cases, including cases of diabetes. He added that Xiao also wrote in the book that doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs. A screen grab taken from a video of a presentation by Hongchi Xiao on Paida Lajin therapy, which was shown to the jury at Winchester Crown Court (CPS/PA) The court heard that Mrs Carr-Gomm had provided a testimonial for Xiao, describing him as a messenger sent by God who was starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of health care. Mrs Carr-Gomm was born in France and moved to the UK aged 21. Speaking after her death, her son Matthew Carr-Gomm, who lives in New Zealand, said: She was always keen to try and find alternative methods of treating and dealing with her diabetes, and was very interested in alternative and holistic medicine and therapies. I know she was desperate to try and cure herself of this disease. She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was adamant that nothing would stop her from living a full life. In recent years, mum was in a great place with a partner, a lovely home and was travelling the world. She had a lot of life left in her. A screen grab taken from a video of a presentation by Hongchi Xiao on Paida Lajin therapy (CPS/PA) He said the death of Mrs Carr-Gomm had come as a huge shock to the family. Giving evidence during the trial, Xiao said he would never persuade someone who needed insulin not to take it, adding that insulin is useful. On his attitude towards medication at his workshops, he added: First of all, I said Im not a medical doctor, so everyone is responsible for their own medication. Secondly, Im not fully against medicine, what Im concerned about is the side effect of the medicine. Following the verdict, head of the Crown Prosecution Service special crime division, Rosemary Ainslie, said: Hongchi Xiao knew the consequences of Danielle Carr-Gomms decision to stop taking insulin could be fatal, he had seen it before. Hongchi Xiao has been found guilty of manslaughter (CPS/PA) Hongchi Xiao was the man in charge, yet he failed to respond to Mrs Carr-Gomms worsening condition with tragic consequences. His failure to take reasonable steps to help Mrs Carr-Gomm substantially contributed to her death and amounted to gross negligence. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Walker of Wiltshire Police said: Xiao had no medical qualifications yet despite this, was actively encouraging those in attendance at his workshops to refrain from taking their regular medication, knowing full well the consequences. He added: Xiao breached his position of trust and whilst in attendance at his workshop, Danielles health deteriorated quickly and she sadly passed away. Xiao will be sentenced on October 1. One hundred firefighters and 15 fire engines have tackled a double house fire in east London. Two terraced houses were alight on Third Avenue in Dagenham, London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said. The fire is now under control, LFB said. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson told the PA news agency there are currently no confirmed casualties. Footage posted to social media appeared to show black billowing smoke coming from a property, filling the street. The house fire in #Dagenham is now under control but crews are continuing to damp down remaining hot spots. We are expected to be on scene throughout the evening https://t.co/5oE6AyEa4d pic.twitter.com/QYQk8yALv5 London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 26, 2024 Residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to the significant amounts of smoke. Road closures are still in place and people are urged to avoid the area while crews battle the blaze, LFB said. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Station commander Darren McTernan, who is at the scene, said: Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control. We asked local residents to keep windows and doors closed due to significant amounts of smoke being produced from the fire. Road closures are still in place while firefighters remain on scene and the area is heavily congested. People are urged to avoid the area where possible. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said earlier: We were called at 1.41pm today to reports of a fire on Third Avenue, Dagenham. We have sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team. The incident is still ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners. A dog named Blueberry is looking for her forever home, but she's starting to lose hope. Employees at the Elmbrook Humane Society in Brookfield, Wisconsin have noticed that the English Bulldog has been looking pretty sad lately. They say she's been blue all the time. Now they're sharing Blueberry's story with the hopes that someone will take her in ASAP. It's impossible to believe that someone hasn't snapped Blueberry right up. But at this point, the dog has been at the rescue for far too long. The good girl has yet to find a human she clicks with. But that doesn't mean she won't. It just seems that rescue life is starting to wear on the English Bulldog. Won't somebody bring her home? Related: English Bulldog and Labrador Are Sweetest Buddies to Neighborhood Cat The video shows Blueberry looking down at the ground. Dogs can't exactly frown, but if they could Blueberry would be. Poor girl. Those big brown eyes have us dying. But the rescue still has faith that the right person will come through. "We hope she finds her forever home soon," the humane society wrote. People in the comments section wanted this for Blueberry too. "She deserves to be loved every day forever and ever," wrote one person. "Poor little Blueberry just needs a home and family to love," someone else agreed. "Such a beautiful baby who deserves a forever home," another commenter chimed in. "Awww sweet pup! Praying someone wonderful sees this and gives Blueberry a happily ever after," chimed in one person. Adopting From Elmbrook Humane If you want to give Blueberry a new life (and you should) the dog is still available for adoption. You can apply to be Blueberry's mom or dad through the Elmbrook Humane website. The organization says that Blueberry is a "middle-aged" sweetie who has a big heart. "Blueberry finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, from lounging comfortably throughout the day to enjoying leisurely walks at her own pace," they explain. "Her low-energy nature makes her an ideal companion for those who appreciate the tranquility of quiet moments together." The good part about adopting an older dog is that they're fully trained, and that goes for Blueberry too. Our girl is fully potty trained and won't leave your house a mess. Elmbrook Humane says that Blueberry would do best in a home without other pets, "as her true affection has always been reserved for her human companions." The only thing Blueberry wants is a quiet home with a patch of sun that she can sleep in. Is that so much to ask? All she needs is someone to give her a chance. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. China to adhere to reform, socialist market economy: Chinese FM Xinhua) 11:00, July 26, 2024 General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Vientiane, Laos, July 25, 2024. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) VIENTIANE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China will adhere to the correct political direction of reform, build a high-level socialist market economy, and provide a strong driving force and institutional guarantee for advancing Chinese-style modernization, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday in Vientiane. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith. During the meeting, Thongloun said that the important conclusions and innovative achievements of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee have provided important references for Laos to promote the socialist cause. He thanked China for providing valuable support for Laos' economic and social development over the years, saying that the Laos-China Railway has helped the Lao people realize their dreams and is a precious symbol of friendship between the people of the two countries. Laos is willing to deepen cooperation with China, speed up comprehensive development along the Laos-China Railway, and build landmark projects of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation that carry forward the Laos-China traditional friendship, Thongloun said, adding that Laos welcomes more investments by Chinese enterprises to help the country enhance its capacity for independent development. He also noted that Laos will never allow anyone to undermine its friendship and practical cooperation with China, and stands ready to work with China to translate the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries into tangible results, pushing the Laos-China community with a shared future to a higher level. For his part, Wang said the third plenary session proposed more than 300 reform tasks, outlined a blueprint for deepening reform across the board, and sent a clear signal that reform and opening up will always be in progress. Wang said China appreciates that Laos has always stood with China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, and will continue to be the most reliable friend and partner of Laos, ready to enhance experience sharing with Laos on governance. China firmly supports Laos in exploring a development path suited to its own and in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, willing to deepen all-round cooperation with Laos, strengthen comprehensive development along the China-Laos Railway and promote connectivity to boost Laos' economic development, said the foreign minister. Wang proposed that the two sides should join hands to resolutely crack down on cross-border crimes, creating a good business environment for economic and trade cooperation. On the same day, Wang also met with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and held talks with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Rachael Burns is fundraising for a life-extending operation after being told she has an inoperable brain tumour. (SWNS) (Brain Tumour Research) A woman who thought she had dry eyes has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Rachael Burns, 22, first started noticing changes to her eyesight after giving birth to her daughter, Raeya, now one. The woman, from Belfast, had long suffered from migraines, but says these began to worsen in March 2023 which led her to see an optician. "They said I had dry eye and was doubly short sighted," she explains. "I was sent home with eyedrops and glasses which just made me feel dizzier. "My eyesight worsened, leading to me walking in front of cars due to the blind spot on my right side. I could no longer take my daughter out of the house on my own as I was so worried I would put her in danger. I felt like I was being dramatic, and this led to me waiting even longer to get help." It wasnt until Burns face lopsided and she was unable to open an eye that she was referred to hospital. A subsequent MRI scan showed a high-grade cancerous tumour on her brain called a diffuse midline glioma (DIPG), that had already spread to her spine. Doctors then delivered the news in May 2024 that Burns had just months to live so now her family are hoping to raise 150,000 for life-extending treatment. "When I was told I had a brain tumour my entire world fell apart," she explains. "I was told that the life expectancy of someone with my diagnosis was 12 months, and I had already been showing symptoms for eight. "I just didnt expect to receive news that awful. Id hoped to maybe have at least a year or two. This hugely affected me mentally. I just sort of crumbled." Burns was initially diagnosed with dry eyes. (SWNS) Doctors told Burns that her surgery is not an option due to the tumour being located on her brainstem. She is currently undergoing six weeks of radiation treatment on her brain and spinal cord. "Some days Ill wake up and my legs wont work, and Ill be crying in agony for hours at a time with the pain," she explains. "My partner Robert has had to take over most of our daughters care and it makes me feel so useless, like Im already being stripped of a lot of my motherhood. Some days I can walk unassisted and Im able to lift Raeya. All I can do is hope that I get as many good days like that as possible because memories with my family are all that matter to me now." After doing some research, Burns and her family discovered the ONC201 drug which has been given to patients in Germany and prolonged patients lives by almost two years. However, the cost of consultations, private scans, travel, accommodation, and the medicine amounts to 150,000 of which half of the amount has already been raised. "As hard as it is to ask for help, Im really swallowing my pride and letting myself be vulnerable enough to beg for this extra time," Burns says. "I am not ready to leave my family and my baby. "One year is not anywhere near enough time to get to experience the gift of motherhood and have it stripped from you. "I may not get to take her to her first day of school but any extra days with her will be a blessing so I will fight with everything in me to wake up to her each morning." Burns is also hoping that by speaking about her condition she can raise awareness for brain tumour research. "There is not enough awareness and not enough funding put into brain tumour research when it is killing innocent children and young adults every single day and the world is going on as normal," she adds. "If more people knew just how devastating the effects of brain tumours are on not just the person diagnosed but their entire family and everyone around them who loves them, maybe we could push for more options and more treatments as nobody deserves a fate this cruel." Louise Aubrey, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Its a tragedy that a young mother like Rachael cannot get the best drugs and treatment in the UK, and instead has to spend hundreds of thousands for the chance to spend more time with her daughter. "Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002. "This is unacceptable. So much more needs to be done to prevent young families like Rachaels from being ripped apart by this devastating disease." To donate to Burns' fundraising page, visit: gofundme.com/f/3jrjd4 Additional reporting by SWNS. Health: Read more France full-back Melvyn Jaminet has been handed a 34-week suspension by the French Rugby Federation after he posted a video of himself making a racist remark earlier this month. Jaminet put a video on his Instagram story on July 7, which included him making a racist comment about the Arab community. The 20-times capped Toulon player was immediately suspended and sent home from Frances tour of Argentina before a FFR Disciplinary Council was held on Friday. La Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR) condamne avec la plus grande fermete les propos tenus par Melvyn Jaminet. En consequence, Melvyn Jaminet a ete mis a lecart avec effet immediat et quitte le groupe France actuellement present en Argentine. Notre communique : France Rugby (@FranceRugby) July 7, 2024 It determined Jaminet should be fined 30,000 euros (25k) and given a suspension of 34 weeks, which can be reduced by eight weeks if he takes part in various prevention actions after the 25-year-old was declared to have harmed the best interests of the sport, according to FFR. At the end of the FFR Disciplinary Council held today, it was held that Melvyn Jaminet had harmed the best interests of rugby. Consequently, the following decision was made: a suspension of 34 weeks, applicable from the notification of the full decision, an FFR statement read. Eight of the 34 weeks of suspension may nevertheless be substituted by general interest activities for the benefit of the FFR. This decision may be appealed by the player before the Federal Appeals Commission within seven days from the date on which it was notified. Jaminet had issued an apology shortly after his suspension on July 7 was announced, saying on Instagram: I understand that this has hurt and offended many people, and I want to make it clear that these remarks do not reflect my values or those of the French rugby team. Racism in any form is unacceptable and goes against everything I believe in. Labour has dropped the previous Tory governments plan to challenge the International Criminal Courts (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, Downing Street has said. A No 10 spokeswoman confirmed that the Government will not submit an objection. This was a proposal by the previous government which was not submitted before the election, and which I can confirm the Government will not be pursuing in line with our long standing position that this is a matter for the court to decide on, the spokeswoman said. The move caused diplomatic tensions with Israel, with a senior Israeli official reportedly condemning the fundamentally wrong decision. The No 10 spokeswoman noted that the Government believes very strongly in the separation of powers and the rule of law domestically and internationally. I think you would note that the courts have already received a number of submissions on either side, so they are well seized of the arguments to make their independent determinations, she said. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in May requested arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Mr Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant over Israels war in Gaza. Rishi Sunaks government had told the ICC it intended to submit arguments questioning whether the ICC had the right to order the arrest of Israeli nationals. The Hague-based war crimes court gave the UK until Friday to decide whether it would do so. The conflict in Gaza has been a thorn in the Labour leaders side, with his initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire costing the party votes and seats in the General Election despite its landslide. Former MP Jonathan Ashworth was one of several Labour candidates defeated by independents who made Gaza a major part of their campaign. Since entering Government, Labour has restored funding to the United Nations Palestine relief agency UNRWA, in a major shift from the stance of the previous government which had suspended funding in January. Sir Keir has also stressed that a Palestinian state has an undeniable right to be recognised as part of a Middle East peace process. The move was welcomed by pro-Palestinian groups and human rights organisations. Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UKs chief executive, said: This was a totally misguided intervention by the last government and we strongly welcome the decision to drop it. Instead of trying to thwart the ICCs much-needed Palestine investigation, the UK should be backing efforts to bring all perpetrators of war crimes and possible genocide to justice. https://x.com/BoardofDeputies/status/1816797952679067887 Hannah Bond, co-chief executive of ActionAid UK, said: Were pleased to see the new government abandon the legal challenge to the International Criminal Courts case. The court must be free to pursue the course of justice unhindered and the UK government must support it in doing so, as well as respect and comply with whatever the ultimate outcome of the case may be. A senior Israeli official told reporters in Washington that Israel is deeply disappointed by this fundamentally wrong decision, according to The Times of Israel. It is contrary to justice and truth, and violates the right of all democracies to fight terrorism, the official reportedly said. Mr Netanyahu and senior aides are in the US as he seeks to bolster support for his countrys fight against Hamas. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said in a joint statement that Labours announcements signal a significant shift in policy, away from Israel being a key UK ally. This would not only be a strategic error but a moral one. The Labour Friends of Israel group said: The British Governments desire to defend international law is laudable but its decision today is deeply disappointing and will not advance that goal. The Government will not be passing the buck on building renewable energy infrastructure to future generations, a minister has said. Energy minister Michael Shanks also told MPs that some areas will have to host nationally significant power infrastructure such as solar farms in response to concerns expressed about the detrimental impacts on communities. MPs had a general debate on Friday on making Britain a clean energy superpower, with the Great British Energy Bill due to receive its second reading after the summer recess. Conservative MP for Huntingdon Ben Obese-Jecty raised the East Park Energy solar farm, a proposed project in his constituency, which he said would be larger than Gatwick Airport. Energy minister Michael Shanks said we need to tackle this crisis (PA) He said local residents have grave concerns over the scale of the development and asked the minister if he would commit to rural communities having a say on the Government allowing large solar farms to be built in their local areas given the detrimental impacts. Mr Shanks replied: Were not in any way going to remove the ability of communities to be part of, of course, a consultation process in the planning system. He added: But at some point, we have to have this national recognition that there is infrastructure that we need that is nationally significant. Some communities will have to host that infrastructure and there should be benefits for those communities in doing it. But that doesnt mean that we should stop doing it and Im afraid the days of Government passing the buck to a future generation to fix these issues are gone. We need to tackle this crisis and that means we will be building and there will be projects in communities, with consultation of course, but nationally significant projects will have to go ahead if we want to reach the targets by 2030. Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has sold his MPs down the river and that energy bills will not reduce under Labour. Ms Coutinho said: The people now sitting on the benches behind the minister will have been telling their new constituents that their plans would save them 300 on their energy bills they said it in hustings, they said it on local media, they said it on their leaflets. But they will have noticed by now that their ministers are no longer saying that at all. Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said Labours approach to energy will add huge costs to peoples bills (PA) And this is the problem, when you get into government, and you speak in the House, you cannot use numbers for which you have no basis. This was met with laughter from the Labour benches. Ms Coutinho continued: They will learn this, they laugh, but their voters wont forget that they made them that promise. She added: They all know that their leadership has sold them down the river on this one, because the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State know those savings cannot be delivered. In fact, their approach to energy will add huge costs to peoples bills. Thats not us being evil Tories on this side of the House, thats also the view of the European lead for Mitsubishi Power who said that Labour Party plans would require a huge sacrifice from Brits. Former Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden also criticised the Government over its claim that clean energy plans would knock 300 off bills. He said: Its been causing quite a lot of confusion in the national media over the last couple of days when Downing Street have been saying one thing, (Mr Shanks) department have been saying another. Mr Shanks replied: I think it does take a bit of a brass neck to come here and talk about bringing down bills when the government that he supported for a long time saw those skyrocket. Weve been very clear, bills will come down, we said that throughout the campaign, we said that yesterday and we stand by that because bills must come down, but this isnt going to happen overnight. Elsewhere in the debate, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for climate change Wera Hobhouse said the race to net zero is the major economic opportunity of the century. She said: The green economy must sit at the heart of economic growth, and the Government has work to do to reverse the damaging narrative of the previous government, that this is about green versus growth. And also to reverse the unforgivable failures of the last Conservative government, which delayed, blocked or even reversed urgent action on climate change. Now is the time to move forward. Winding up, Tory shadow energy minister Joy Morrissey pointed to plans for a Government-backed company called GB Energy to accelerate Britains pathway to energy independence. Ms Morrissey said the plan is simply the Government subsidising high-risk projects for the private sector on the one hand, whilst decimating our oil and gas industry on the other. Ms Hobhouse intervened and said: Is the shadow minister not aware that exactly this negative narrative from her party has held us back in the way to net zero? In his winding up speech, Mr Shanks said: The rhetoric that were now hearing from this Conservative Party is a million miles from that David Cameron conservatism that said we should take the environment seriously. He added: The reason that were on this journey is not because of some sort of ideological commitment to net zero, but because we know it is the only way to deliver the energy security that we need to reduce our dependence on volatile gas prices and to deliver the cheaper energy that we know will bring down bills. Irish premier Simon Harris has doubled down on nominating former minister Michael McGrath to be Irelands EU Commissioner, despite an EU request for two names. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will formally ask countries to put the names of a man and a woman forward to help her form a gender-balanced team of Commissioners. Mr McGrath stepped down as Finance Minister several weeks ago in order to become Irelands EU Commissioner nominee. Taoiseach Simon Harris speaking to the media ahead of a Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) The nomination to become Irelands next EU Commissioner was the choice of the Fianna Fail party under the terms of an agreement between the three parties forming Irelands coalition Government. Speaking in Paris, Mr Harris said it would be odd and unfair to put two names forward after proposing a senior politician who had stepped down from Cabinet to focus on the role. The Taoiseach said he also did not believe that nominating just one person would affect Irelands chances of getting an important portfolio. I know President von der Leyen to be a very serious, a very competent and a fair politician, Mr Harris said, whose Fine Gael party is part of Ms von der Leyens EPP political group. I know from my conversations with her that she will assess the suitability of commissioners for portfolios based on their background, based on their CV, based on interviews that she will carry out. Irelands outgoing EU Commissioner, Fine Gaels Mairead McGuinness, had described a thorough interview process through which it is decided what portfolio each candidate is given. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attends the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit at Cop28 in Dubai (Chris Jackson/PA) Mr Harris said: Michael McGrath was in Brussels this week, I spoke to Michael last weekend and I know hes taking that process extremely seriously in terms of preparing and engaging. As the Taoiseach of Ireland, Im satisfied that weve sent a politician of substance in Michael McGrath. Yes, President von der Leyen has asked for two names, and she did the last time as well, and I suppose weve respectfully said to her that Ireland has made a decision, in line with the treaties, as is our right, as to the Commission candidate we wish to send forward. On other occasions in the past, weve sent one name and the name has been a woman. But weve had to make an assessment as to who we believe is the best commissioner to send from Ireland. That person, Michael McGrath, has had to step down from Cabinet. Thats a pretty profound thing for him to have to do. I think it would be an unfair thing for him to have to do and then tell him he has a 50-50 chance of getting a roll at the end of it. So I think theres at the very least an understanding of this at European level. He added: Ireland has played its part in terms of gender equality and the important issues around that and will continue to. On this occasion, though, we have a particular set of circumstances that are important. Firstly, we have a coalition Government this is the politics of Ireland thats important people understand at a European level and under that coalition Government, the nominee came from Fianna Fail, its a Government nominee, I fully support Michael McGrath. And then the second thing to remember is that Michael McGrath was one of the most senior politicians in Ireland, he was the Minister for Finance, it was important that he would have his full concentration on preparing for the European Commission role and have a Minister for Finance whos preparing fully for the budget. So therefore, the fact that hes stepped down from Cabinet, I think it would seem odd that you would send more than one name considering those pretty particular set of circumstances. A jealous boyfriend who planted hidden microphones in his partners home so he could eavesdrop on her conversations will be sentenced in September. Darren Querns, 35, subjected his partner of six years to a campaign of abuse that left her feeling depressed, suicidal and a shell of the person she was. Glasgow High Court heard that during their relationship Querns accused his partner of infidelity, shouted and swore at her, physically pushed her and pinned her down, and monitored her mobile phone and social media accounts. Towards the end of their relationship his partner became suspicious that he was listening in to her private conversations and reported the matter to the police. A search of her home uncovered four listening devices hidden inside wall sockets, two in the living room, one in her bedroom, and one in the kitchen. Two of the devices had Querns DNA on them, and police found SIM cards similar to those inside the devices during a subsequent search of his Glasgow home. Judge Lady Drummond told Querns: You have got a criminal record. Your offences have not been domestic but they have been serious enough you have been sent to prison before. The offences before me are serious matters, having been committed over a period of time. She requested that a report be drawn up before sentencing, which will take place on September 5 at Edinburgh High Court. Querns, dressed in a blue checked suit, showed no emotion as he was led from the courtroom. During the hearing the court heard that Querns met his partner in 2016 when she was just 15, and about 12 years younger than him. The court heard they argued frequently, with Querns accusing her of infidelity, shouting and swearing at her, and physically pushing and pinning her. The court heard that on one occasion while they were staying in a Glasgow hotel Querns had to be removed by hotel staff after becoming aggressive towards her, shouting and swearing, throwing items across the room and smashing glass, some of which cut his partner. The court heard he continued to shout at her as he was being led away down the hotel corridor. The Advocate Depute explained that in 2023 Querns partner became suspicious he was listening in to her private conversations. On February 16 2023 Querns sent his partners mother a Facebook message saying that she manipulated him and everyone else, and sent her two recordings of her speaking to someone to prove it. Seeing as these calls contained private information the mother became concerned about how he had been able to obtain them and contacted her daughter to alert her. This suspicion came to a head during an exchange of messages on Facebook in early August 2023. On August 5 Querns partner saw a message on Facebook about how he had bought a new car, and she replied with a message asking how he could afford a car but could not afford to pay for the child they had together, who was living with her. In response he referred to the contents of a private conversation she had had, which she knew he could not have known about if he had not been spying on her. The Advocate Depute explained she then used a butter knife to unscrew the wall socket in her bedroom, which she had noticed had a red light in it. He continued: She found a device and SIM card, then contacted the police. He told the court that a search of her home found four listening devices with SIM cards, two in her living room, one behind the headboard in her bedroom, and one in the kitchen. He explained that the devices automatically activated if sound got above a certain level, and that a phone call can be made to the SIM which will activate the device, providing an open mic. He added: DNA matching the accused was found in two of the devices, and that a search of Querns home found SIM cards similar to those found in the devices. Querns pleaded guilty to threatening or abusive behaviour and engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive of his partner or ex-partner. He pleaded not guilty to two other charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Explosive Substances Act, which the crown accepted. Querns, who remains on remand, will be sentenced in Edinburgh High Court on September 5. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has further committed to his promise of delivering WrestleMania to the capital after holding talks with World Wrestling Entertainment chief content officer Paul Triple H Levesque. Before his re-election in May, Khan posted on social media that he wanted to go even further in making London the sporting capital of the world. That included suggestions he would deliver the Super Bowl, the 2040 Olympics and WWEs showpiece premium live event, WrestleMania. After his initial message on X, Levesque replied simply: Lets talk. Those conversations began at City Hall on Thursday afternoon as Levesque, a former WWE wrestler who was world champion on 14 occasions, sat down with Khan who is looking to add to the recent sporting successes in London. Im really excited to have begun conversations about bringing international WrestleMania to London, Khan told the PA news agency. I know there are many fans in London and across the UK and Europe who are desperate to see WrestleMania live. I think London is the sporting capital of the world. Weve had great events this year, from Major League Baseball, American football, weve had Wimbledon, weve had Queens, weve had Diamond League athletics. Weve had a Test match at Lords, another one coming up at The Oval. Weve got the (Anthony) Joshua fight taking place at Wembley in September. So Im really keen to get WrestleMania here too. Philadelphia Phillies Johan Rojas walks out to bat during game two of the MLB London Series at the London Stadium (Zac Goodwin/PA) The previous 40 incarnations of WrestleMania have all taken place in North America, with 38 in the United States and two in Canada. However, WWE has branched out in recent years and started to take its premium live events the name of its larger, monthly shows across the world. Cardiff and Glasgow have hosted Clash at the Castle events while the Money in the Bank show took place at the O2 last year. Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and France have also staged shows, while Germany will host Bash in Berlin in August. WWEs main competition, All Elite Wrestling, sold out Wembley Stadium last year and returns in next month, with Levesque keen to bring WrestleMania over the Atlantic, too. Why London? Some of our greatest and best fans are here in London. Ive been coming here for 30 years. Theyre always incredible, he told PA. We have a massive following here but I think it also opens up to a lot of the rest of the world given how many people travel in every single year for events we do all over the globe. This is just an opportunity for being in a different location, amazing fans but where the rest of the globe could possibly get your easier. So WWE is one of the true global brands and I think you should look forward to seeing us all over the world. WWE boasts a number of British and Irish stars on its current roster, including the likes of Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus and Finn Balor. But wrestling also has a rich history in the UK and Levesque wants to tap into that if and when WrestleMania is hosted in London. Theres always been a great history here, you know, going back to World of Sport and Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks, William Regal, Adrian Street, Johnny Saint you name it. Theyve all come through here as part of the fabric of WWE runs deep in this region. So Im excited to be here. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, right, holds aloft a gifted mini replica WWE Championship belt, with Paul Triple H Levesque (Yui Mok/PA) Next years WrestleMania will take place in Las Vegas but beyond that there are no other confirmed hosts, meaning the earliest the self-styled showcase of the immortals could be in London is 2026. I dont think the weather is going to put anybody off here for sure, Levesque joked as he conducted media interviews in the rain. I would imagine you guys are used to a little bit of rain, a little bit of cool weather. So its never stopped us from being here before. It wont stop us in the future. Put it this way, if its cold, well warm it up. Mel Stride expected to join race to be next Tory leader Mel Stride is expected to become the fourth Conservative MP to join the race for the partys leadership. According to the BBC, the former work and pensions secretary will announce on Friday he is a candidate to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader. Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick have so far confirmed they are running for leader. Mr Stride, the MP for Central Devon, retained his seat by just 61 votes at the General Election. Shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch, the bookmakers favourite to succeed Mr Sunak, and former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel are expected to put themselves forward before nominations close at 2.30pm on Monday. Contenders need a proposer, seconder and eight other backers to stand. Shadow home secretary Mr Cleverly was first to confirm he was running for the leadership, saying he was grateful for all the support and looking forward to getting out and about over the next few months. Mr Tugendhat talked up his experience as former security minister and in the armed forces as he launched his bid, telling GB News he has a track record of delivery for the British people. He said he was willing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and denied that his change of tone on the matter was political opportunism. He said he believed he could turn around the Tories disastrous result to win an election as leader of the Conservative Party in five years time but that the party needs to be united and regain the trust of the British people. Mr Jenricks campaign team said the ex-immigration minister has gathered enough support to run and that he would submit his nomination on Thursday morning. Robert Jenrick became the third person to enter the Tory leadership race (PA) His campaign manager Danny Kruger said Mr Jenrick has the energy, temperament and policy agenda to take on our rivals and lead us back to power in five years. The parliamentary party will narrow the field down to four, who will make their case at the Conservative Party Conference, which runs from September 29 to October 2. The final two, picked by the parliamentary party, will then go to a vote of party members in an online ballot that will close on October 31 with the result announced on November 2. According to polling by Savanta carried out between July 19 and 21, Mr Tugendhat is the most popular potential contender among both the public, at minus three points, and 2024 Conservative voters, at 21 points. Dame Priti is the least popular, at minus 28 points and seven points respectively, according to the research. Mr Cleverly is second in the running, Savantas findings suggest, at minus nine points with the public and 19 points among 2024 Conservative voters. The writing is on the wall for greyhound racing, an MSP has said as a Bill aiming to ban the sport in Scotland gained enough support to proceed at Holyrood. Mid Scotland and Fife Green MSP Mark Ruskell said his Members Bill had won the backing of enough colleagues at the Scottish Parliament to allow it to be introduced. His proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill aims to make it an offence to permit greyhounds to compete in races at tracks in Scotland. He said: I am delighted to have received the backing of MSPs from across the political spectrum, and will be pushing ahead with my Members Bill. Mark Ruskell said it is time to put paws before profit (Andrew Milligan/PA) I hope that the Scottish Parliament will unite behind my proposed legislation and take the chance to act and to save the lives and limbs of countless greyhounds in future. Data from 2023 showed 109 greyhounds died trackside in the UK, an increase on the number for 2022 with a further 4,238 greyhound injuries reported. Injuries include all forms of wear-and-tear sustained by the racing greyhounds, including small grazes and broken nails. Of the 4,238 injuries, there were 108 hind and fore long bone injuries in 2023 compared with 133 in 2022. Mr Ruskell said: My Bill aims to protect greyhounds from the many risks that come from being forced to race around tracks at high speed. With industry figures showing that the death rate is going up across the UK, its time to take action. Public opinion is on our side, and I am heartened by the support that my Bill has received so far. I urge racecourse owners and the wider industry to listen hard and to stand up for Scotlands greyhounds by putting paws before profit and ending the races for good. .@markruskell has secured support from MSPs to introduce a Bill at @ScotParl. The Bill seeks to promote the welfare of #Greyhounds by introducing an offence of "permitting a greyhound to race at racetracks" in Scotland. Find out more about the proposal: https://t.co/dlscXOZvWy pic.twitter.com/iRUOwzpUCA Scottish Parliament (@ScotParl) July 26, 2024 You can tell a lot about a society from how it treats voiceless animals. I believe that we are a nation of dog lovers, and that is why we need to ensure they are protected. The writing is on the wall for greyhound racing in Scotland, its time for us to put the wellbeing of these wonderful dogs ahead of gambling company profits. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), which is the regulator for licensed greyhound racing, said the data logged by the Greens was misleading and inaccurate. A spokesperson for GBGB said: We note the Scottish Green Partys statement on the status of their proposed Bill. We also note that the Scottish Government has recently said, at this time, they are not persuaded of the need to ban greyhound racing in Scotland. Scotland currently has no licensed greyhound racecourses and we continue to work with those in Holyrood to set out the extensive welfare protections that would be offered under our own existing regulatory regime. With congestion, noise and tailpipe pollution more prominent than ever, its mostly car yards, speciality outlets such as bridal shops and a smattering of pubs and other services that remain on Parramatta Road besides beyond the For Lease signs. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian Abandoned shopfronts, bleak car yards, crumbling concrete, raw sewage and a reliable stream of traffic and smashed bus mirrors. It sounds more like a war-ravaged dystopia than a key artery through Australias largest city but premiers and planners have vowed to turn it into the Champs-Elysees of Sydney. So it was no surprise that at a summit this week, convened to pave a path forward to realise Parramatta Roads long-promised potential, those gathered sought to convey its state of dereliction. The New South Wales roads minister, John Graham, called it the scar through the heart of Sydney a descriptor that has become a favourite of state ministers tasked with revitalising it. Parramatta Road at the moment is dying, its on life support, said Burwood mayor John Faker, whose council takes in part of its 23km length. It is so depressing, remarked Sydneys lord mayor, Clover Moore. Boulevard of broken dreams Its not just contemporary leaders who have lamented the state of what was Australias first intercity road, back before Parramatta became enveloped by Sydney. Related: Unreasonable and unacceptable: inquiry condemns traffic chaos created by Sydneys $3.9bn Rozelle interchange In 1920, the then treasurer and later premier of NSW, Jack Lang, nicknamed the road Gallipoli, a reference to the trenches where the Anzacs had fought just a few years earlier. The war references have endured, in part due to the tensions between state governments and the various local councils whose boundaries are pierced by the road. Without one primary stakeholder charged with its responsibility, the road struggled to keep up with a rapidly changing city. Initially connecting horse, then tram traffic, between Sydneys east and west, the arterial road became busier, catering to a growing population and sprawling city. The tearing up of Sydneys tram network in the middle of the 20th century and rise of the car commute led to near-constant congestion during peak times, deteriorating the quality of life for residents and pedestrians along the road. Ultimately that harmed the viability of local shops such as milk bars, which had become cornerstones of suburban life. Today, with congestion, noise and tailpipe pollution more prominent than ever, its mostly car yards, speciality outlets such as bridal shops and a smattering of pubs and other services that remain on Parramatta Road besides the For Lease signs. Two-thirds of shops along the road were vacant even before the onset of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, a 2020 study estimated. The Inner West council mayor, Darcy Byrne, has claimed many older landowners are happy to keep their properties untenanted as they can use it as a tax write-off, and called for higher rates for empty shops to disincentivise the trend. Even for a hilly city, the road is unpleasant for motorists to navigate, and difficult for larger vehicles. Buses are often too wide to pass each other on some of the narrower sections. Over the last six years, 495 bus mirrors were smashed on Parramatta Road. For residents of Sydneys inner west, it serves as an essential thoroughfare, but far from a destination in itself. When Guardian Australia visited a section of Parramatta Road in Stanmore this week, raw sewage poured out from an empty shop front. Its all a far cry from the litany of grand plans for its future that have failed to materialise, which have seen it characterised as the boulevard of broken dreams. The first major proposition to remove traffic from the road was put forward in 1951 by Joseph Cahill, who would become a premier and have another controversial road, the Cahill Expressway, named after him. His plan to build a western expressway to free up Parramatta Road never eventuated. In 1968, the Sydney Region Outline plan included an idea for a freeway to fix Parramatta Road. While the Western Distributor and the M4 that were also part of the plan were built, the freeway was dropped. Another plan in 1996, Parramatta Road Beyond 2000, which included a taskforce that proposed more trees and bike paths to revitalise sections but without a solution to remove the traffic, did not materialise. In 2004, another plan was put forward, centred on new homes and jobs along the corridor. Revitalising Parramatta Road was a key promise when the politically charged Westconnex motorway megaproject was announced in 2012. However, after more than $20bn spent on moving traffic to paid underground roads, the commitment to build dedicated public transport lanes and beautify the ground level have not transpired. It was very frustrating that the legal requirement for there to be dedicated public transport lanes on Parramatta Road was never carried out by the former government. I think it was pretty cynical that they realised that they didnt have to carry out their own condition of consent because there was no one powerful enough to take them to court, Byrne, a Labor-aligned mayor, said of the former Coalition government. Major public transport injection Entering the Committee for Sydneys Parramatta Road summit on Wednesday felt a lot like yet another an announcement of another grand plan. Graham, the roads minister, was there, along with mayors and the press. Attenders were handed a brochure for a future light-rail line, with artistic renderings of trams running along various stretches of a tree-lined Parramatta Road, with trendy looking locals walking from modern cafes at the ground level of futuristic looking medium-rise developments. Enthusiasm for the plan was high. The head of Altrac, which has built and operates Sydneys other light-rail lines, spoke of how the transport project could breathe new life into Parramatta Road. The only thing missing was the NSW government logo. While councils and industry are onboard with the Parramatta light-rail plan, which was first floated in 2000 by Clover Moore, Graham said he wont rush into another vision that doesnt come to fruition. Related: Westconnex: a $20bn money pit or a bold plan for Sydneys future? Experts remain divided I refuse to add to the tally of broken dreams, he said. Instead, the government wants to unite the various groups that agree on the problems with Parramatta Road, and is even open to the idea of creating a standalone agency to coordinate the various councils and leaders to transform the corridor. Even with such an agency, consensus on a plan and funding source is far from clear. While the City of Sydney wants the dedicated light-rail corridor from Burwood to Green Square, with room for limited car lane traffic in certain sections, Inner West council mayor Byrne is agnostic on the transport technology, and has raised the idea of cheaper trackless trams with dedicated lanes as achieving a similar outcome at a cost that would be easier to secure funding for. Whether or not it includes light rail, Graham appears to agree with the mayors that Parramatta Roads future should involve turning it from a stroad a confused mix between road and street design for cars with big shop fronts, common in the US to a tree-lined boulevard that supports the Sydney growth plan for medium rise housing centred around public transport stations. For their part, urban planning experts at this weeks summit backed the potential of light rail to bring wholesale change to Parramatta Road, repeatedly pointing to George Street and how its new light-rail line has transformed it from a car-clogged street to a pedestrianised destination in its own right since. While some critics claim light rail is too slow to be a serious mode of transport, supporters insist it shouldnt be seen as a competitor to heavy rail or metro in achieving a comparable speed from each end of the line. Rather, light rail should dictate a new speed for road users and provide an easy option to move shorter distances along it, in a future where Parramatta Road is the destination, not just an artery to escape it. We dont need a grand new vision the vision for this road has never died we just need to find the right way to get there, Graham said. Tony, Des and Bruce all attend the Good Life Chorus in Sydney. Sessions have singalongs and some physical aspects to get peoples minds and bodies working together through song. Composite: Carly Earl Leigh Scully looks to her husband, and asks: Have you been enjoying singing, darling? Music. Music. Music. I love it, Peter Scully says, with a smile and a drumbeat between each word. Peter, who is living with dementia, fell in love with the Everly Brothers when he was a young teen. When they were in Australia, I snuck over to my uncles so I could get into the He stalls over the word. The performance? Leigh prompts. Yes, says Peter. And for the rest of my life, thats what I have been doing. Todays concert, however, is the Good Life Chorus (GLC) choir in West Ryde and its open invitation. Like clockwork, participants file in through the front of the community hall before a 1.30pm start. Most come in pairs, elbows looped together moving at a steady pace, stopping only to sign in, plop a gold coin into a biscuit tin and find their name tags, which take up an entire table at the back, all 50 of them. Chatter and clatter fills the hall with a joyful purpose. This choir, run entirely by volunteers, meets every Wednesday and is more of a singalong than it is a choir, conductor Brian Hayes says. Many of the choristers at GLC are living with dementia. They attend weekly rehearsals with their partners or loved ones, who are also generally their carers. Theres Carol and Tony sitting up front; Denise and Bruce finding their preferred row; Leigh and Peter nestling up the back; and Dr Michelle Wong and her mother-in-law Jing in an aisle seat, making space for Jings walker. With the help of Rosemary Eliott, the president of the choir, a projector is screening YouTube versions of Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, What A Wonderful World and Sweet Caroline. Eliott, I come to learn, is the thread holding this group of colourful characters together. There are more men with dementia who attend GLC (brought in by their female carers), than women with dementia. This doesnt reflect the statistics however. Women and men under 80 are generally at equal risk for all types of dementia other than Alzheimers disease. For 90-year-olds and above, dementia affects women at a rate 1.4 times that of men. In 2023, more than 400,000 Australians were living with the neurological condition of dementia. Experts suggest the number of adults living with the condition worldwide could reach 153 million by 2050. The absence of a cure or definitive medical treatment has meant researchers and practitioners have relied on psychosocial approaches to better support people living with dementia. Music, Peter says, is critical to his wellbeing. In the last couple of decades, researchers have studied the effects music has on people living with dementia. For example, studies have found that carers singing the steps of daily tasks, like dressing, washing and brushing teeth, may help people living with dementia maintain personal hygiene in a calm and fun environment. The Sydney Conservatorium of Music with the University of Sydneys Brain and Mind Centre is pioneering research into musical interventions: whether learning to play a musical instrument or singing in a choir can improve cognition in people with very mild memory difficulty, before dementia develops. But for those who choose to sing in dementia-inclusive choirs, numerous studies have found substantial improvements in communication, mood, wellbeing and quality of life. It is often believed or feared that people living with dementia lose the capacity to keep doing the things they love. The choir upends that misconception. It reconnects people with dementia to something they know and enjoyed before their diagnosis. Its very good for [Peter] to do this, Leigh says. Because the songs are so familiar you dont have to be a musical genius. And even when youre very advanced into dementia it brings you back. Jing Lee would love to be singing in the Opera House, she says, but sings at GLC instead, with the help of her son Jeff and his wife, Dr Michelle Wong. Its really helped us get out of home and connect, Wong says. Carol Cullen has been bringing her husband, Tony, who is living with dementia, to GLC since last year. They sit together in the front row, wearing matching grey jumpers Tony donning a Peaky Blinders hat. He can play music by ear, Carol boasts. Even if other forms of memory are no longer retained, musical memory can be well preserved Dr Rose Capp You know how that came about? Tony directs his attention to me. Suddenly hes taken back to when he was a young man, always getting into trouble. He explains, with some help from Carol, how he couldnt read sheet music but bit by bit he learned the tunes to songs his sister would play on the piano. Hes been a pianist ever since. If you think about it, music has played a role in the lives of most people at some point. So even if other forms of memory are no longer retained, musical memory can be well preserved, says Dr Rose Capp, policy adviser for Dementia Australia and lecturer of applied gerontology at Flinders University. In her book Demystifying Dementia, Capp writes about the two types of long-term memory (explicit and implicit) and how music is stored in different parts of the temporal lobe from other forms of long-term memory. [Implicit memory] is often labelled unconscious or automatic because it requires no active effort, Capp writes, using the example of riding a bike. Decades might go by, but when you hop back on, you can ride without thinking what to do. When people living with dementia start to lose their explicit memory the part of the brain that recalls previously learned information and requires conscious effort to maintain implicit memory, where scientists believe elements of music are stored, can remain. Hayes and pianist Malcolm Edey fill the weekly run sheet with familiar songs for the choir: theres jazz, blues, musical numbers and the reliable Happy Birthday. One of the biggest things that happens for people with dementia is they start to withdraw, or stop engaging, Hayes says. For this group, we have to be very careful to not create situations where people feel threatened, where [they feel] theyve got to actually respond verbally [when they] cant remember words. People can sing along if they feel like it, or sit and watch others. Were open to people of all abilities. Thats the point of it. And we sound surprisingly good, so its very satisfying, Edey says. The added physical stimulation from the rehearsals choristers are encouraged to move and groove from their chairs is also beneficial to supporting abdominal breathing, posture and mobility of people living with dementia, says Capp, who runs a residential aged care choir in Brighton East, Victoria. Related: My father had dementia and I was his caregiver. Heres what I wish I had known | Cynthia Dearborn Similar choirs have existed around Australia since 2016. GLC is modelled on Canberras Alchemy Chorus; Dubbos Sing Out choir had its first major concert last year; and University of Melbourne music therapist Dr Zara Thompson runs a Rewire Musical Memories choir in Ivanhoe, north-east Melbourne. Choir leaders meet regularly via Zoom as part of the Dementia Inclusive Choirs Network across Australia, for which Thompson is the network convener. The music holds the space so that they can just look at someone and know the person knows what theyre going through Dr Zara Thompson A small number of trial choirs have been conducted in other countries. An independent study in France brought together a group of people living with dementia, carers and volunteers for 14 rehearsals ending with a Christmas-themed concert in 2018. Despite some difficulties, those living with dementia showed capacities to learn new songs, integrate rhythmic accompaniments, [and] sang in different languages, Jean-Bernard Mabire, who co-authored the study, says. Even though several participants no longer remembered that they had sung in front of an audience, Mabire said the immediate benefits he observed were more important than the memory of the event. Thompsons choir was born out of a similar research trial in 2016. Our members were so adamant that it could not stop after the research, they forced them to hire me, she laughs. They had [me] sign a contract saying we would never let it finish. What distinguishes dementia-inclusive choirs from other support groups, Thompson says, is that being a participant doesnt mean sitting in a circle and being made to talk about your problems. You dont have to be too vulnerable. It doesnt feel clinical. The music holds the space so that they can just look at someone and know the other person knows what theyre going through. People with dementia, and their caregivers, are often at high risk of depression. Loneliness and isolation are believed to exacerbate symptoms of dementia. While the benefits of singing and community have been found to impact symptoms of dementia, and address loneliness, such choirs often very cheap to attend can still be hard to come across. All choristers stress the importance of government funding to ensure choirs like theirs survive, and so more can be opened. There are a lot of people with dementia who need stimulation [and who] could come to [choir] and benefit a great deal. But we had to find it ourselves, Leigh says. Denise Jamieson spends nearly an hour driving from Peakhurst, in southern Sydney, to bring her husband, Bruce, who is living with advanced dementia, to rehearsals. Bruce used to sing in the Sydney Male Choir, and while his ability has changed since then, its good because I see [him] doing something that he enjoys, and something that he has enjoyed for a long time, Denise says. A week after Bruce who has difficulty speaking sung his favourite song, Happy Birthday, for Guardian Australias video team, I return for another visit. Bruce sits in the hall tapping his hands and feet along to Singin in the Rain. I dont expect him to recognise me, let alone remember me, but as soon as I move to find a spot, he points in my direction and smiles. And the singing goes on. If youre renting a home that relies on gas, consider purchasing portable electric options like plug-in induction cooktops Photograph: Justin Paget/Getty Images The glory days of gas are over. As the cost of renewable energy comes down, many Australian households are making the shift away from the fossil fuel. But not everyone has got the memo, with about 5m Australian residences still relying on gas for heating and cooking. Those gas connections might have been a good idea at the time, but in the current (and foreseeable) energy market, getting off gas will lower a households energy bills not to mention their emissions. Its not always a DIY job and it takes some planning but electrifying your house is the inevitable way forward, so the sooner the better. Related: Labors gas strategy: what is it and why do critics call it Back to the Future? Why bother? Youre going to come out ahead, says Rob McLeod, a policy and advocacy manager at Renew, a sustainability not-for-profit. In a standard, insulated, Melbourne home, getting off gas would bring the annual energy bill down by several hundred dollars. A 2023 Grattan report concurs. Alison Reeve, one of the reports authors, says their research found that once the disconnection and abolishment fees (which differ from state to state) were taken care of, replacing your appliances and running your home solely on electricity is the right financial decision in every capital city except Perth. Why now? Household gas usage makes up a small fraction of our national carbon emissions, but with net zero targets fast approaching, new connections continuing and millions of disconnections to contend with in the next few decades, we need to get cracking. The Grattan report calculated that in order for Victoria (the countrys biggest consumer of household gas) to honour national 2050 ambitions, over 200 homes would need to be disconnected from the gas network per day for the next 26 years. No matter what the pace, there will be fewer and fewer homes using gas in the coming years. And it pays to get ahead of the curve. Reeve points out that as those disconnections take place, those who remain connected will be left footing the bill for the vast operational costs for the network to function. What are your options? Heating homes with gas accounts for the biggest cost to consumers, so replacing heaters should be a priority, McLeod says. He says split systems are more efficient than many people realise and typically use about 75% less energy than a gas system of any sort. If you have a ducted system, McLeod reckons converting to split systems is still the smarter choice, but if you dont want to part with the luxury of climate control it is possible to replace your gas ducted system with an electric one though it will be more expensive to install and run than wall units. In Victoria any homeowner is eligible for substantial discounts when upgrading their heating systems. Other states and territories offer more limited rebates, but theyre well worth looking into. Hot water services are a households second biggest gas guzzler; replacing them with a heat pump when they give out is a no-brainer. In terms of cooktops, gas stove devotees might shudder at the idea of giving up what feels like a superior option. But as anyone who has had the pleasure of using an induction will tell you, they outperform electric hobs and coils so significantly that any comparisons are moot. When people think about switching, they are remembering terrible products, but its a new era of electrical appliances and they are just genuinely better, Reeve says. She also points out that induction stoves not only match the control you can have with gas, theyre also safer and easier to clean. Plan ahead While it is possible to get the job done in one fell swoop, if you dont have the cash flow, weaning your property off gas appliances before abolishing the connection is another option. Whatever path you take, planning ahead is essential. McLeod suggests shopping around and having a list of options ready to seize the moment should one of your gas appliances suddenly fail. Reeve agrees; if your hot water service suddenly gives out, you dont want to end up in a situation where its a choice between installing a heat pump or giving the kids a bath by 5 oclock. By having not only a shopping list, but also space in the budget and thought-through logistics, youll be better placed to act when funds allow or circumstances dictate. Talk to your body corporate If you [own] an apartment, therell be things that you can do individually, and therell be other things that your body corporate will need to be involved in, McLeod says. While you might not be able to unilaterally disconnect from gas mains, replacing heating and cooking appliances is an option. But changing your hot water system could prove more challenging. Reeve acknowledges that getting involved in body corporate matters can be tedious, but McLeod says there are examples of some taking action to electrify whole buildings. He believes that as policies that prevent landlords from installing new gas appliances in rentals take effect in some states, and more government subsidies become available, it will become more appealing for residential blocks to go entirely gas free. For renters (or landlords) If youre renting a home that relies on gas, finding alternatives to using gas appliances is really all you can do. McLeod and Reeve suggest considering purchasing portable electric options like plug-in induction cooktops and energy-efficient electric heaters. If you have a good relationship with your landlord, discuss upgrading appliances that are on their way out. For landlords, its worth remembering that not only are many energy efficient upgrades subsidised, theyre also often tax deductible and will likely increase the rental value. Dr Kathleen Stock, a philosophy professor, resigned from Sussex University in 2021 after what she described as a witch-hunt over her views on transgender issues Scrapping a law to tackle cancel culture at universities will put free speech in peril, the Government has been warned. Bridget Phillipson revealed she has pulled the plug on the law designed to protect academics from being no-platformed or forced out over their views. The Education Secretary will now consider repealing the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 just days before it was due to come into force. Experts warned the move could leave academics unprotected against cancel culture on campus, with a new complaints scheme for those who have been no-platformed expected to be axed. Akua Reindorf, a barrister and Equality and Human Rights commissioner, said she was shocked by the move. The Act was not perfect, but its quite evident that free speech and academic freedom are in peril in universities, she said. Im surprised and shocked that Bridget Phillipson has announced that the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 wont come into force on 1 August and may be repealed. Under the flagship Tory policy, universities, colleges and student unions would have been required to actively promote free speech on campus. Those found to have breached academics right to free speech would face sanctions by the universities regulator and possible fines. Academics and students would also be able to seek compensation through the courts if they suffered financial loss after being expelled, dismissed or demoted. The protections would cover any visiting speakers whose invitations were rescinded following student protests. It was introduced after a series of rows over the so-called cancellation of academics and students over their views. They include Dr Kathleen Stock, a philosophy professor, who resigned from Sussex University in 2021 after what she described as a witch-hunt over her views on transgender issues. Dr Kathleen Stock, a philosophy professor, resigned from Sussex University in 2021 after what she described as a witch-hunt over her views on transgender issues - Paul Grover for The Telegraph Labours decision to pause and potentially repeal the scheme will be seen as a major watering down of free speech protections ushered in by the previous government. Tom Tugendhat, one of the frontrunners in the Tory leadership race, told The Telegraph that the Government had caved into universities that appear unable to stand up for freedom of expression. Freedom of speech is sacrosanct. If we cant challenge each other we cant learn or progress as a society, he said. This was a good Bill, passed by the last Parliament to tackle a real issue on our university campuses. Its disgraceful that Labour has paused it with no democratic debate or accountability. Theyve caved into universities who have shown themselves unwilling, or unable, to stand up for freedom of expression. James Cleverly, another Tory leadership contender, said: Free speech is a core British value, at the heart of our liberal and democratic society. Education must be free from cancel culture. Our freedoms are under threat under Labour. The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the Act 'risked enabling anti-Semitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence' - Asadour Guzelian The law was due to come into force next week and would have handed new powers to Prof Arif Ahmed, who was appointed the Governments first-ever free speech tsar in 2023. The former Cambridge philosophy professor has spent the past year designing a new complaints scheme to implement the laws. It would have allowed him to take submissions from academics who have been cancelled over their personal beliefs. Prof Arif Ahmed was appointed the Government's first 'free speech tsar' in 2023 - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph However, Prof Ahmeds position now faces serious uncertainty amid growing expectations the entire scheme will be scrapped. The Telegraph understands he could be moved to another position within the Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator, if he does not resign outright. In a statement announcing her decision to shelve the Act on Friday, the Education Secretary said that for too long, universities have been a political battlefield. We are absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom, but the Free Speech Act introduced last year is not fit for purpose and risked imposing serious burdens on our world-class universities, she said. The Telegraph understands Labour also had concerns the free speech laws could leave universities open to being sued at a time when many face crippling cost pressures. Ministers are understood to be holding cross-government crisis talks about the future of several universities amid fears that some could be pushed under in the coming months. Bridget Phillipson, pictured with Sir Keir Starmer, has put the Tory plan on hold - IAN WEST/PA About 40 per cent of universities in England are expected to run budget deficits this year, with many top institutions thought to be exploring possible mergers to rescue their peers. The Russell Group of elite institutions welcomed Labours decision to pause the legislation, noting that universities already had a legal duty to protect free speech and that extra laws could create unnecessary paperwork. Matters relating to freedom of speech can be complex, particularly when cases interact with other legal duties such as equality law. Its right that the Government has decided to take more time to consider its options, the group said. Labour also claimed the intervention was to protect vulnerable groups and Jewish students, and to save universities from costly legal action. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychology professor, has courted controversy for his views on transgender rights Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said that although well-intentioned, the Act risked enabling anti-Semitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence. Whitehall sources also suggested the free speech laws would have unintentionally created protections for alleged hate speech on campus. They claimed the legislation may have built a platform for people like Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League, David Irving, a prominent Holocaust denier, and Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch far-Right Freedom party who was sworn into government earlier this month. Prof Ahmed, who has always insisted the scheme would only protect freedom of speech under the law, is likely to resist the claims. A number of existing UK laws already outlaw hate speech, including language that incites racial and religious hatred, hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation and speech that encourages terrorism. However, the Free Speech Union, led by former journalist Toby Young, has vowed to launch legal action against the Government. There is a free speech crisis in our universities, as has been widely acknowledged, and this Act, which enjoyed cross-party support, was designed to remedy that, it said in a statement The Governments attack on the Freedom of Speech Act is shocking. If Labour refuses to commence legislation passed in the last parliament, the Free Speech Union will bring judicial review proceedings. A No 10 spokesman said the decision to pause the legislation had been taken in response to concerns that have been raised in the university sector. Asked about criticism of the move as a threat to free speech on campuses, she replied: I disagree with that characterisation. Its right to listen to concerns and to take stock. Benjamin Netanyahu and Kamala Harris in the White House. The US vice-president has been accused by some in Israel of endangering a potential deal to free the hostages. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Members of Israels rightwing government have hit back at Kamala Harris over her demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after she met Benjamin Netanyahu during his US visit. After a brief meeting with the Israeli prime minister, which Harris described as frank and constructive, the US vice-president and presidential candidate said it was time for this war to end, and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination. An unnamed Israeli official accused Harris of endangering a potential deal to free Israeli and dual-national hostages in Gaza. Hopefully the remarks Harris made in her press conference wont be interpreted by Hamas as daylight between the US and Israel, thereby making a deal harder to secure, the Israeli media reported the official as saying. Israels far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who this week endorsed Donald Trumps candidacy, immediately joined the fray, tweeting: There will be no truce, Madam Candidate. Ben-Gvir previously tweeted in support of Netanyahus fiery speech to Congress this week, where the prime minister avoided mention of a ceasefire, lashed out at the international criminal court and claimed victory is in sight. Netanyahus visit, his first abroad since the 7 October attacks by Hamas and other militants that killed 1,200 people and 250 people were taken hostage, has been polarising in Washington and at home since his ministerial jet left the runway in Tel Aviv. While his supporters lauded his speech to Congress, in particular his attacks on Iran, a growing chorus of critics as well as many of the hostages families expressed disappointment that Netanyahu had failed to declare a ceasefire and hostage deal while in Washington and also further delayed dispatching Israeli negotiators, due in Doha earlier this week. Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Friday, amid speculation in the Israeli media that he will remain in Florida to celebrate the birthday of his son Yair, who lives in Miami. Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian political analyst, said Netanyahus speech only deepened animosity towards him. I dont think anyone believed a word of what Netanyahu said he didnt speak about policy, it was just a combination of slogans. It was insulting not only to the Palestinian victims of this war, but to American citizens demonstrating for Palestinian rights, he said. Yair Lapid, a former Israeli foreign minister, also criticised Netanyahus speech. We heard Netanyahu talking about October 7 as if he had no idea who was the prime minister and who was responsible for the disaster, he said on X. Netanyahu had the opportunity to announce that he accepts the deal and returns the kidnapped before they all die in the tunnels. He didnt do it. Families and supporters of some of the 114 hostages still held in Gaza expressed outrage at the lack of a ceasefire declaration. Israels Hostages Families Forum demanded an urgent meeting with hostage negotiators, calling the delays in sending Israeli mediators to Doha deliberate sabotage of the chance to bring our loved ones back. The group demanded that the Mossad, the intelligence agency in charge of negotiations, provide an honest report to the Israeli public about who is obstructing the deal and why. Speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv this the week, the father of one hostage, Liri Elbag, addressed the prime minister. Everyone knows the story with Mr Netanyahu except for one thing, when there will be a deal Even your negotiation team doesnt know, he said. Einav Zanguaker, the mother of another hostage, Matan Zangauker, described Netanyahus visit to the US as a public relations campaign. Instead of declaring in Congress that he accepts the deal on the table, Netanyahu is preventing the implementation of the deal for personal reasons, she told Haaretz. Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator, said the families of the hostages were divided, with some backing a deal and others agreeing with Netanyahus approach that military pressure was the only way to force an agreement from Hamas. This reflects the split in Israel between the Netanyahu echo chamber and what is outside of it, which now includes most of the military leadership who, unlike Bibi, want a deal, he said. The true purpose of Netanyahus visit, Levy said, was to assess whether the Biden-Harris administration would continue to blame Hamas if talks failed, despite indications that Harris would strike a different tone on the war in Gaza. Trump, before his meeting with Netanyahu, also demanded an immediate ceasefire, although his remarks drew no response from Netanyahus rightwing backers. The former president told Fox News he wanted Netanyahu to finish up and get it done quickly because they are getting decimated with this publicity. He claimed the 7 October attacks would not have happened under his presidency, adding: Israel is not very good at public relations. Abu Eid said: Its clear for Netanyahu and those around him that they would prefer a Trump presidency, not even Republican, but Trump. But what kind of answers he will get when they meet are unclear. Mr Peskov's comments come as Putin and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko met at a chapel in Karelia, Russia - Alexander Kazakov/Pool Sputnik Kremlin Moscow welcomed Donald Trumps comments on Russia being a war machine that had defeated Napoleon and Hitler, but said it had reservations about the ex-president returning to the White House. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, was responding to a question about comments Trump said he made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call last week. This is a war machine youre facing. Thats what they [the Russians] do they fight wars. They beat Hitler. They beat Napoleon. We got to get this war over with, Trump told Mr Zelensky. Mr Peskov said that while it would be useful for an American audience to be aware of the many glorious pages in Russias history, he was under no illusions of what a new Trump presidency would look like. We have never worn and do not wear rose-coloured spectacles. [Trump] is a representative of the U.S. political elite, which is now all absolutely suffering from total anti-Russian sentiment, said Mr Peskov. When he was president, under Trump, the Americans started this sanctions race, under Trump a huge number of sanctions were imposed against our country, and in this respect he is not much different for us from everyone else. Maybe he shows a little more political wisdom in terms of maintaining channels of dialogue. But de facto it does not have a special impact on anything, and we should be aware of that, said Mr Peskov. 03:32 PM BST Blog closed Thats it for todays blog - thanks for following. Here is a look at the days main stories: Explosions were reported near Russias Saky airfield in occupied Crimea after an apparent Ukrainian Atacms missile and drone attack. Russian state news has broadcast a video of a Russian citizen confessing to maiming a military officer in a car bombing in Moscow on orders from Ukraines spy agency. A blast at the East Urengoy gas condensate field in the Russian Arctic region of Yamal-Nenets has killed one worker and injured nine others. Russia overnight attacked Ukrainian energy facilities in two regions with drones, disrupting electricity supplies. Russian state news has broadcast a video of a Russian citizen confessing to maiming a military officer in a car bombing in Moscow on orders from Ukraines spy agency. 03:25 PM BST Comment: Its just a matter of time until the Kerch bridge falls and Crimea is cut off The Battle of the Azov Sea is tilting to Ukraine. Its only a matter of time until the Kerch Bridge falls, writes Tom Sharpe. Russias Black Sea Fleet is having a torrid time. First, the Fleet has lost a third of its ships, either sunk or destroyed a brutal casualty rate, though not particularly high by Russian standards. Second, last week the final remaining Russian warship left Sevastopol harbour, which had been the Black Sea Fleets main base since 2014. Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk suggested we should remember this day. Reinforcing the sense of retreat and defeat, the same spokesman has just informed us that there are no longer any Russian warships in the Sea of Azov, the inland sea connected to the Black Sea lying to the north and east of the Crimean peninsula. The Azov is an important piece of water. It lies right next to Crimea, Vladimir Putins Holy land, which was once surrounded by Russian-controlled waters and now is not. The Azovs northern shore is held by the Russian army this is the land bridge connecting pre-2014 Russia to Crimea. Russian troops on the long front line along the Dnipro and from Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk have their backs to the Azov, but until now they could at least feel reassured that their navy was behind them. No more. Read the full piece 03:12 PM BST Finland suspects Russian vessel of territorial violation Finland suspects a Russian vessel of territorial violation in the Nordic countrys waters on Friday, the Finnish government said. The Border Guard is investigating the incident and will provide further information as the investigation progresses, the Finnish defence ministry said. The incident took place in the eastern Gulf of Finland, it added. Finland last month said four Russian military planes had violated its airspace on June 10. 03:00 PM BST Kremlin welcomes Trumps description of Russia as war machine Explosions were reported near Russias Saky airfield in occupied Crimea after an apparent Ukrainian Atacms missile and drone attack. Witnesses described hearing the powerful sound of detonating ammunition at the military base in the early hours of Friday morning. After the initial explosions, secondary detonations could be heard, suggesting that ammunition was cooking off and exploding after the first hit. Astra, a Russian Telegram channel, said that Ukraine had fired four US-donated Atacms missiles, citing emergency services sources. The channel also claimed a missile had hit an air defence location about three miles from the airfield, destroying a radar station. Saky military base is the home of Russias 43rd naval assault regiment. Its Su-30 and Su-24 fighter jets are regularly used to carry out strikes on Ukraine. Fighterbomber, a Telegram channel with links to Russias air force, shared a cryptic message after the strikes, saying: Eternal memory. Ukraine has heavily targeted Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, in a bid to drive Moscows forces out of the highly strategic peninsula. 02:19 PM BST Scholz concerned by German citizen sentenced to death in Belarus Chancellor Olaf Scholz is aware of the case of a German national sentenced to death in Belarus and is concerned, a government spokesperson said on Friday. Germany confirmed last week that a German citizen had been sentenced to death in Belarus. Belarusian human rights group Viasna identified him as Rico Krieger and said his charges related to terrorism and mercenary activity. Like the entire federal government, he [Scholz] is concerned about these events, a German government spokesperson said. Mr Krieger has described himself as an emergency services worker and on Thursday reportedly asked Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a major ally of Vladimir Putin, to forgive him. Russian state news agency Tass claimed Mr Krieger confessed that Ukraines SBU security service instructed him to photograph military sites in Belarus and to plant a backpack on train tracks near to the caoital of Minsk that later exploded, but hurt no one. I truly hope that President Lukashenko will forgive and pardon me, Mr Krieger was reported as saying. 01:56 PM BST Russia jails two pro-Ukrainian saboteurs for 15 - 22 years Russia on Friday jailed two men for allegedly plotting to blow up fuel tanks at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport on orders from Ukraines secret services. The men, Mikhail Dariy and Ilya Kovylkov, were sentenced to 22 years and 15 years respectively on terrorism and other charges. Mr Dariy said that he did not go through with the planned attack because he wanted to minimise civilian casualties, local media reported. Prosecutors said Ukrainian intelligence officers offered the men $2,000 to carry out the attack using a drone, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. They were also accused of being in touch with the Freedom of Russia Legion, a unit of pro-Kyiv fighters that includes Russian citizens and has made armed border incursions into Russian territory throughout the conflict. Since launching what it calls a special military operation in 2022, Russia has opened dozens of such cases against those it says are collaborating with Ukraine or trying to undermine the Russian army. 01:22 PM BST EU ready to send 1.5bn to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets The EU on Friday said 1.5 billion (1.2 billion) had been made available to support Ukraine, the first chunk of money earned from profits on Russian frozen assets. EU member states had agreed in May to use billions of euros in profits from frozen Russian central bank assets to help arm Ukraine and fund its post-war reconstruction. The EU froze around 200 billion euros of Russian central bank assets held in the bloc as part of sanctions imposed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU stands with Ukraine. Today we transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. 01:17 PM BST Drunk Russian tank crew run over car, killing driver A Russian tank has run over a civilian car in the village of Berezovka in the Belgorod Oblast region of Russia, killing the driver, according to local reports. Pepel, a Belgorod-based Telegram channel, said the tank ran over a Lada Niva car that was travelling on the main road and obeying traffic regulations. As the tank exited a turn, it did not give way to the car and ran it over, Pepel reported, adding that the tank crew may have been intoxicated and were laughing in his [the victims] face. An investigation into the incident said the car driver died from heart failure. The tank moving past the half-crushed civilian car in the western Belgorod region of Russia - Pepel A person stands outside the wreckage of the car after the incident that killed the driver - Pepel 12:48 PM BST Watch: Ukraines Atacms missile attack on a Crimean airbase Footage shows the moment Ukraine attacked a Russian airfield in occupied Crimea with drones and missiles believed to be US-supplied Atacms. Explosions can be heard, while a large fireball erupts above the Saky military base. Telagram channels reported significant damage to the airfield and an ammunition depot. 12:28 PM BST Hungary says it is being blackmailed by Ukraine over oil flows An aide to Hungarys prime minister on Friday accused Ukraine of blackmailing Hungary and Slovakia by halting oil deliveries. Slovakia and Hungary have increased pressure after they said last week they had stopped receiving raw material from Russian group Lukoil via Ukraine due to Kyiv placing the company on a sanctions list. On Monday, they asked the European Commission to use an association agreement, based on which they said Ukraine could not block oil transits. Ukraine is blackmailing the two countries that are standing for peace and ceasefire, Gergely Gulyas told a news conference. If the situation is not resolved, there will be a fuel shortage... A solution must be found by September. 12:03 PM BST Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers break from fighting in Donetsk A Ukrainian soldier prepares a 2C3 tank at their fighting position in Donetsk Oblast - Anadolu The troops waiting for the newest combat order - Jose Colon/Anadolu The battered eastern region of Donetsk is the current target of Russia's fiercest assaults - Jose Colon/Anadolu 11:55 AM BST Kremlin welcomes Trumps Russia is a war machine comment The Kremlin on Friday welcomed Donald Trumps comments on Russia being a war machine that had defeated Napoleon and Hitler, but said it was not wearing rose-tinted spectacles when it came to the US Republican presidential candidate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was aware that Trump represented a political elite which held anti-Russian views. 11:24 AM BST Moscow car bomb suspect claims he blew up Russian officer for Ukraine Russian state news has broadcast a video of a Russian citizen confessing to maiming a military officer in a car bombing in Moscow on orders from Ukraines spy agency. The handcuffed man, named by Russias FSB security service as Yevgeny Serebyrakov, had been brought to Russia from Turkey and handed over to investigators. In the video, published by Russian outlet Ria, the man claimed he was told to carry out Wednesdays attack by an officer of Ukraines SBU whom he met in Istanbul. Several Russian news outlets named Andrei Torgashov and his wife as the two victims of the bombing, which was filmed on CCTV that showed a parked Toyota Land Cruiser exploding into a fireball. The alleged intelligence officer, who Russian media reported was on Ukraines online target list, lost his feet in the explosion, while the woman received shrapnel wounds. Mr Serebyrakov said he had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence last year and asked to kill an officer with a homemade car bomb. He was promised Ukrainian citizenship and $10,000-20,000 dollars as a reward for his work, he claimed. There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine on the new claims. Evgeny Serebryakov, a suspect in the car bombing in Moscow, said that he carried out the attack on the orders of a Ukraine's security services in an alleged confession video - RIA Novosti 10:43 AM BST Pictured: Ukraine shoots down Russian drones above Kherson Ukraine shooting down a Russian drone above Ukraine's northeastern city of Kherson early this morning - Reuters Paths of bullets are seen during a Russian drone strike on the city that has been the focus of relentless attacks in recent months - Reuters 10:26 AM BST Blast at Russian gas field kills worker A blast at the East Urengoy gas condensate field in the Russian Arctic region of Yamal-Nenets has killed one worker and injured nine others. The cause of the explosion is being investigated, Russian technical watchdog Rostechnadzor said on Friday. The facility is operated by a company controlled by Russian state-owned Rosneft. The explosion occurred while crews were preparing to repair some equipment. 10:24 AM BST Chinese and Russian officials meet after vowing to counter extra-regional forces China and Russias foreign ministers met their Southeast Asian counterparts on Friday after vowing to counter extra-regional forces, a day before Washingtons top diplomat was due to arrive. Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov were attending a three-day meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc in the Laos capital of Vientiane. Both held talks with counterparts from the bloc, while Mr Wang also met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. On Thursday, Wang and Lavrov agreed to work together in countering any attempts by extra-regional forces to interfere in Southeast Asian affairs, according to Moscows foreign ministry. They also discussed implementing a new security architecture in Eurasia, Lavrov said in a statement, without elaborating. 09:43 AM BST Watch: Ukraine repels massive Russian assault including tanks and motorbikes A Ukrainian brigade has claimed to have blown apart one of Russias largest single armoured assaults, featuring 11 tanks, 45 armoured vehicles and 12 motorcycles. Footage released by the 79th Air Assault Brigade appears to show artillery fire and first-person-view drones smashing into the advancing column of Russian armour, while mines also help stop its progress. As a result of the battle, our paratroopers knocked out six tanks and seven BBM [armoured personnel carriers] with infantry. All 12 motorbikes were burnt, the brigade wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Read more on the attack here. 08:48 AM BST Russia to punish soldiers using phones on front line Russias parliament has approved an amendment that would allow commanders to punish soldiers using their mobile phones on the front line. The rule was passed to stop the transmission of any information via phones or navigation devices that could be used to identify any Russian troops or their location. The law states any possession of a device that allows military personnel to store or send video, photos or geolocation data on the internet is punishable by up to 15 days imprisonment. Ukraine has previously been using videos shared by Russian soldiers to help locate troop positions across occupied territory. 08:20 AM BST US can send additional $2bn in arms to Ukraine after accounting error The Pentagon can send military aid worth another $2 billion (1.4 billion) to Ukraine after it found accounting errors in its calculations for ammunition, missiles and other equipment already sent to Kyiv. It takes the total of improperly valued material to $8.2 billion (6.3 billion), a US government report revealed on Thursday. The US department of defence has faced challenges in accurately valuing defense articles sent to Ukraine. In 2023, the Pentagon said staff had used replacement value instead of depreciated value to calculate the billions in materials sent to Ukraine. The $6.2 billion (4.8 billion) error created a path for billions more to be sent to Kyiv. Now, another $2 billion more in overstatements have been found. As a result, arms worth an additional $2 billion can be sent to Ukraine to cover the amount of aid approved by the Biden Administration. 08:09 AM BST Nato rules out intentional attack after Russian drone debris found in Romania Romania said it had confirmed that fragments of a Russian drone entered its territory, one day after Russia targeted Ukraine with a bombardment of 38 long-range drones. Ukraines air force said that three of the drones were lost after crossing the state border with Romania. Nato said it saw no sign of a deliberate act of aggression towards the alliances territory but called such acts by Moscow irresponsible. While Nato has no information indicating any intentional attack by Russia against Allied territory, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous, a spokesman said in a statement. It added that Nato had increased its presence in the Black Sea region in recent days. Fragments of a Russian drone lie on the ground in the village of Plauru, Romania on July 25 - Reuters A view of the forested area where the Geran 1/2 drone was found after the UAV passed over Ukraine - Reuters 07:59 AM BST Russian drone attacks target Ukraines energy infrastructure Russia overnight attacked Ukrainian energy facilities in two regions with drones, disrupting electricity supplies. Power supplies have, however, been already restored to most consumers in the northern Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions, Ukraines national power grid operator Ukrenergo said. Kyivs air force claimed to have destroyed 20 out of the 22 Russian attack drones launched overnight. Most of the drones were shot down in the Kherson, Sumy, Zhytomyr and Chernihiv regions. The governor of the Chernihiv region said that some infrastructure and a dormitory were damaged during the attack on the town of Nizhyn, without giving further details. Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraines energy sector have intensified since the spring, resulting in blackouts in many regions and forcing Kyiv to start large-scale electricity imports from the EU. 07:57 AM BST Watch: Moscow car bomb targets Russian military officer Footage shows the moment a man, believed to a Russian intelligence officer, and his wife were targeted in a car bombing attack in Moscow on Wednesday. Both received significant injuries and were taken to hospital. A Russian man has been arrested and allegedly confessed, in a video published by Russian state news, to have acted on orders from Ukraine. 07:43 AM BST Hello and welcome to our live coverage Were bringing you all the latest from the war in Ukraine. A firefighter works to save a burning structure amid the Park fire in the community of Cohasset near Chico, California. Photograph: Fred Greaves/Reuters A California man was arrested on Thursday and accused of starting the states largest wildlife of the year by pushing a burning car into a gully. The flames have since exploded into what is now the Park fire, which has burned more than 71,000 acres (28,733 hectares) near the city of Chico. Evacuations were ordered in Butte and Tehama counties, with the blaze only 3% contained early on Thursday. California authorities did not immediately name the man they arrested. On Thursday, flames were visible from Chico as they burned through the foothills. Massive smoke plumes hung over the the north-eastern edge of town as the sound of helicopters and airplanes fighting the fire whirred overhead. The Park fire began in Chicos Upper Bidwell Park, an area beloved for hiking and swimming. As the fire broke out on Wednesday, people lined the edge of town to watch the flames rise. Fire officials are concerned that hot, windy conditions in the area could cause the fire, which was bearing down on rural communities, to grow rapidly overnight. The blaze has stirred up a sense of trauma for residents, who have lived through several destructive and deadly fire seasons in recent years. The 2018 Camp fire that destroyed the nearby town of Paradise remains one of the most deadly in US history. The arrest comes as firefighters across North America are working intensively on containing wildfires across the region, including in areas of California, Washington, Oregon and other states, as well as parts of Canada, as heatwaves reaching record-breaking temperatures continue. In California, near the Nevada border, about 1,000 people remained displaced from their homes on Thursday after evacuations were ordered earlier this week when lightning sparked the Gold Complex fires, which have burned more than 3,000 acres in the Plumas national forest, about 50 miles (80km) north-west of Reno. In eastern Oregon, evacuation orders were lifted on Thursday for the city of Huntington, population 500, after a severe thunderstorm late Wednesday brought some rain and cooler temperatures to firefighting efforts against the Durkee fire, currently the largest in the US. The fire had grown so big that it was creating its own weather. Officials remain concerned that lightning from the storm which brought wind gusts of up to 75mph could spark new blazes. More than 2,800 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were detected across south-east Oregon and Idaho on Wednesday alone, the National Weather Service in Boise said on Thursday. The US National Interagency Fire Center said in a report on Wednesday that 84 uncontained large fires were burning across the country. In a statement, the center said that many of the wildfires in the north-west were exhibiting extreme fire behavior, and that evacuation orders were in effect as of Wednesday on 15 fires including in parts of California, the Northern Rockies and the Great Basin, the center said, with more than 21,000 wildland firefighters across the country working on managing the flames. In northern California, fire personnel were focusing on evacuations and defending structures while using bulldozers to build containment lines ahead of the Park fire. No deaths or damage to structures had been reported, Cal Fire and the Butte county fire department said in a late Wednesday update. A fire in southern California was much smaller, but moving fast and threatening homes. In San Diego county, evacuation orders were in effect on Wednesday night after a wildfire began to spread fast near the San Diego and Riverside county line. And in many of the areas of the country affected by the wildfires, including parts of Oregon, Washington and Idaho, air quality alerts and advisories were in effect due to wildfire smoke. Areas of Utah and Nebraska were under fire weather watches on Thursday morning from the US National Weather Service, and areas of western South Dakota are under extreme fire danger warnings due to extremely dry conditions. Red Flag warnings, which means that critical fire conditions are occurring or will shortly, according to the National Weather Service, were in effect in areas of North Dakota, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska, Washington and Oregon with low humidity and strong winds expected. The Pacific north-west has already seen a particularly aggressive fire season this year, with millions of acres of national forest lands continuing to see record-breaking dry timber conditions, exacerbated by a lack of rainfall, according to the news release. The lengthy heatwave across the region has increased the wildfire threat in recent weeks, with dried out land and record-setting temperatures heightening the risk of ignitions. In Canada, wildfires continued to burn in areas near the Canadian town of Jasper on Wednesday night, officials said. The town suffered significant loss due to the fires, Jasper National Park Service said in a statement on X. The Associated Press contributed Nasas Perseverance rover took photos on 23 July of a rock nicknamed Cheyava Falls, seen to the left of the rover near the centre of the image. Photograph: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS A spotty, vein-filled rock found by a Nasa rover on Mars contains features that suggest it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago. The arrowhead-shaped rock, named Cheyava Falls, was discovered by Nasas Perseverance rover on 21 July as it trundled along the northern edge of Neretva Vallis, an ancient river valley carved by water flowing into the red planets Jezero crater. Analysis of the 3ft by 2ft rock revealed signs of organic material, intriguing surface spots similar to those associated with fossilised microbes on Earth and evidence that water once passed through the rock, the agency said. Related: Life on Mars absolutely exhilarating: Nasa scientists year in a simulation Ken Farley, the project scientist on the mission at the California Institute of Technology, said Cheyava Falls was the most puzzling, complex and potentially important rock yet investigated by Perseverance, though the team make clear that non-biological processes may have given rise to the features. On the one hand, we have our first compelling detection of organic material, distinctive colourful spots indicative of chemical reactions that microbial life could use as an energy source, and clear evidence that water, necessary for life, once passed through the rock, Farley said. On the other hand, we have been unable to determine exactly how the rock formed and to what extent nearby rocks may have heated Cheyava Falls and contributed to these features. In the ancient past, Mars was a warmer, wetter planet. If life ever evolved there, researchers believe traces should remain within its rocks, in the form of organic material and potentially fossilised remnants. Scans of the Cheyava Falls rock by Perseverances Sherloc instrument suggest it contains organic compounds. Such carbon-based molecules are regarded as the building blocks of life, but can also be produced by non-biological processes. Large white veins of calcium phosphate run along the rock. Between them are bands of reddish material, likely haematite, one of the iron oxide compounds that gives Mars its rusty colour. Closer inspection of the bands revealed dozens of little leopard spot-like features. Each of the off-white spots is surrounded by a black ring containing iron and phosphate. David Flannery, an astrobiologist at Queensland University of Technology in Australia and a member of the mission, called the spots a big surprise, because on Earth similar features are often associated with the fossilised record of microbes. White spots can form on rocks through chemical reactions involving haematite, producing iron and phosphate, as well as energy that microbes could live on. While the features are intriguing, nothing seen yet appears to be an actual fossilised microbe. Researchers are desperate to get their hands on samples for more thorough investigation, but Nasas plans to return the Mars rocks to Earth have run into difficulties. The agencys Mars sample return mission is over budget at $11bn (8.5bn) and badly delayed with no prospect of bringing rocks back before 2040. Nasa is looking for companies to return Mars samples sooner and at lower cost. This is what Mars Sample Return is all about. We have never seen anything like this from Mars before, not in our Martian meteorite collections, not with Mars Science Laboratory or other landers, said Prof John Bridges, a participating scientist on Nasas Mars Science Laboratory mission at the University of Leicester. The reality is we need to get these samples back on Earth to do the detailed electron microscopy and isotope analyses to check if these formed with ancient microbial action or abiotically, Bridges said. Prof Charles Cockell, an astrobiologist at the University of Edinburgh, said: Although these features dont provide unambiguous evidence of life, they do confirm that Mars was a very dynamic planet with all the ingredients for life, including organic carbon. We need to bring back samples, or in my view, even better, send humans, to find if we are seeing the signatures of life. Prof Monica Grady, a planetary and space scientist at The Open University, said: This is a really amazing-looking rock. It makes my mouth water just to look at it. The combination of different types of minerals arranged the way they are reminds me of some of the textures found in ancient terrestrial rocks, where tracks of burrowing worms are preserved. Obviously, Im not saying that there were burrowing worms on Mars but I cant wait to see what else Perseverance uncovers in this part of its exploration. Unesco said the Flow Countrys conservation would be a model for peatland protection globally. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian The Flow Country, a vast and unspoiled blanket bog that carpets the far north of Scotland, has been made a world heritage site by Unesco. The planets largest blanket bog, the Flow Country covers about 1,500 sq miles of Caithness and Sutherland, and is the first peatland in the world to be designated by Unesco, after a 40-year campaign by environmentalists. One of the worlds biggest carbon stores, it joins sites such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Grand Canyon in the US among the worlds most protected and treasured natural assets. Related: World heritage status for Scottish peat bogs could help UK hit net zero goals With peat as deep as 15 metres in places, ecologists had told Unesco the Flow Country was the best example on the planet of a crucial yet threatened ecosystem; it hosts a diverse range of specialist plants and wildlife that have evolved to live on blanket bogs and peatland. Those plants include bogbean that displays vibrant pink-fringed white flowers in spring, carnivorous sundew, yellow-flowered bog asphodel and dozens of different species of sphagnum moss. It also supports dragonflies and rare bird species such as the dunlin, golden plover and red-throated diver. Its dense peat, which has accumulated over the past 9,000 years, also stores roughly 400m tonnes of carbon. Meeting in Delhi, Unesco agreed with specialists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that its preservation had even greater significance because of the climate crisis. It was the most extensive and diverse example of an actively accumulating blanket bog landscape found globally, the IUCN said, following exhaustive surveys. Distinctive forms of blanket bog have evolved, exhibiting a diverse mosaic of mire and vegetation types with their associated species assemblages, including the full range of habitats from pools to drier hummock microsites including elements of damaged bog, transitional bog and fen communities. Graham Neville, who led the campaign to designate the site on behalf of NatureScot, the government conservation agency, said the decision was momentous. World heritage site status will lead to greater understanding of the Flow Country and raise the profile of Scotlands peatlands globally for their value as biodiverse habitats and important carbon sinks, he said. It is a wonderful recognition of the expert stewardship of farmers and crofters in maintaining this incredible ecosystem as a natural legacy for future generations. The UK already has several world heritage sites, including the archipelago of St Kilda in the Atlantic, Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Georgian Bath and the old and new towns of Edinburgh. Also on Friday, Unesco announced that Gracehill, a small 18th-century settlement in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, would join them. The Moravian church village was founded in 1759 by the Moravians, one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity, dating back to the 15th century and preceding Martin Luthers Reformation. It is linked to other Moravian sites that already have Unesco world heritage status including settlements in Herrnhut in Germany and Bethlehem in the US. Congratulating the campaigners, the UK culture minister Chris Bryant said Gracehill was a town built around the central values of equality and tolerance and I am glad to see it gain the recognition that it deserves. While much of Northern Irelands Protestant heritage is linked to Scotland, the Moravian village is one of the exceptions, built by German-speaking Protestants on the back of a 2,000 loan from the wider religious community elsewhere in Europe. The perfectly preserved village and green consists of small cottages, each with enough land to grow potatoes and keep a farm animal, as well as a school, a church and two larger houses for unmarried members of the community. But there were bitter recriminations over one decision affecting the UK, when a proposal to put Stonehenge on the heritage in danger warning list was thwarted after Kenyan delegates successfully amended the decision. Campaigners with the Stonehenge Alliance, including the historian Tom Holland, are trying to reverse a decision by the UK government to construct a widely criticised road tunnel under Stonehenge. They say it will destroy archaeological artefacts, and that the Unesco decision has undermined their faith in the ruling committee. This is a dark day for Stonehenge and a hollow victory for the UK government as this decision wont stop the harm to the world heritage site, said John Adams, the alliances chair. We should not forget that this scheme failed the planning test. It was recommended for refusal because of the permanent and irreversible harm it would do. Aerial view of the old Kinchela boys home near Kempsey. The NSW government will engage archeological and heritage services to explore the site. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian The New South Wales government will engage a specialist to explore the site of a notorious boys home where locations consistent with clandestine human burials have been found using ground-penetrating radar. Related: Taken to hell: even today survivors of Kinchela boys home are known by their numbers In September, Guardian Australia revealed there are at least nine suspicious sites of possible graves on the grounds of Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home, one of the most violent and abusive institutions of the stolen generations era. A report by experts surveying the area using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) highlighted high priority anomalies in the ground at the home, which show signal patterns that in other contexts have proven to be human burials and cannot be explained by other information sources. Some evidence supports the use of cadaver dogs in finding buried human remains, the report said. The report recommended further physical searches of the entire property near the north coast NSW town of Kempsey. If human remains are found in those areas, the report said, they would likely be of the clandestine burial type and not typical Christian burials. The reports authors said some of the anomalies could be archaeological as well as forensic. They noted the only way to determine for sure if there are bodies buried on the site is to excavate. The former federal Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney said the reports were deeply disturbing and called for a full investigation. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, announced he would support further searches. In January, the NSW government confirmed the search had widened to include investigative work at two other stolen generations institutions: Cootamundra girls home and Bomaderry infants home. Since the revelations, Aboriginal Affairs NSW has been brokering meetings between the survivor organisation, the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, and the Kempsey Local Aboriginal Land Council, which owns the site. A spokesperson for the minister for Aboriginal affairs and treaty, David Harris, said the government is working to engage expert archaeological and heritage services to support the next phase of the Missing Children Project, which encompasses all three stolen generations institutions. This is highly sensitive and technical work which requires a number of steps to comply with heritage legislation, the spokesperson said. The minister notes the sensitivity of these issues which involve sorry business and can cause trauma for stolen generations survivors, their families and their communities. Related: NSW government funds investigations into possible clandestine burials at three Stolen Generations sites Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home was run by the Aborigines Protection Board, later called the Aborigines Welfare Board, under the NSW government from 1924 until it closed in 1970. An estimated 400 to 600 Aboriginal boys between the ages of five and 15 were taken away from their families and incarcerated there under the laws and policies of the stolen generations. The stated aim was to assimilate them into white society by training them to be labourers. Kinchela, on the banks of the Macleay River, included a dairy and farm, where the boys did all the work. It was known during its time of operation as a violent and unregulated place. Kinchela survivors have long maintained that Aboriginal boys died at the home, either as a result of the brutal physical punishment and neglect or because they may have met with foul play. Oxford Crown Court heard Anthony Stocks groomed and attacked the girl repeatedly and wanted to 'marry' her - Thames Valley Police A paedophile who raped a girl then tried to murder a boy he feared would expose his crimes by throwing him off a 100ft clifftop in Brighton has been jailed for life. Anthony Stocks was told he would spend at least 19 years in jail for trying to kill the 10-year-old boy at Ovingdean, Sussex, and launching attacks on the girl over a three-year period. The 54-year-old predator, who said he worked as an extra on film sets, groomed and attacked the girl repeatedly and wanted to marry her, Oxford Crown Court was told. Stockss crimes came to light after the scared girl eventually confided in the boy, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons. Aware that the boy was planning to put a stop to his attacks, Stocks took the boy to Ovingdean in September 2022 and threw him off the 100ft cliff. It was heard that the paedophile had previously contemplated pushing him off a cliff at a quarry several weeks earlier. A witness described how they saw a small shape fall from the Brighton cliff before hearing a blood-curdling shriek. The boy was airlifted to St Georges Hospital in London, where it was discovered he had several fractures on his head and arm, a deformity to his neck and a laceration of his spleen and kidney. When interviewed by police, the girl said Stocks had admitted he was going to push the boy off the cliff 'to get rid of him' - Eddie Mitchell When interviewed by police, the girl said Stocks had admitted he was going to push the boy off the cliff to get rid of him. Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson, of Thames Valley Police, called the girls ordeal one of the worst cases of child abuse she had ever investigated. Stocks was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and one charge of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He was also found guilty of one count of rape of a child on at least three occasions and attempted murder. He denied all the charges You have ruined the lives of two children Stocks, of Goring, Reading, was told the minimum term he would have to serve before he could be considered for release was 19-and-a-half years. Judge Daly told him: You have ruined the lives of these two children. Referring to the sexual assaults, the judge continued: You groomed and assaulted this vulnerable young girl for your own deviant sexual pleasure. It happened time and time again and its clear from the evidence that you became utterly obsessed with her and would go to any level to stop anyone interfering with your abhorrent behaviour. You have heard the effect the injuries have had on [the boy]. He has been severely traumatised by what you did to him, made even worse because he thought he was going on a special trip. He trusted you and you betrayed that trust to cover up your own sexual deviant behaviour. He added: This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, the evidence shows you had researched your plan. You made internet enquiries about trains to Brighton and the distance from the seafront to the cliffs. You told [the girl] about your plans to get rid of [the boy]. At the bottom of the cliffs was a concrete path by sheer coincidence at the point where he landed the concrete did not quite reach but there was an area of rough ground. If he landed two or three feet to the side he would have landed on concrete and I do not doubt he would have been killed instantly. Danger assessment Judge Daly said if an adult assaulted a young girl and then pushed a boy off a cliff, the resulting danger assessment would be obvious. However, he said he must be satisfied he poses a risk of serious harm to the public. He said: You have reached the age of 54 without committing other offences of a similar nature, you have significant disabilities of your own. However, your total failure to accept responsibility for what youve done together with your ongoing obsession with a child gives me grave concerns. Your inability to recognise what youve done leads me to believe that you are even more dangerous. There is a significant risk to members of the public, particularly to young girls. I am quite sure if you had not been prevented your abuse of [the girl] would have continued. The criteria is made and made a finding that you are dangerous. Turning to mitigation, Judge Daly took into account that Stocks had a low IQ and learning difficulties as well as a diagnosis of depressive disorder. You had a depraved background, the judge said. You suffered emotional abuse. You are assessed as being extremely vulnerable to exploitation in prison. You are regarded as being a vulnerable adult and have had suicidal thoughts. Stocks was found guilty after a 13-day trial heard over May and June. Home Office estimates show asylum support costs could rise to 40 billion over the next four years - James Manning/PA Rachel Reeves will next week single out a spiralling hotel bill for asylum seekers that could cost up to 10 billion a year as she pins the blame for financial pressures on the Tories. The Chancellor will use a speech to the House of Commons on Monday to reveal the details of her audit on hidden public spending realities commissioned after Labour took office. Conservatives and think tank figures are claiming that Labour figures are exaggerating their surprise at the problems in government to pave the way for tax rises in the autumn. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, is expected to say the black hole in the public finances is around 19 billion - Jonathan Brady/Reuters The Telegraph revealed that Ms Reeves is expected to say the black hole in the public finances is around 19 billion, with an early assessment pointing to that figure. This newspaper now understands that among the hidden issues the Chancellor will point to will be the scale of spending forecasted to house asylum seekers in hotels, which is more than three times previously thought. Home Office estimates show asylum support costs are set to rise to 30 billion to 40 billion over the next four years, around 10 billion a year. That is significantly higher than previously assumed. It had been said that 8 million was being spent on hotels for asylum seekers each day, which amounts to 3 billion a year. Completely uncontrolled One Government source familiar with plans for Monday said that the asylum hotel bill had been completely uncontrolled under the Tories. Another said: We are facing enormous asylum accommodation costs for the next year until we are able to get to the point that we can get processing up to speed. But that wont happen overnight. Housing asylum-seekers in hotels, with the state picking up the bill, was a move taken under the Tories due to the surge in small boats crossing the English Channel carrying migrants to the UK. During the election campaign, the Tories accused Sir Keir of having no detailed plan for stopping small boat crossings. The Prime Minister has scrapped the Tories Rwanda deportation plan, calling it a gimmick and instead putting focus on smashing the gangs who are smuggling people on small boats. Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the Tories' plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, calling it a 'gimmick' - Carl Court/Getty Images The figure for soaring hotel bill costs could be contested by the Conservatives. It is unclear if a full breakdown of the forecast will be revealed by the Government. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, criticised the inheritance passed on by her Tory predecessors in the Home Office, including the cost of the hotel bills, earlier this week. Ms Cooper said: We have often warned that, frankly, it would be cheaper to put them up in the Paris Ritz. As it turns out, it would have been cheaper to buy the Paris Ritz. Ms Reevess statement on Monday comes after weeks of Labour claiming that it is facing the worst economic inheritance since the Second World War. The claim has been fiercely contested by the Tories, now in opposition, who have said it is an exaggeration to create political space to increase tax rises in the autumn. Jeremy Hunt, the shadow chancellor who left the Treasury earlier this month, called the claim absolute nonsense and said Ms Reeves wants to raise the ground for tax rises. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, said on Friday that the Chancellor should not feel any sense of surprise that the public finances are in a poor state. Mr Johnson said: I dont think its really very credible at all. In terms of the scale of the problems facing public services, lots of individuals and organisations have pointed out that public services are performing considerably worse than they were pre-Covid. They are performing worse than they were back in 2010. We have seen that Birmingham and other local authorities have been going bust, we know what the waiting lists are in the NHS. We have always known that public sector pay is a long way behind private sector pay in terms of what has happened in recent years so there shouldnt really be any sense of surprise that there is a big issue here. The choice is, as ever, do you want the public services to be as good as they are, better than they are, or are you willing to see them get worse? Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia (L) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez (R) Two of the alleged leaders of one of the most violent and powerful criminal organisations in the world were arrested after being lured to the United States in an elaborate sting operation. Ismael El Mayo Zambada Garcia, the co-founder of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel and the son of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman Lopez were arrested after being tricked into flying to the US instead of to another airport in Mexico. The suspects landed in a private jet at the airport in El Paso, Texas on Thursday where they were arrested. Details of how the alleged drug lords were captured are unclear but Fox News reported Mr Guzman Lopez convinced Mr Zambada Garcia to board the jet which he believed was heading south in Mexico but instead, it flew north and landed in the United States. When the plane touched down, Mr Guzman Lopez surrendered and El Mayo was detained. Agents stand by a plane believed to have carried Mr Zambada Garcia and Mr Guzman Lopez - Reuters The New York Times quoted US officials saying the son of El Chapo lured Mr Zambada Garcia to El Paso under false pretences. It is not clear if or why he may have betrayed his fellow cartel boss. The US is known to use plea deals to encourage members to cooperate with them. Merrick Garland, the US attorney general said in a statement: The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organisations in the world. The US Drug Enforcement Administration had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Mr Zambadas capture. The Justice Department earlier put up a $15 million bounty for any information leading to Mr Zambada Garcia's arrest or conviction Mr Garland said both men were facing multiple charges in the US for leading the cartels criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks. He added that the two men joined a growing list of Sinaloa cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable, he said. Court documents showed on Friday that Mr Zambada pleaded not guilty to US drug trafficking charges. He waived his right to appear personally in court and directed that a not guilty plea be entered on his behalf. He was ordered detained without bond and is scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Berton next Wednesday, the records showed. Undated images of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia - AFP The two men were said to be among the most consequential drug traffickers in Mexico and oversaw operations that sent drugs to the US, Europe and other parts of the world. It is understood that Mr Zambada Garcia has never been imprisoned, unlike his top ally, Joaquin Guzman Loera, known as El Chapo. After his father was extradited to the US, it appeared that Mr Guzman Lopez was promoted to head the cartel. In 2019, El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison by a court in New York. After El Chapos capture, several of his sons, who were known as Chapitos or The Little Chapos took control of the crime organisation, US authorities said. One son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was extradited to the United States last year to face drug charges. Killing Americans coast to coast Anne Milgram, the US Drugs Enforcement Administration chief, said in a statement that the arrest of Mr Zambada Garcia strikes at the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast. She said the capture of El Chapos son strikes another enormous blow to the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2012, a federal grand jury in Texas indicted the 76-year-old Mr Zambada Garcia on charges of murder and conspiracy connected with drug trafficking, money laundering and organised crime. Breon Peace, the US attorney for the eastern district of New York, said: As alleged, Zambada Garcia is charged with numerous drug offences, now including the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl, a deadly drug that was largely unheard of when he founded the Sinaloa Cartel more than three decades ago and today is responsible for immeasurable harm. Donald Trump has called Kamala Harriss statement on the Gaza war disrespectful before a meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Florida to discuss the conflict. Harris, the US vice-president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, had seemed to mark a change of tone on the Israel-Gaza war on Thursday after her own meeting with Netanyahu, when she declared she would not be silent about the suffering of Palestinians. Trump criticised Harris on Friday before his meeting at his Mar-a-Lago home, calling her remarks disrespectful as he targeted her over an issue that has split the Democratic party. They werent very nice pertaining to Israel, Trump said. I actually dont know how a person who is Jewish could vote for her, but thats up to them. Right-wing Israeli politicians attacked Harris and anonymous officials have suggested the remarks could make it more difficult to conclude a ceasefire deal. I think to the extent that Hamas understands theres no daylight between Israel and the United States, that expedites the deal, said Netanyahu to reporters at his meeting with Trump. And I would hope that those comments dont change that. A Harris aide rejected a report in the Times of Israel that a senior official had said that Harris criticism would hinder the conclusion of a deal. I dont know what theyre talking about, a Harris aide told CNN. Photographs showed Trump warmly greeting Netanyahu, who is concluding a one-week visit to the US that has been marked by large protests against the war. People stood along the route used by Netanyahus motorcade to visit Trump, holding up signs that read: Ceasefire now and Convicted fellon [sic] invites a war criminal. Before the meeting, Netanyahu said he believed military pressure on Hamas had created movement in ceasefire talks, and that he would send a team to an upcoming round of negotiations in Rome. Time will tell if were closer to a ceasefire deal, he said. The meeting is their first since Trump left the White House in 2020. The men have had a strained relationship in the past after Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the 2020 election, a vote that Trump has claimed, without evidence, was manipulated. Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake, Trump said at the time. Fuck him. On Friday, the two appeared to have reconciled. Weve always had a good relationship, Trump told reporters before the meeting. The two were political allies in the past. Trump largely gave Netanyahu carte blanche during his first term in office, ADD moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He told Fox News this week that Israel should finish the war and bring back the hostages fast. They are getting decimated with this publicity, and you know Israel is not very good at public relations, Trump told the broadcaster. Harris has tried to thread the needle of continuing the Biden administrations policy of support for Israel while assuaging growing anger among Democrats about the humanitarian toll of the conflict that has killed 39,000 Palestinians. Nearly half the Democrats in Congress skipped Netanyahus speech in the House of Representatives, and dozens openly said they were boycotting it because of the war. Harris met Netanyahu on Thursday at the White House shortly after the prime minister had sat down with Joe Biden. The separate meetings highlighted how the presumptive Democratic nominee has become increasingly independent since launching her presidential campaign. At the same time, aides tried to play down the potential for change between Biden and Harris on Israel. [Bidens] and [Harriss] message to PM Netanyahu was the same: its time to get the hostage and ceasefire deal done, wrote Phil Gordon, Harriss national security adviser. Harris called the meeting frank and constructive, and said Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters. She indicated that she would not halt military aid to Israel because she would always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself. But she went further than other administration officials in criticising how Israel has prosecuted the war in Gaza, bolstering hopes she may, at least rhetorically, give more voice to the humanitarian concerns of Palestinians. She said she had expressed her serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians, and I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent. Harris did not say how Netanyahu responded to the Biden administrations offer of a three-part ceasefire that would begin with a withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from population centres and some hostages being released. She did not take questions from reporters following the remarks. There has been hopeful movement in the talks to secure an agreement on this deal, Harris said. And as I just told prime minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. So, to everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you. The Democratic mayor of Dearborn, Abdullah Hammoud, said in an interview with Michigan public radio: Many of us are waiting to see what policy platform Harris puts forward. Hammoud has been outspoken on Gaza in a state where 13.2% voted uncommitted in this years Democratic primary in a protest against Bidens policy towards Israel. In the conversations that we have had I have found her to be sympathetic and empathetic, he said. Ive found her to be someone that wants to listen obviously theres much that remains to be seen. A senior administration official said before the meetings with Biden and Harris that the framework of the deal is basically there but that there are some very serious implementation issues that still have to be resolved. There are some things we need from Hamas, and there are some things we need from the Israeli side, and I think youll see that play out here over the course of the coming week, the official said. A volunteer with Listen to Michigan near a voting site in Dearborn, Michigan, on 27 February 2024. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images The protest movement that sought to use the Democratic primaries to pressure Joe Biden to shift his policy on Israel and Gaza breathed a sigh of relief when he ended his bid for re-election. But theyre not ready to promise theyll support Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee. More than 700,000 Americans voted uncommitted, or its equivalent, in state primaries as a message to Biden that he risked losing significant support in November if he did not shift away from his support for Israel. As next months Democratic national convention inches closer, the movement has turned its sights to pressuring Harris to shape a new course on Gaza policy. Its demands of Harris include an arms embargo on Israel and support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed since the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas, according to health officials. Related: Kamala Harris says I will not be silent on suffering in Gaza after Netanyahu talks Uncommitted voters say that their message to the White House is clear: stop funding Israels war, or lose our votes. [Harris] could get my vote, but its going to be a difficult journey. We actually need to see action, said Fadel Nabilsi, a Palestinian American attorney who voted uncommitted in Michigans Democratic primary. Biden won the swing state, where 278,000 Arab Americans live, by just 154,000 votes in 2020. You need to get on the same page with all of us, Nabilsi said, if youd like to get our support and our backing. Harris has spoken more forcefully about Palestinian suffering than her boss, and in remarks on Thursday after meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, she used sharp terms to call for a ceasefire and the protection of Palestinian civilians. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time. She acknowledged that Israel has a right to defend itself and denounced Hamas, but also added: We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies [in Gaza]. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent. But despite a difference in tone, she has not signaled how or whether her politics on the region would break from Bidens the departure that uncommitted activists are looking for. The White Houses policy to continue to supply American bombs to Netanyahu is like a bartender serving drinks to an alcoholic while repeatedly urging them to stay sober, Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic strategist and an adviser to the Uncommitted National Movement, said after Harris spoke on Thursday. Empathy for Palestinians from the vice-president is a step in the right direction but people just want a policy change to stop the supply of American bombs to Israels war. Related: Kamala Harris says I will not be silent on suffering in Gaza after Netanyahu talks The uncommitted movement gained ground in March following a campaign called Listen to Michigan, which succeeded in persuading more than 100,000 voters to mark their ballots uncommitted during the states Democratic primary in February. The grassroots effort spread to more than two dozen states, ultimately earning the movement 30 delegates who will travel to the Democratic national convention next month. The movement is urging delegates outside of the uncommitted camp to support their policy demands during the convention. Harris delegates can help push for an arms embargo, said Shahid. They dont need to become uncommitted delegates. Abbas Alawieh, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan, said that people close to the Harris campaign have reached out to uncommitted activists in recent days, but declined to share specifics. We need her to meet with members of our community. We need her to meet with uncommitted delegates, Alawieh said. We need to hear from her and her team how she will embrace an approach that prioritizes and values Palestinian lives and the lives of every civilian. More than 600 people joined an uncommitted national organizing call on Monday night for the movements recently launched Not Another Bomb campaign, which urges US leaders to end financial and military support for Israels war. Related: US medics who volunteered in Gaza demand arms embargo over unbearable cruelty inflicted by Israel Chloe Lundine, a Detroit, Michigan, resident and uncommitted voter, joined a protest near the Capitol building in Washington DC during Netanyahus visit. Earlier this week, she said, she was pressured to resign from her position as an analyst at Wayne State University after posting pro-Palestinian art outside her office. While she was cautiously optimistic that Harris would change course on Gaza policy, she added that shed love to see her speak with Netanyahu and plainly say that she supports a permanent ceasefire at the very minimum. Uncommitted voters are torn on whether theyll vote for the Democratic candidate if their demands arent met they recognize that Donald Trump is not likely to bring peace to Gaza but are resistant to pressure from Democrats to vote against their conscience. Some said they would be dissatisfied if Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, were picked as Harriss running mate, citing his efforts to quash pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. For Ghada Elnajjar, a Palestinian American organizer based in Georgia, the decision of whether to vote for Harris or a candidate like the Green partys Jill Stein keeps her up at night. On the one hand, I do consider that it is time for this country to break shackles from a two-party system and introduce a third party, said Elnajjar. On the other hand, I understand theres so many other policies that we need to support: the economy, education, the environment. This could look two ways A separate anti-war movement has also started mobilizing. On Thursday, Pennsylvania activists launched a campaign to collect pledges from voters refusing to vote for Harris unless she breaks more sharply from Biden policies. President Biden lost the support of hundreds of thousands of voters because he refused to stop funding genocide in Gaza, said Reem Abuelhaj, an organizer with the No Ceasefire No Vote campaign. Vice-president Harris now has a unique opportunity to win back those votes. But that will only happen if she does everything in her power to bring about a ceasefire. Other activists may not be pressuring people to withhold their votes, but they warn that Harris shouldnt take their support for granted. Instead of trying to stop support for Harris, our strategy is going to focus on holding her accountable to values and demands of the majority of the Democratic party base and electorate, which includes a lasting and permanent ceasefire via an arms embargo on Israel, said Lexis Zeidan, a Palestinian American activist with the uncommitted movement from Dearborn, Michigan. A recent Gallup poll found that more Americans oppose Israels war on Gaza than support it: 48% compared with 42%. Just 23% of Democrats said they approve of Israels military campaign. This could look two ways, said Shahid, the Democratic strategist. Either the 700,000 uncommitted voters could actively mobilize for vice-president Harris, if they felt like she had shifted significantly on Gaza from Biden. If she doesnt shift on Gaza, I think people will be much more reserved about their enthusiasm, in terms of knocking on doors, donating, telling their friends and family and their community to vote for Harris, even if they dont like Trump. The Government should draw up a 2.5 billion emergency loan pot to stop ailing universities from collapsing, a new report has said. The Government should draw up a 2.5 billion emergency loan pot to stop ailing universities from collapsing, a new report has said. The lack of a plan to deal with the potential collapse of some UK universities is causing an unsustainable level of uncertainty for students, according to consultancy Public First and the University of Warwick. They called on Government to take urgent action to prevent universities going bust and warned there is a contagion risk for the entire higher education sector if one goes under. In a report published on Friday, they urged ministers to create a 2.5 billion transformation fund to provide state-backed loans to universities that could prove cash injections would save them. Public First said repayable loans would act as a lifeline to universities that have plans in place to secure their future but not enough money to enact them. The report called for the issue to be near the top of the new Governments priority list as everyone shares the risk from a disorderly exit. Crisis talks for emergency plan It comes as ministers hold crisis talks about the future of several universities amid fears that some could be pushed under later this year. The Departments for Education and Science, Innovation and Technology are understood to be in accelerated talks to produce an emergency plan if one or more fails. The Telegraph reported earlier this week that top universities are preparing for potential takeovers of former polytechnics facing financial crises, with growing fears about those without the long-standing reputation of some of their peers. About 40 per cent of universities in England are expected to run budget deficits this year, according to the Office for Students. Three universities are thought to be in serious financial peril, and universities believe Labour will pressure the sector to manage their own financial problems rather than provide a taxpayer bailout. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said on Monday that universities were expected to manage their own budgets before seeking help from the taxpayer. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4s Today programme, she said: Universities are autonomous and there are expectations around how they manage their budgets, and I would expect them to do that without seeking any calls on the taxpayer. Ms Phillipson says universities are expected to manage their own budgets before seeking help from the taxpayer - TOLGA AKMEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The report called for the Government to create a special administration regime for higher education to protect students in case universities go bust. It said this could be modelled on elements of other national infrastructure, including rail, designed to safeguard national public assets under the law. It also suggested the role of Englands higher education watchdog should be rebalanced to take a more proactive approach to managing and forecasting financial risk. Universities have been hit by a dramatic drop in international student numbers, which had been propping up the sector as domestic tuition fees remain frozen at 9,250. Home Office figures in April showed a Tory crackdown on foreign student visas has slashed the number of dependants they are bringing to the UK by 90 per cent. The number of overseas students applying for visas also fell by 15 per cent, from 39,900 in the first quarter of 2023 to 35,000 in the same period in 2024. Crucial inflection point Jonathan Simons, partner and head of education at Public First, told The Telegraph the crisis could soon become critical for many universities if student numbers drop further. This summer is a really crucial inflection point - domestic student and particularly international student numbers could be the trigger for a lot of universities, he said. By this autumn, a lot of those risks may have begun to materialise A Department for Education spokesperson said: We are committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading universities so these engines of growth can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. We recognise the immediate financial strain that some providers are under and the Education Secretary has been clear that we are working closely with the Office for Students to monitor risks and protect students. We will set out further details shortly. Police officers at Gare de Lyon railway station - Nathan Laine/Bloomberg French intelligence sources hinted that the massive sabotage attack on rail lines leading to Paris on Friday may have been the work of Left-wing radicals. But with no confirmed suspects, Russia was also blamed as suspicions swirled that Vladimir Putin has been yearning for a chance to humiliate Emmanuel Macron. There are reasons to believe either may be correct. As of Friday afternoon, with theories coming from multiple quarters and little to no hard evidence, it remained unclear who exactly the perpetrators were. The French authorities have laid on a large, high-tech security regime to defend the Olympics, with Reaper drones in the skies and AI-powered cameras on the ground to watch for suspicious activity. But Fridays attack suggests they paid far less attention to key rail routes, which were sabotaged by old-fashioned arson methods rather than cyber-attacks. Damaged cables near Courtalain, France, at the site where saboteurs targeted the high-speed train network - Mayor of Vald'Yerre/Franck Marchand/Mayor of Vald'Yerre via REUTERS Russia is a suspect in the Olympics sabotage - Brian Snyder/REUTERS The perpetrators had a good working knowledge of the railway and were most likely seeking to cause maximum disruption while avoiding any loss of human life. There have been five incidents of damage to the SNCF rail network, all of them targeting electronic or signalling boxes. French media reports said bundles of cables in the network had been burned or severed. The result was around 50 per cent of the trains in the north and east of France were not running as of Friday morning, while the high-speed TVG network was also paralysed. The disruption is expected to last throughout the weekend. Passengers wait for their train departures at the Gare Montparnasse in Paris - THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP The attacks came in the early hours, when no trains were running on the high-speed network, and were carried out in such a way that control centres would have become immediately aware of the damage and shut down the system. Had the perpetrators struck during the morning rush and employed acts of sabotage that could not have been so easily detected remotely such as parking vehicles across the line the outcome might have been very different. France has not yet accused any group or state over the sabotage, but many will immediately point the finger at Moscow. Other possible suspects include terrorism groups, Left-wing radicals or environmental activists. The head of SNCF has described the arsonists as a band of lunatics but gave no clues as to their identity. Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister, said the attacks were carried out in a prepared and co-ordinated manner, as he vowed to find and punish the saboteurs. We are obviously in a situation of conflict with Russia, and Russia is obviously not going to do anything, and thats an understatement, to help these Olympic Games be a success, suggested Jean de Gliniasty, the former French ambassador to Moscow, in an interview with French broadcaster LCI. In April, Mr Macron, the French president, said he had no doubt whatsoever, including in terms of information, that Russian leaders were planning to disrupt or damage the Games. Around the same time, an aide to Mr Macron warned: There is a hardening from Russia, which we have been seeing for several months. A security source said on Friday that a smoking gun had not yet been discovered to establish whether the railway sabotage was the result of a Russian hybrid attack. They added: We do assess overall that Russian, and their supporters, activity is rising. This will see an increase in both the severity and frequency of incidents in the grey zone, designed to disrupt and deter the supporters of Ukraine. However, a French intelligence source told AFP news agency that the sabotage was similar to previous incidents involving the far-Left. The modus operandi arson attacks on installations resembles that used by the ultra-Left in the past, the source said. Israel, meanwhile, has blamed Iran, its arch nemesis in the Middle East, which continues to fund and support Hamas, as well as the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The sabotage of railway infrastructure across France ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics was planned and executed under the influence of Irans axis of evil and radical Islam, said Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister. Based on information held by Israel, Iranians are planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli delegation and all Olympic participants. Increased preventive measures must be taken to thwart their plot, he added. Stranded passengers wait inside Gare du Nord station in Paris following cancellations - MAST IRHAM/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Frances diplomatic and military support for Ukraine has put it in the crosshairs of a new Russian campaign against Europe known as hybrid warfare, which involves sabotage, arson, cyber-attacks and other attempts to destabilise Western democracy. And there is already a precedent for Russia launching arson attacks on businesses and infrastructure in Europe. In May, when a mysterious fire broke out at the Diehl arms factory in Berlin, German investigators initially ruled it an accident despite the Diehl group being part of the supply chain that supports Ukrainian forces with weapons. They have since received intelligence from a Nato member state which strongly suggests it was actually a Russian sabotage attack. In the previous month, pro-Russian arsonists targeted a business with commercial links to Ukraine in east London. The British Government expelled Russias defence attache in response to the attack. A controversial new law that could see universities and student unions fined for failing to secure freedom of speech could be repealed under Labour, the Education Secretary has announced. Bridget Phillipson said there were concerns the legislation would be disproportionate and burdensome for providers and the Office for Students (OfS) watchdog. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which was due to come into force next week, will be put on hold to allow for time to consider options including its repeal, she said. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson leaving Downing Street, London, after a Cabinet meeting (Lucy North/PA) In a written ministerial statement on Friday, the Education Secretary said: I am aware of concerns that the Act would be burdensome on providers and on the OfS, and I will confirm my long-term plans as soon as possible. To enable students to thrive in higher education, I welcome the OfSs plans to introduce strengthened protections for students facing harassment and sexual misconduct, including relating to the use of non-disclosure agreements in such cases by universities and colleges. The Act was introduced by the previous Tory government and sought to place a duty to secure and promote the importance of freedom of speech and academic expression Ms Phillipson has signalled that Labour wants an end to so-called culture wars on campuses after a number of high-profile protests including at Oxford before a talk by academic Kathleen Stock over her views on gender identity. Higher education institutions will still have a legal duty to uphold freedom of speech under existing legislation. When the new powers were introduced, the Conservatives said it would allow speakers to express views which others may disagree with as long as they did not cross a threshold into hate speech or incitement of violence. Critics argued the measures went too far and could lead to further disruption, including by potentially enabling extremists to access campuses. A review of the OfS by public servant Sir David Behan warned there was a perception that the watchdog is not sufficiently independent and recommended its structure be revised. In her statement, Ms Phillipson said the regulator, which would have been allowed to fine or sanction institutions under the new law, should more sharply focus on key priorities such as the financial stability of universities. The Government accepts the core analysis of the review and as set out in our manifesto, we recognise that strong regulation is a crucial element for a stable, world-leading higher education sector, that delivers for students and the economy, she said. I have written to colleagues separately about my decision to stop further commencement of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, in order to consider options, including its repeal. Downing Street rejected suggestions that the move amounted to a weakening of free speech. Asked by journalists whether the decision was a backslide, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: I disagree with that characterisation, but it is also right to listen to concerns and take stock, and thats what the department is doing. The Tories accused Labour of displaying a willingness to sacrifice the next generation on the altar of their own ideological dogma over the decision but Jewish groups welcomed the move, suggesting the legislation risked opening the door to antisemitism on campuses. Shadow education secretary Damian Hinds said: Free speech is a fundamental right, and this must extend to universities. Without the ability to freely express views in higher education, these centres of learning risk becoming centres of co-option and intolerance. The fact this Labour Government is willing to scrap the measures we put in place to protect these rights makes clear that they are willing to sacrifice the next generation on the altar of their own ideological dogma. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: We welcome the Secretary of States decision to halt the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, pending consideration of repeal. The Union of Jewish Students has been clear that the act, while well-intentioned, risked enabling antisemitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence we strongly support UJSs concerns and reflected this in our Jewish Manifesto for the 2024 General Election. This halt will enable the Government to consider how to ensure that freedom of speech is protected without allowing free rein to purveyors of hate speech. Alternative healer Hongchi Xiao was previously prosecuted over the death of a six-year-old diabetic boy in Australia after he instructed the youngsters parents to stop giving him his insulin medication, his trial was told. Xiaos trial for the manslaughter of Danielle Carr-Gomm, who died in Wiltshire in October 2016, heard that he was convicted of manslaughter by an Australian court in that case. Winchester Crown Court heard that Xiao told the boys parents to stop giving the life-saving medication to him. However, the trial was told there was no evidence that the defendant gave a similar instruction to Mrs Carr-Gomm, although it was claimed he said well done to her after the 71-year-old informed him that she had stopped her medication. The court heard that, after the boys insulin treatment was stopped, he started to become seriously ill and began vomiting black liquid which Xiao said was just part of self-healing body adjustment. But the boy died on April 27 2015, 18 months before Mrs Carr-Gomm. Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury that the boys family had attended Xiaos workshops on Paida Lajin, a self-healing therapy, in Hurstville, Sydney, which involved participants slapping themselves and each other, and fasting. He said: The defendant himself did not perform any slapping on any of the participants. Shortly after the start of the workshop, as the judge who dealt with him in Australia found, the defendant told (the boy)s mother to stop (his) insulin injections. Such an instruction is clear evidence of how strongly held the defendants views were, for example, as to insulin being poison. Mr Atkinson said that, by day three, the boys mother told the workshop group of her sons deteriorating health and said he was vomiting, had high blood sugar levels and high ketone levels. Despite this, the court was told, Xiao continued to instruct the mother to not give insulin to her son and his health deteriorated further. On the fifth day he needed to be pushed in a pram because he could not walk or stand to dress himself and started to vomit yellow and black liquid. The court heard that the mother confronted Xiao and told him: Look this picture, last night he vomiting black stuff, all these things, to which he replied: Is the detox. All the bad stuff come from come out from his body, his organ. Its just part of self-healing body adjustment. Four days later, the boy was in his room with his grandmother when he began vomiting black liquid and had a seizure. As the grandmother went for help, she locked herself out of the room, and when hotel staff arrived they found the boy motionless on the bed, the court heard. Mr Atkinson said Xiao also went to the room and began slapping the boys inner elbows until paramedics arrived but they were unable to resuscitate him and he died as a result of diabetic ketoacidosis. Mr Atkinson told the jury: The defendant was ultimately prosecuted for, and convicted of (the boy)s manslaughter. It follows that there can be no question but that the defendant owed (the boy) a duty of care whilst he was an attendee at his workshop, and that he breached that duty. He deprecated and deterred the use of conventional medicine even when he knew that to do so risked very serious consequences which could in turn be life-threatening. He advocated a course that he knew was not medically justified, and was contrary to medical experience, and a boy died as a result. His actions towards Danielle Carr-Gomm occurred when the very real, obvious and serious risk of death had become all the more real and all the more obvious. They involved similar conduct, congratulating a type 1 diabetic who replaced insulin with Paida Lajin, and taking no action to secure her help despite the cruel lesson that ought to have been provided by the boys untimely death. Xiao had denied having a duty of care over Mrs Carr-Gomm or that he had breached any duty of care. Streeting says health watchdog not fit for purpose and needs radical reform Englands health and social care watchdog is not fit for purpose and needs radical reform, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said as he pledged immediate action to restore public confidence. Mr Streeting was reacting to an independent review into the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body that monitors and inspects all health and adult social care providers to ensure safety and quality standards. It identified significant internal failings affecting its ability to identify poor performance at hospitals, care homes and GP practices. The Health Secretary said he was brutally honest with the public before the election that problems with the NHS would take time to fix, but he had not anticipated that the regulator would have failed to such an extent, in comments to BBC Radio 5 Live. Members of the public looking at ratings on the website should take them with a pinch of salt, he told ITVs Good Morning Britain, adding that he had asked the commission to urgently qualify its ratings. Asked if there was a fix that did not involve spending more money, Mr Streeting said: I dont think money is the issue here. I think its culture. He said there needs to be a radical reform of the organisation. Leadership is vital. We need a new permanent chief executive at the Care Quality Commission and a new chief inspector of hospitals that we can work with to turn the regulator around, he told BBC Breakfast. He added: I never expected to be told that one in five health and care providers had not received a rating, that some health and care providers have not been inspected for a decade, that some of those ratings are effectively manufactured and invented using partial views and inspections combined with historic ratings and judgments. I am absolutely appalled. The review, led by Dr Penny Dash, chairwoman of the North West London Integrated Care Board, found some organisations had not been reinspected for several years, with the oldest rating for an NHS hospital dating from more than 10 years ago while the oldest for a social care provider was from 2015. Of the locations the CQC has the power to inspect, it is estimated about one in five has never received a rating, the interim report found. It also revealed a lack of experience among some staff, including examples of inspectors visiting hospitals and saying they had never been in a hospital before, as well as an inspector of a care home who had never met a person with dementia. The report found inspection numbers were still well below pre-Covid levels, a lack of consistency in the watchdogs assessments and issues with its IT system. Mr Streeting said: When I joined the department, it was already clear that the NHS was broken and the social care system in crisis. But I have been stunned by the extent of the failings of the institution that is supposed to identify and act on failings. Its clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose. We cannot wait to act on these findings, so I have ordered the publication of this interim report so action can begin immediately to improve regulation and ensure transparency for patients. I know this will be a worrying development for patients and families who rely on CQC assessments when making choices about their care. I want to reassure them that I am determined to grip this crisis and give people the confidence that the care theyre receiving has been assessed. This Government will never turn a blind eye to failure. The Department of Health and Social Care announced immediate steps to restore public confidence in the CQC, which is appointing Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former hospital physician and its first chief inspector of hospitals, to review its assessment framework. Transparency regarding how the regulator determines ratings for health and social care providers will also be improved and the Government will have increased oversight of the CQC, the department said. Dr Dash was asked to carry out the review of the CQC in May and has spoken to about 200 senior managers, caregivers and clinicians working across the sector, along with more than 50 senior managers and professional advisers at the body over the last two months. She said: The contents of my interim report underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the CQC. By addressing these failings together, we can enhance the regulators ability to inspect and rate the safety and quality of health and social care services across England. Our ultimate goal is to build a robust, effective regulator that can support a sustainable and high-performing NHS and social care system which the general public deserves. Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: This is going to be a long and difficult journey for the CQC, but one that is entirely necessary. Care England stands ready to work with the regulator to help them deliver an effective and supportive regulatory system that will be the cornerstone of public protection and delivers fair judgments across health and social care. The CQC must embark on a radical improvement programme that should not only include some tangible improvements in their performance, but also needs to move away from a culture of blame. We all want proportionate and effective regulation, and the challenge now is for CQC to take action and work with organisations across the sector to deliver it. Kate Terroni, CQCs interim chief executive, said: We accept in full the findings and recommendations in this interim review, which identifies clear areas where improvement is urgently needed. Many of these align with areas we have prioritised as part of our work to restore trust with the public and providers by listening better, working together more collaboratively and being honest about what weve got wrong. We are working at pace and in consultation with our stakeholders to rebuild that trust and become the strong, credible, and effective regulator of health and care services that the public and providers need and deserve. Progress will be monitored over the summer and the full independent report will be published in autumn, the Department of Health said. Streeting: Time for assisted dying debate has come, as Bill introduced in Lords An Assisted Dying Bill has officially been introduced in the House of Lords as the Health Secretary said it is a debate whose time has come. The prospect of legalising assisted death has increasingly been in the spotlight in the past year, with moves being made elsewhere in the British Isles, and the revelation from cancer-stricken TV star Dame Esther Rantzen that she has joined Dignitas. The broadcaster and Childline founder said she had caught a glimpse of hope with this fresh bid to change the law being laid before Parliament. The title of former Labour justice secretary Lord Falconer of Thorotons private members bill the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill was read out at the start of business in the House of Lords on Friday, and is expected to be debated in mid-November. It is possible a private members bill on assisted dying could be chosen for debate in the Commons, when a ballot takes place in September. Lord Falconer, who described assisted dying as the UKs next great social reform, said he had asked for his Bill to have its Second Reading debate in November so that colleagues in the House of Commons can, if they wish, hold their own debate and vote on Second Reading in advance of the House of Lords. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the time for debate on the divisive issue has come, but admitted he is uncharacteristically undecided on the topic. Lord Falconers Bill would allow terminally ill adults with six months or under left to live to end their lives, and the peer has stressed that it would have strong safeguards, including that the person has to be mentally able to make the decision, two doctors would have to approve it and it must have High Court approval. Dame Esther Rantzen is living with stage four cancer (Esther Rantzen/PA) Some campaigners have called for any new law to be extended to people living with unbearable suffering, who may not be terminally ill, but Lord Falconer said he is very strongly against that. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: My Bill is absolutely directed about how you die in the context of a terminal illness. He said the idea of legalising assisted dying has moved up the political and social agenda in recent decades, noting Dame Esthers intervention. The TV presenter has been a strong advocate among the voices campaigning for assisted dying to be legalised, as she lives with stage four cancer. Last week, Dame Esthers daughter Rebecca Wilcox said her mother is living from scan to scan. Writing in the Daily Express, Dame Esther said: This week, for the first time for over a year, I caught a glimpse of hope I have dared to look forward. She said the introduction of the Bill had provided light at the end of a tunnel which has trapped me for so long. What we terminally ill need is to be allowed the hope that if life becomes intolerable, we can ask for help to leave it, she wrote, saying the existing law meant anyone accompanying her on a trip to Dignitas in Switzerland to end her life would be breaking the law. The law might actually change in time for me to die peacefully at home surrounded by those I love. Suddenly my heart lifted. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to allowing a free vote on assisted dying, but has declined to put a timetable on it. Assisting someone to end their life is currently a criminal offence in England and Wales. An emotional debate in Westminster Hall earlier this year saw MPs from across the political spectrum give impassioned speeches for and against changing the law. Various moves towards a change in the law have also been taking place in Scotland, on the Isle of Man and Jersey, with strong arguments from people on both sides of the argument. Critics argue that legalisation could put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a burden on others and that the disabled, elderly, sick or depressed could be especially at risk, but supporters say it would allow people to die with dignity. Mr Streeting said he is uncharacteristically undecided on the issue. He told the Today programme: This will end up being both an ethical debate is this right in principle? and it will also go to being a practical debate can this work in practice?. And I think its contingent on us to help MPs and peers navigate those thorny issues in the most evidence-based and well-supported way as possible, recognising therell be sincerely and strongly held views on both sides of this debate. He added: It is a debate I will wrestle with. Im uncharacteristically undecided on this issue, but it is a debate whose time has come. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said the law could be open to abuse (Martin Rickett/PA) Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said she is happy for there to be a full debate because I think everybody needs to understand the implications of this becoming law. She argued that despite the safeguards outlined, the law could still be open to a huge amount of abuse. Asked about the public mood, she told Today: When you ask people the simplistic question do you support assisted suicide? a lot of people say yes. When you dig beneath that and people realise were not talking about palliative care, were talking about end of life, that support drops dramatically. Dame Sarah Mullally, who is joint lead bishop on healthcare for the Church of England and sits in the House of Lords, said the church believes the priority for terminally ill people must be to provide urgent funding and resourcing of palliative care services rather than a law change to allow assisted dying. The Bishop of London, a former chief nursing officer for England, said: No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide. We believe that there would be unintended, serious and fundamental consequences for the whole of society, especially for those who are at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them. Temperatures are set to soar this weekend and into early next week as the Met Office warned of a heatwave. Saturday is expected to be sunny with showers heaviest in parts of Scotland, northern England, Wales and the Midlands and the possibility of some isolated thunder. Bright spells are forecast for Sunday, in what the weather service described as a fine and dry day for many, with temperatures expected to reach highs of 27C in the South and 25C in the North East. Conditions are looking increasingly warm into Monday and early next week, with the Met Office confirming that some places may reach heatwave criteria. Heatwave criteria is when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold which varies by county. It is uncertain how long the warmer weather will last (Andrew Matthews/PA) However, it is uncertain how long the warmer weather will last, with a possible breakdown coming next week. Deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office David Hayter said: As we go through the weekend, the jet stream will weaken to the west of the UK, generating an area of high pressure that will slowly move in across the UK. High pressure means the air is sinking from higher in the atmosphere and that brings drier, settled and sunnier weather. Temperatures will rise too, becoming widely above average. We could see maxima of 27C in the South and 25C in the North East by Sunday. Theres a bit more in the way of patchy cloud in Northern Ireland, south and west Scotland and the Northern Isles, so temperatures will be lower there. Earlier in the week, Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst warned that despite the warm weather, water temperatures could be much lower. The weather this weekend will start on a showery note, but it will turn increasingly drier, sunnier and warmer as we move into Sunday Find out all the details for the weather this weekend below pic.twitter.com/ABqku49IgF Met Office (@metoffice) July 26, 2024 Mr Dewhurst told the PA news agency: At this time of year people head to the beach when the weathers warm or off to local lakes and rivers. Be mindful that at this time of year the waters still pretty cold, around 16, 17, 18C, its not like in the Mediterranean where its much warmer. Tom Morgan, meteorologist at the Met Office, said the hot weather is due to the fact that days are longer at this time of year, were only one month past the summer solstice and when its a sunny day, temperatures build because the land retains more heat than it loses by night. Mr Morgan said: Even with no change in wind direction, were not drawing up weather from the south but its more to do with the fact that the sun is heating the ground during the day, creating a net increase in heat because the nights are shorter than days. The net balance of solar radiation increases. Although theres no plume of hot air from the south initially in this warm spell, by around Wednesday next week we could start to tap into some more humid air from France, so it could start to feel more humid. Temperatures will be above average, but if you do live in the South East we could see it turn hot and heatwave criteria could be met in some parts of the UK. I went right to the source for this tip! Simply Recipes / Getty Images I absolutely love a good baked potato smothered with butter and a little salt. I used to microwave them, then switched to a couple of minutes in the microwave before baking them in the oven for a long time in high heat. My way isnt bad, says a potato expert, but theres an even better way to ensure a baked spud turns out perfectly every time. I talked to Mike Carter, CEO of Bushmans Inc, a fourth-generation potato-growing operation in Rosholt, Wisconsin. Carter has been in the potato business for more than 25 years. You would think that a baked potato is a baked potato, but it is not, Carter says. For the perfect baked potato, you have to be willing to invest the time. First, be sure to scrub your potato. We grow these things in the dirt! says Carter. We either hand scrub or use a soft brush under cold water. Then, poke in a few holes with a fork to let steam escape. Carter starts with a very hot oven450F. Pop the potato right in the oven, not wrapped in foil, for about 20 minutes. Im not a big fan of the foil, says Carter. It will help cook it through a little faster, but it steams [the potato], and the skin isnt crisp. We are not foilers in my house. We like crisp skin for a good texture. After about 20 minutes, remove the potato from the oven, spray it with olive oil, and sprinkle it with sea salt. Then bake it for another 25 minutes or so. There are several ways to test whether its perfectly done. My wife uses the squish method with an oven mitt. If it gives, then its done, Carter says. Im a fork guy. If I can stick a fork in it without resistance, I know its done. Then you have to open it to add lots of butter and salt. After cooking, in my opinion, the appropriate and proper way to make a potato is to squish it, and it will pop open and look pretty, Carter says. Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel When Time Is Short This double-baked method described above is the way Carter prepares the perfect potato when he has time, particularly if company is coming for dinner and he wants it to look and taste great. When time is limited, he takes a bit of a shortcut and swaps out the first oven bake with a few minutes in the microwave. Zap it for about five minutes, then spray with oil and salt, and finish in the high-heat oven for about 20 minutes. Carter says hes no microwave snob and will sometimes fully cook a potato that way if he wants one quickly. For lunch, I will absolutely throw a potato in the microwave and eat it. It takes close to eight minutes, maybe 10 if its a good-sized baker. Dont forget to squish or fork it to see if its done. How To Choose the Best Potato for Baking When you eye the big pile of potatoes at the grocery store or farmers market, choose whichever ones appeal to you. As Americans, we shop with our eyeballs, and Im not sure that matters for the taste, Carter says. Misshapen ones will taste the same, but theyll look a little different on the plate. I don't think theres anything wrong at all with ugly produce. What if potatoes have sprouted or have green spots? Green areas occur when a potato has been exposed to light. There can be a natural toxin in those parts, and eating (large) quantities may cause GI issues. Its best to just cut the green parts away before eating. To help potatoes last a long time, keep them in a cool, dark place. Carter says, Our potatoes at home are stored in the dark in the basement. Read the original article on Simply Recipes. An alleged Mexican drug kingpin suspected of flooding the United States with deadly fentanyl and who evaded authorities for decades is in US custody after he was apparently lured across the border by federal agents. Ismael El Mayo Zambada, 76, the alleged co-founder and leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in El Paso, Texas on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Another alleged cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 38, was also arrested, he said. Guzman is a son of the cartels infamous co-founder and former boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, 69, who is serving a life sentence in a US prison after he was convicted five years ago on multiple charges. Both Zambada and Guzman Lopez face several charges for allegedly leading the cartels criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks, Garland said. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable, Garland said. The sting operation to catch Zambada duped the alleged drug lord into flying to the US under false pretenses, two law enforcement officials familiar with the plot told CNN. Zambada and Guzman Lopez boarded a plane purportedly en route to inspect a property in Mexico, the sources said, adding that at least one of the men was unaware they were headed to the US. FBI agents arrested the two alleged drug kingpins after they landed in El Paso. Among various criminal charges Zambada faces in the US, he was indicted by a northern Illinois grand jury in 2009, according to the US State Department. While his whereabouts are unclear, CNN has learned that a US Justice Department aircraft frequently used for extraditions traveled from El Paso and landed at an airport near Chicago early Friday morning. US authorities had sought Zambadas capture for years and in 2021 raised the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million. Ismael Mario Zambada Garcia is the long-time leader of the Zambada Garcia faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambada Garcia is unique in that he has spent his entire adult life as a major international drug trafficker, yet he has never spent a day in jail, according to the US State Department. FBI Director Christopher Wray said Zambada and Guzman Lopez had eluded law enforcement for decades and will now face justice in the United States. The pair allegedly oversaw the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the US along with related violence, Wray added. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram said the pairs arrests strike at the heart of the cartel that is responsible for the majority of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, killing Americans from coast to coast. Powerful cartel The Sinaloa Cartel, named after the Mexican state where the gang was formed in the late 1980s, is one of the most powerful criminal groups in the world, raking in billions of dollars annually by trafficking drugs into the US and around the globe. Notorious cartel boss Guzman, better known as El Chapo, was arrested in Guatemala in 1993 on homicide and drug charges and extradited to Mexico. But he escaped Mexican prison in 2001, reportedly by bribing prison guards to smuggle him out in a laundry truck. He was arrested again in 2014, but escaped again, this time through a tunnel. Guzman was arrested for a third time in 2016 and then extradited to the United States. In a major trial, he was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, according to the Justice Department. Guzman was found guilty on 10 federal criminal counts, which included engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and use of firearms. During the trial, Guzmans lawyers argued Zambada was the real kingpin of the cartel who bribed the Mexican government to frame Guzman and remain free to run the criminal organization. In the latest in a string of US indictments against him, Zambada was charged in February with conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid that has killed tens of thousands of Americans in an epidemic of overdoses. Fentanyl was largely unheard of when [Zambada] founded the Sinaloa Cartel more than three decades ago and today is responsible for immeasurable harm, said Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in the indictment. Since 1989, Zambada has imported and distributed massive amounts of narcotics, generating billions of dollars in profits, according to the indictment. Federal prosecutors said he employed people to obtain transportation routes and warehouses to import and store narcotics, along with hit men, or sicarios, to carry out kidnappings and murders in Mexico to retaliate against rivals who threatened the cartel. Zambadas son, Vicente Zambada Niebla, admitted during testimony at Guzmans 2018 trial to passing along orders for murders and kidnappings and was sentenced to 15 years in 2019 by a federal judge in Chicago. He began cooperating with the US government in 2011, prosecutors said in a May 2019 filing. They said he aided authorities in helping target members of the Sinaloa Cartel and a rival gang, which lead to the charging of dozens of high-level targets and hundreds of their associates in indictments throughout the country, CNN previously reported. The younger Zambada had known El Chapo since he was 15 years old, he testified at the kingpins trial in 2018. The younger Zambada frequently referred to El Chapo as mi compadre, or my buddy, during his testimony and said the drug lord was godfather to his youngest son. A history of violence El Mayo Zambada was also indicted by a US federal grand jury in April 2012, in Texas, along with other suspected top Sinaloa leaders and 22 people allegedly connected with the cartel, including Guzman. They were charged with murder and conspiracy connected with drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime. At that point, Guzman and Zambada had already been indicted on drug trafficking and organized crime charges in several US federal courts. The 2012 indictment in western Texas detailed two acts of violence federal prosecutors said were committed by members of the cartel; one took place during a 2010 wedding ceremony in Ciudad Juarez, when an American citizen and two members of his family were kidnapped because of their ties with the rival Juarez cartel. The target was the groom and a resident of Columbus, New Mexico, whose body was found to be beaten, strangled and whose hands had been severed above the wrists and placed on his chest, according to the indictment. Police found the bodies of the groom, his brother and his uncle three days after the wedding in the bed of a pickup truck, the indictment stated. Another incident detailed in the indictment related to the kidnapping, killing and mutilation of a Texas resident in 2009 to answer for the loss of a 670-pound load of marijuana seized by the Border Patrol, prosecutors said. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Kathleen Magramo, Fidel Gutierrez, Sahar Akbarzai, Evan Perez, Josh Campbell, Mark Morales and Hannah Rabinowitz contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Girl in the Pool is a laugh riot, delivering sitcom-style shenanigans rather than a sincere sense of tension. Whether its intended to be funny or not is debatable. Director Dakota Gormans Hitchcock-inspired, psychological thriller about marital infidelity and a fracturing family takes a few of its cues from Rope, hiding a key figure in a trunk as a party transpires and a mystery murderer remains in their midst. But the similarities end there. Regardless of whether were supposed to chuckle at our heros crumbling sanity or empathize with his strife, its empty-calorie viewing designed for viewers to either mock or embrace its hijinks. Those who do celebrate its tawdry twists and turns, however, are assured to have a good time. Meek middle manager Thomas (Freddie Prinze Jr.) seemingly has the perfect life. He has a good job, a huge home in the serene suburbs, two kids clean-cut teenagers Alex (Tyler Lawrence Gray) and Rose (Brielle Barbusca) and a loving wife, Kristen (Monica Potter). Hes also hiding a big secret: an affair with a younger woman, Hannah (Gabrielle Haugh). Yet their latest torrid tryst in his backyard ends in disaster when she turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, floating face-down in the pool, bleeding profusely from a head wound. Since his family is due home any minute, the panic-stricken adulterer hides the lifeless, bloodied body amongst the faded neon foam noodles and ring floats in the pool supplies trunk on the side of the house. More from Variety Thomas catastrophe quickly turns into calamity once Kristen reveals shes planned a surprise party for his birthday at the scene of the crime, inviting all his closest friends and colleagues. That includes Thomas cantankerous father-in-law William (Kevin Pollak), who despises Thomas and walks into every scene with an insult lobbed at the birthday boy. Why he chose to attend a party for someone he hates is the bigger mystery afoot. But as Thomas frantically attempts to clear his name, giving himself multiple pep talks in front of bathroom mirrors and sorting through a few clues, the festivities worsen with guests hanging out near the storage chest, using it as spot to make out or do drugs. Its clear he has a long night ahead of him one filled with debauched frivolity and frazzled nerves. Gorman and screenwriter Jackson Reid Williams pile on gimmick upon gimmick, beginning the proceedings with Thomas in media res, furiously scrubbing his blood-soaked sins away in the shower. His plight unfolds in a non-linear structure, switching back and forward on the timeline. While its never confusing, these flashbacks mostly provide cringe-worthy details (like hearing Thomas incel-ish best friend call him a Beta after not breaking the annoying neighbors camera drone) rather than add clarity to the present, which can also be fairly outlandish considering they quote Gandhi and say Prinze is like Vin Diesel with hair. Audiences will feel their bodies recoiling, hearing Thomas and Hannahs smooching sessions punctuated by the actors hilariously loud lip-smacking. And superfluous events, like Hannahs home tour where she slinks around the master bedroom and closet in her skivvies while destroying Kristens clothes and messing with her jewelry, call the films perspective into question as Thomas has no clue she ever did such devious things. There are moments where Gorman and Williams lean into the inherent comedy of Thomas precarious situation. The scene where he grabs a large decorative vase after hearing strange noises outside before being surprised by party guests loosely functions as a setup for when he, in all seriousness, pulls a gun during the films mind-numbingly ridiculous resolution. Prinze plays the comedic undertones perfectly, specifically in the scene where he convinces his crew to return to the party after catching them smoking weed while sitting on Hannahs makeshift coffin. It also doubles as the filmmakers spin on the unbraced sink scene in Darren Aronofskys mother! where anxiety and nervous laughter are birthed. Plus, the sharp cut from inside Thomas coke-fueled confusion, where his children observe him acting like a cat mesmerized by the DJs light machine, is a high point in the films lunacy. Still, the filmmakers fail to properly construct suspense. The antagonistic relationship between Thomas obnoxious pals Randall (Jaylen Moore) and Mike (Michael Sirow) stalls immediately. Hushed secrets between Alex and Kristen arent developed enough for us to believe their whispers are stoking Thomas suspicions. Potter and Prinze, who previously starred together in the rom-com mystery Head Over Heels, are dealt a disservice by the lax material; their dynamic doesnt generate much of a spark. Its also difficult to buy a completely unmotivated turn by William later in the film. Aesthetically, The Girl in the Pool is loaded with artifice to jazz things up, from internalized sound design that places us within the protagonists paranoia (switching from stereo sound to a muffled mono when memories pull him out of casual conversations) to various Dutch angles when his world spirals out of control. Gorman, along with her editor Rob Bonz and sound designer Lawrence He, marries the sound and vision during these segments, showing Thomas stress culminating in rapid flurries of imagery and audible echoes, reverberations and tinnitus. Tone is key in films this silly. So when these filmmakers dont hit a precise tone, despite their ensembles straight-faced delivery of hokey dialogue and cliched scenarios, the picture flounders. Shifts from silly to serious occur frequently, though the thriller is better served when it keeps the proceedings buoyant, having us root against the hero instead of for him. Gorman takes a decidedly regressive approach to the conclusion, pulling strands of inspiration from Adrian Lynes Fatal Attraction in hackneyed ways. Nevertheless, even the poor form of The Girl in the Pool is sufficient enough to garner more than a few cackles to keep viewers invested in its wildly stupefying journey. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Rupert Murdoch is trying to make sure his son Lachlan (left), controls the company after he's gone. His son James Murdoch (right) is fighting the move in court. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The Murdoch family is fighting over control over its media empire even though it doesn't own all of it. The fight is over what happens to the company's voting shares the ones that give the Murdochs the ultimate say. That's a set-up that's used quite often in media and tech: It lets moguls and founders take public money, without giving up power. Rupert Murdoch is fighting with his children over control of his media empire, and the "Succession"-style brawl is headed for a Nevada courtroom. But wait a minute: Both News Corp. and Fox are publicly traded companies. Shouldn't shareholders be the ones who make the ultimate decisions about what happens there? That's a reasonable question! But the answer to that one is: No, not really. That's because the Murdoch empire is built on a dual-class stock structure, which gives the family the power to effectively control the company, even if they don't own the majority of its shares. And they're not the only big company you know that's set up that way: Some of the most powerful media companies have been running that way for decades. And more recently, some of the biggest companies in tech have adopted multiple class structures too. The results are public companies that are effectively private. Regular shareholders can weigh in primarily by buying or selling shares, to register their approval or disapproval over the way things are going but the truly crucial decisions like selling the company are usually made by one or two people, or a family. Companies like Meta, Comcast, and Alphabet have similar structures In media, you can find examples of this at places like The New York Times (controlled by the Ochs-Sulzberger family), Comcast (largely controlled by the Roberts family), and Paramount (still controlled, for the moment, by Shari Redstone). Tech companies set up like this include Meta (Mark Zuckerberg), Google/Alphabet (Larry Page and Sergey Brin), and Snap (Evan Spiegel). The structure and details differ by company, but they generally work in the same way: There's one class of shares that you, a regular investor, can buy or sell. And then there's another class of "voting" shares that do just what it sounds like: They give the people who own those shares the ability to vote on what happens. Elon Musk was able to buy Twitter, which he eventually changed to "X," because of its single-class share structure that didn't give its founders control. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images If you want real-world examples of why any of this matters, see Twitter: That company didn't have a dual-class structure, which meant that none of its founders had the ability to block Elon Musk from buying the company in 2022. (Musk's Tesla, by the way, has a single-class structure as well.) Or, in the present tense, see BuzzFeed, where founder Jonah Peretti controls the company, and doesn't have to listen to Vivek Ramaswamy, even though the former Republican presidential candidate has been buying up BuzzFeed shares. Periodically, you'll hear people complain about these kinds of structures because they think they insulate the founders/owners from the discipline of the market. Redstone, for instance, is now facing a lawsuit from an investor who says her decision to sell the company benefits her but not regular shareholders. On the other hand: None of these structures are secrets, so anyone buying into these companies knows or should know what they're getting into. And in most cases, as long as the stock goes up, they're not going to complain. Like a lot of things, this only becomes a problem when the company is having problems. Read the original article on Business Insider A hearing in the case of Justin Timberlake being accused of driving while intoxicated was held Friday, where an attorney for the singer disputed his arrest in June. The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DWI, Edward Burke, attorney for Timberlake, said in a statement. The police made a number of very significant errors in this case. Justin respects law enforcement and the very important job that they do. He cooperated with the police officers at all times and treated them with the respect they deserve. He also respects the entire judicial process including the District Attorney and Judge who were in court today, Burke continued. But the fact remains, he was not intoxicated and they made an error in arresting him for it. We are confident that this charge will be dismissed. The singer was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York last month. He is currently on tour for his most recent album, Everything I Thought It Was and was not present at the hearing. According to police, the singer was observed driving a 2025 BMW in the early morning hours and was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition. He allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign and also failed to maintain in his lane of travel, a statement from Sag Harbor Police read. After an officer initiated a traffic stop, Timberlake told police he had one martini and I followed my friends home, according to court records. Justin Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, NY in June after allegedly being observed "operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition," according to Sag Harbor Police Department. - Sag Harbor Police Department A Sag Harbor Village Police Department officer described Timberlake as unable to divide attention, adding he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests. An arraignment in the case is scheduled for next month. CNNs Zenebou Sylla, Marianne Garvey, Linh Tran and Mark Morales contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Prince Harry's legal battles against the British tabloids and phone hacking are ongoing, and the Duke of Sussex said in a new interview that his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, would be supportive of his fight. "We had many conversations before she passed, this is very much something she supported, she knew how much this meant to me," Harry said ITV's documentary Tabloids on Trial. "She is up there going, 'See this through to the end,' without question.'" Elsewhere in the film, he spoke about how his fight against the tabloids has caused a rift with his family. "I think that's certainly a central piece to it," Prince Harry said. "That's a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press." He added, "I've made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we did it as a family. I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you're in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But I'm doing this for my reasons." In 2019, Harry filed a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which he won in December 2023. At the time, Prince Harry said in a statement, "I have been told that slaying dragons will get you burned, but in light of today's victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest pressit is a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues." He currently has two ongoing cases against Associated Newspapers (publisher of The Daily Mail) and News Group Newspapers (now News UK, which publishes The Sun). Both deny any illegal information gathering. You Might Also Like Despite originating in Siberia, almost everyone has seen a Husky these days. They are seen more and more frequently in animal shelters around the world, largely thanks to the popularity of shows and movies like Game of Thrones or Balto. Even Twilight 'stans' became fans of Huskies because they wanted to hang out with wolves like Jacob. When they visit the shelter, though, many potential adopters are surprised to discover that dogs they thought were Huskies actually aren't. They're not wolves, either! They're called Alaskan Malamutes, and they're frequently mistaken for their Siberian relatives. Even though these dogs have a lot in common, Malamutes and Huskies are two different Northern breeds that developed similar traits over time. Ancient Breeds of the Arctic A large reason why these dogs are so similar is because they both originated and evolved inside the Arctic Circle. Both breeds were exposed to harsh conditions and challenging snowstorms, and they both performed essential jobs pulling sleds. However, that's where their historical similarities end. Related: Husky-Malamute Throwing Tantrum Like a Kid Has Parents Everywhere Laughing Siberian Huskies were developed in Northern Russia (AKA Siberia) to assist native nomadic peoples with following scarce food sources. Lenore Demmin, president of the Siberian Husky Club of America, explained to American Kennel Club, "The Siberian Husky was required to go day after day on very little food. Every aspect of the Siberian Husky is exceptionally efficient. No excess or waste." In Northern Alaska, the Mahlemut tribe developed a close relationship with a local species of sled dog that was essential to survival. These dogs, now known as Alaskan Malamutes, worked alongside the tribesmen in a number of important jobs like pulling sleds, hunting, and carrying packs. However, they were also treasured members of the family. Every Dog Is Built Differently The environment and jobs these dogs evolved with played a large role in their physical appearances. Huskies, for example, are leaner and sleeker to help them run long distances in the snow, while Malamutes tend to be larger and more muscular to help with pulling and carrying heavy items. Malamutes can weigh 75-85 pounds when fully grown, which reflects their stocky stature, while Huskies weigh 45-60 pounds. You'll also notice that both dogs have thick double-layered coats to protect them from low temperatures, but one breed can be a lot fluffier than the other. Malamutes appear fluffier thanks to more bulk on their body, too, but Huskies are also sleeker to help them run fast against the wind. One of people's favorite features about Siberian Huskies is their bright blue eyes, but you'll be surprised to learn that this is a way to tell the breeds apart, too. Huskies can have brown or blue eyes, but Malamutes always have dark brown eyes. While these two breeds may look similar on the surface, there are several key characteristics that can help you tell them apart. Even though these breeds have similar needs, knowing their exact lineage can help you learn what to expect as they become a part of the family. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Someone keeps breaking into a Colorado steakhouse and stealing meat and police are asking the public for help identifying suspects in the case. On July 20 at about 5:12 a.m., officers with the Denver Police Department said they responded to Columbine Steak House & Lounge for a report of a burglary. The business is near the city's Barnum neighborhood about 4 miles southwest of downtown Denver. During the burglary, thieves slammed a truck into the business to gain entry and caused major damage to the store, Irene Apergis, one of the owners, told USA TODAY Thursday. TRND STOLEN STEAKS "It's the third time actually, but this time they did a lot of damage," Apergis said. "They took the steaks out of the refrigerator and left." The owner added that the thieves could have taken "beer out of the cooler or liquor from the bar," but they didn't touch either. They also didn't touch a nearby ATM machine located inside the business. They only took the steaks. The most recent incident forced the steakhouse to temporarily shut its doors. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding," the business wrote in a post on its Facebook page after the break-in. "We look forward to reopening as soon as possible." Third time in two years suspects broke into steakhouse and stole meat The break-in, police confirmed to USA TODAY, marked the third burglary over the past two years where suspects broke into the business and stole only meat. "The first two times they broke into a door with a crowbar," Apergis recalled. "This time they decided to back in with their truck - six or seven times they hit it and tore down the whole wall." Damage from suspects who burglarized Columbine Steak House & Lounge in Denver, and stole nothing but steaks from the business. The break-in marks the third time in less than two years the steakhouse has been broken into for meat. Surveillance footage from the steakhouse, Apergis said, shows a truck slam into the side of the steakhouse causing the restaurant's alarm go off. The break-in busted water pipes and gas lines, she said. Apergis said the suspects made off with porterhouses, T-bones and filets and a few pork chops worth about $1,900. Apergis said she hopes to reopen the steakhouse on Friday to customers. No suspects, no arrest so far in Denver steak break-in Police told USA TODAY the two previous burglaries were reported on Dec. 3, 2022, and May 25, 2022. On Thursday, police said no arrest had been made in the case which remained under investigation. Apergis said her late father opened the steakhouse in 1961. "It's ridiculous," Apergis said." I just want to catch these guys." Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact Denver police. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Denver steakhouse damaged after thieves break-in for steaks PALM BEACH, Fla. - Former President Donald Trump stood on the steps of his Mar-a-Lago Club in South Florida on Friday to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the pair's first meeting since Trump left the White House in 2021. Trump posted a video to his Truth Social account of himself smiling and greeting Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, after their motorcade made its way onto Palm Beach island just before noon Friday. Netanyahu stayed for roughly two hours, leaving Palm Beach at about 2 p.m. ET. During the meeting, Netanyahu thanked Trump and his former administration "for working to promote stability in the region through, among many historic achievements, the Abraham Accords, moving the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, eliminating Qasem Soleimani, ending the horrific Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as combatting anti-Semitism in America and abroad," Trump's campaign said in a news release. Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate as the motorcade of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Mar-a-Lago where Netanyahu will meet with former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on July 26, 2024. Trump in turn shared his solidarity with Netanyahu in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. Trump "pledged that when he returns to the White House, he will make every effort to bring Peace to the Middle East and combat anti-Semitism from spreading throughout college campuses across the United States," his campaign said. , pic.twitter.com/mfXt0vfiPp Benjamin Netanyahu - (@netanyahu) July 26, 2024 Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, his presumed opponent in the Nov. 5 general election, who had voiced concern in public comments after meeting Netanyahu about the toll on Palestinian civilians from Israel's 9-month-old campaign in Gaza. "I think her remarks were disrespectful," Trump said. Netanyahu said he hoped his U.S. trip would lead to a quicker cease-fire deal. "I hope so. But I think time will tell," he told reporters. He said he thought there had been movement in efforts to forge a cease-fire because of Israeli military pressure and said he would dispatch a team to talks in Rome. A woman holds a sign as the motorcade of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels over the Southern Bridge to Mar-a-Lago July 26, 2024, in Palm Beach. Meghan McCarthy/Palm Beach Daily News While it had been expected that Netanyahu would arrive at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, his plane instead landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport about 10:30 a.m., according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. His motorcade traveled up Florida's Turnpike to Southern Boulevard, and then east to Mar-a-Lago where his meeting with the 2024 Republican nominee for president began about noon. Netanyahu arrived in South Florida from Washington, where he spoke to Congress on Wednesday and met with President Joe Biden and Harris on Thursday. Law enforcement agencies closed roads along Southern Boulevard as they escorted Netanyahu to and from his meeting with Trump. Netanyahu's office told Israeli media earlier in the week that Netanyahu will remain in the U.S. through the Sabbath before returning to Israel. Protesters opposed to Netanyahu and the war in Palestine carried signs and shouted anti-Israel and anti-police chants as they stood on the Southern Boulevard Bridge on Friday morning. A group called Shut Down Elbit South Florida shared a press release and told a Palm Beach Daily News reporter that they want to arrest Netanyahu. A Palm Beach County sheriff's helicopter flies over Southern Boulevard before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in West Palm Beach en route to a meeting with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. "I'm Jewish, there's other Jewish people present," said one organizer, who declined to give her name and said the group has been painted as terrorists by news outlets. "There's plenty of Jews who don't support committing genocide in Palestine. Zionism is a political ideology separate from Judaism." She said she believes about 50 percent of Jewish people in the U.S. do not support what's happening in Palestine. "That's why we're out here, to protest the person doing it, and tell him he's not welcome in the state of Florida," she said. Supporters of Trump and Netanyahu also gathered near the bridge, with Israel and U.S. flags and signs that read, "Shalom Bibi," and, "I Stand With Israel." "I stand with Israel, I stand with peace and I stand against this," Jax Mcanulty, a British citizen, said of the group of pro-Palestine supporters on the opposite side of the bridge from where she stood. The number of Trump and Netanyahu supporters increased notably around noon, bolstered by a group of Palm Beach County-based Trump supporters who regularly demonstrate on the Southern Boulevard Bridge. They included Boynton Beach resident Debbi Macchia, who called the pro-Palestinian protesters "terrorists." At one point, she and a man holding a Gadsden flag interrupted a civil conversation between pro-Palestinian protester Gibson Lopez and pro-Israeli counterprotester Cindy Falco-DiCorrado by lobbing derogatory and anti-Muslim comments. People carry signs as they wait for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to arrive in West Palm Beach as he travels for a meeting with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. After several minutes, Lopez moved to the other side of the bridge after law enforcement officers intervened. Falco-DiCorrado patted his back and thanked him for the discussion as he walked away. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Thursday that several law enforcement agencies including the Florida Highway Patrol, Martin County Sheriff's Office and Broward Sheriff's Office would assist with security for Netanyahu's visit. Several international leaders traveled to Mar-a-Lago when Trump was president, including the late Shinzo Abe of Japan and Xi Jinping, president of China. During those visits, dozens of law enforcement officers were present around Mar-a-Lago and along the stretch of Southern Boulevard between Palm Beach International Airport and Trump's estate. The sheriff's office also had boats in the water around Mar-a-Lago. The estate is essentially a fishbowl, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Intracoastal Waterway to the west, busy Southern Boulevard to the south and Palm Beach's Estate Section to the north. Protesters were allowed to gather on the Southern Boulevard Bridge, but pedestrians were not allowed east past the smaller bridge on the causeway between West Palm Beach and Palm Beach. The U.S. Secret Service has increased security around Mar-a-Lago since an assassination attempt on Trump during a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pa. Trump's ear was injured, and three people in the crowd were shot, one of whom died. The Secret Service shot and killed the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa. Among the enhanced security measures: South Ocean Boulevard is now closed near Mar-a-Lago, from the Southern Boulevard traffic circle north to the intersection with South County Road. That change took effect July 20. Palm Beach officials are challenging the Secret Service's decision to close the road, suggesting that the road could be open when no protectees are at Mar-a-Lago. Reuters contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Trump hosts Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago Two Carnival Cruise Line crew members were arrested on child pornography charges earlier this month. Law enforcement found what appeared to be child sexual abuse material on Reza Heta Pratamas phone and laptop during a July 18 search after he disembarked Carnival Valor in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was directed to leave the ship after being fired because of sexual harassment complaints from coworkers, according to an arrest affidavit signed by Homeland Security Investigations special agent Jessica Zuppardo. Pratama, who is from Indonesia, told law enforcement that he got child pornography from groups on Telegram and acknowledged having it in his photo gallery. Days earlier, law enforcement also found child sexual abuse material on Abdhul Rouvoof Shaiks WhatsApp account when he disembarked Carnival Liberty at the port on July 14. Shaik, who is from India, said his friend put him in a group that involves children having sex, according to an affidavit signed by HSI special agent Brian Villaflor. The friend is from Indonesia, according to the document, but was not named. Shaik said he used to send and receive videos in the group. He would forward them to others and then delete it from his WhatsApp, the affidavit said. Law enforcement showed Shaik a sexually explicit video featuring a minor, which he said he forgot to delete. Shaik admitted to sending the video to another friend, according to the complaint, but said it was by mistake. Pratama is charged with transportation and possession of child pornography, while Shaik is charged with transportation and distribution of child pornography. Attorneys listed for them declined to comment. "These allegations are deeply disturbing and we have zero tolerance for criminal behavior," a Carnival spokesperson told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "We fully cooperate with law enforcement on these matters and immediately terminated anyone involved." The news comes after a Celebrity Cruises crew member was arrested on child pornography charges in late April, while three Disney Cruise Line employees were arrested on similar charges between January and April. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival crew members arrested on child pornography charges By Doina Chiacu and Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House will offer deportation relief and work permits to an estimated 11,500 Lebanese nationals already in the U.S., due to conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a memo on Friday. The measure, under an authority known as Deferred Enforced Departure, will allow Lebanese nationals to remain in the U.S. for 18 months and could be renewed. The announcement comes after Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than Biden. Harris has emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee after Biden ended his campaign on Sunday. 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 assault in Gaza. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militant group and the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon. U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, which is home to Lebanese Americans in Detroit and elsewhere, applauded the move and estimated it would cover 11,500 people. "Michigan is home to many Lebanese Americans who continue to watch their families suffer as Lebanon faces an unprecedented economic, political, and financial disaster," she said in a statement. Former President Donald Trump, a Republican seeking another term in the White House, has pledged mass deportations if reelected. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally. On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Rami Ayyub) Sen. JD Vance speaking to supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earlier this month. Alex Wroblewski/The Washington Post via Getty Images In the days since he became Trump's running mate, JD Vance's vulnerabilities have become clear. Until now, Vance was mostly unknown nationwide. That makes it easier for opponents to define him. He's also long espoused ideas that are generally unpopular with the public. Nearly two weeks after former President Donald Trump selected Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, it's safe to say the Ohio politician is struggling. His polling is the worst of any nonincumbent vice-presidential nominee in decades. His years-old comments about "childless cat ladies" have drawn widespread disgust. Some in Trump's orbit worry they've made the wrong choice. In recent days, he's been the target of a baseless rumor that he once had sex with a couch. It was always clear that Vance brought little to the table, strictly electorally speaking. He does not represent a swing state, he does not diversify the ticket, and the selection of a MAGA true believer does not reassure more Trump-skeptic voters. He was the choice of a campaign that was brimming with confidence. President Joe Biden had not yet dropped out of the race, and Trump's team likely made the choice with the idea that it did not need the boost that other vice-presidential contenders could have brought to the ticket, choosing instead to select an heir to the MAGA movement. What was less predictable were the significant headwinds that Vance is now encountering as the GOP's vice-presidential nominee, which have been driven by the way he's talked about certain policies and enabled by the simple fact that most Americans are just now learning who he is. Vance was unknown to many Americans before last week In an AP-NORC poll conducted in the days before Vance was selected, 60% of Americans surveyed said they did not know enough about the Ohio senator to have an opinion about him. Twenty-two percent reported an unfavorable opinion, while just 17% said they had a favorable opinion. That lack of familiarity is a key reason that the memes about Vance having sex with a couch have taken off. To be clear, there's no evidence that ever happened. The meme began with a single X user joking that the Ohio senator wrote about it on pages 179 to 181 of his 2016 autobiography, "Hillbilly Elegy," which is patently and verifiably false. But then, The Associated Press decided to fact-check the claim before deleting its story, amplifying it further. By Thursday, social media was awash with memes riffing on the notion that Trump's vice-presidential nominee had once fornicated with a couch. One Democratic congressman even referenced it during a CNN interview that evening. When voters don't know much about a candidate, stories like this initially appear plausible. Even after they're debunked, they can persist. In Vance's case, the meme seems to be an ironic stand-in for other issues that voters may have with the Ohio senator, even if they know he probably didn't have sex with a couch. His 'cat ladies' comment is alienating and there's probably more where that came from A lesser-known candidate is also an easier target for their political opponents, especially if they come armed with all the most controversial things that the candidate has said. In a way, Vance is running into the same problem that Blake Masters a former Senate candidate who's ideologically aligned with the Ohio senator encountered in his 2022 race in Arizona: People are being alienated by what he has to say. This week, it's his comments about childless people. Next week, it could be something else: Trump's VP pick has an extensive online footprint. Serious question: I have to go to New York soon and I'm trying to figure out where to stay. I have heard it's disgusting and violent there. But is it like Walking Dead Season 1 or Season 4? JD Vance (@JDVance) July 11, 2021 In this instance, Vance is taking aim at childlessness because he subscribes to a more idiosyncratic, nationalist vision of conservatism than most other GOP politicians, and he's interested in ways to encourage the growth of families. He has suggested incentivizing that growth by allocating additional votes to parents based on the number of kids they have, or by taxing childless adults at a higher rate than parents a policy that's somewhat similar to a child tax credit. But those ideas, and that framing, are somewhat alien to the broader public. Then, you throw in the disparaging way that he talked about certain Democratic politicians including Vice President Kamala Harris as "childless cat ladies" in a 2021 interview with the then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Vance made that comment shortly after he launched his Senate campaign, in which he was working to distinguish himself in a crowded field of Republicans. In short, his audience wasn't the general public but GOP primary voters. Yet that sort of flippant comment makes an already-unknown candidate really easy to define in the context of a national campaign. During an interview on Megyn Kelly's radio show on Friday, Vance insisted that he was referring solely to those politicians, not to Americans who are unable to have kids. But the damage had already been done. "Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment. I've got nothing against cats. I've got nothing against dogs," Vance said. "People are focusing so much on the sarcasm, and not on the substance of what I actually said. And the substance of what I said Megyn, I'm sorry, it's true." Read the original article on Business Insider remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thongkham Philavanh, 40, was attacked in his home in the village of Vanghay. Rescued by his wife, he died on arrival in hospital. The murder of Pastor Sy Sengmany in 2022, a case that is still unsolved. A relative of Philavanh: Groups of people do not like what he did. Rome (AsiaNews/Agencies) - In Laos, a one-party communist state with a predominantly Buddhist population, persecution of Christians is not uncommon. On Tuesday evening, Thongkham Philavanh, 40, a Khmu Christian pastor, an ethnic group present in northern Laos, was assassinated by two masked men who were reportedly riding motorbikes. Philavanh was shot twice in his home in the village of Vanghay, Xai Province. The pastor was immediately rescued by his wife, who took him to the provincial hospital, where he died on arrival. Police investigations are ongoing and the exact motive is unclear at the moment. The murder of Thongkham Philavanh, whose funeral will be held tomorrow, 27 July, at the village cemetery, recalls the sad attempt on the life in 2022 of another Christian pastor, Sy Sengmany, who was found dead near a forest in Khammouane Province. Before the incident, two men had visited his home and the village authorities had ordered him to stop his religious activities. The case remains unresolved and underlines the extent to which violence against the Christian community has increased in Laos in recent years, aggravated by the control of the local communist authorities, the destruction of homes and the closure of churches, which have forced assemblies to meet in private homes, by means of meetings that are technically considered illegal. These aggressions and discriminations take place despite the fact that a national law protects the free exercise of faith. But those who practise Christianity are still under suspicion by the authorities and targeted on various levels. Radio Free Asia gathered some statements from Christian communities in Oudomxay province and other parts of Laos, who said they were mourning the loss of Thongkham. Last night, our community was shocked by the tragic loss of our beloved pastor, who was senselessly taken away from us in an act of violence, some of them wrote in English on Facebook the day after the murder. His profound wisdom, unwavering faith and boundless compassion touched the lives of many, echoed someone else, recalling Thongkham Philavanh's magisterial leadership, who often participated in Christian church activities in Oudomxay province. I am not sure why they killed him, but I believe it is because he serves Jesus Christ, said a relative of the Christian pastor who does not disclose the identity for security reasons. One thing I am sure of is that there are some groups of people who do not like what Thongkham did as a pastor. Another Christian also told RFA that it is likely that Philavanh was killed simply because he was a Christian pastor and religious leader, and that this did not please anyone. Another believer, who had known Thongkham Philavanh for years, said he was sorry to learn the news of the pastor's death via social media. Other Christian communities in Laos expressed concern for the safety of their pastors and members, fearing that they too might be killed. A member of the Evangelical Church in Laos said that anti-Christian groups in the country seek opportunities to harm Christians, and what happened on Tuesday is yet another proof. Another boat with 45 refugees on board sank in the past few hours in the very stretch of water at the centre of concerns over Houthis attacks against shipping. Almost one hundred thousand people travelled this route in the past year, which the International Organisation for Migration defines as the most dangerous in the world. Milan (AsiaNews/Agencies) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today reported that another boat with at least 45 people on board capsized Wednesday night off the coast of Yemen. Only four survivors have been rescued off the coast of Taiz governorate. The agency blamed "strong winds and overloading" as the cause. A similar but deadlier tragedy took place last month, on 10 June, when a boat carrying about 260 people, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, sank in the same waters. The sea between Yemen and the Horn of Africa has become a common route for refugees and migrants travelling in both directions. The outbreak of civil war in 2014 resulted in a surge in Yemenis fleeing the country. In April 2022 Houthi rebels and the government reached a truce, leading to a decrease in violence and the easing of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The sea route, however, is still a high-risk area following Houthi attacks against merchant shipping in the Red Sea and drone strikes against Israel, like last week when a civilian was killed in Tel Aviv, sparking a major Israeli operation against the Yemeni port of Al Hudaydah. Despite all this, thousands of people continue to flee conflicts in Africa seeking refuge in Yemen or use it to reach the more prosperous Gulf countries. According to migration flow data, this route remains one of the busiest and most perilous in the world. Over the past year, 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa along a route that often proves deadly. Since 2014, the International Organisation for Migration recorded 1,860 deaths and disappearances along this stretch of sea. Photo: Flickr/Unchr People in Papua New Guinea are up in arms after 180 tonnes of seabed matter is extracted. Since 2019, Papua New Guinea had imposed a 10-year moratorium. The Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority is currently meeting to pick a new secretary general, who plays a crucial role in shaping policy vis-a-vis this controversial form of mining, which is backed by important business interests. Port Moresby (AsiaNews) Despite a ten-year moratorium imposed by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government in 2019, foreign companies continue to take materials from the seabed off the coast of the country to prepare for massive deep sea mining activities, the mining industrys controversial new frontier that looks to the sea as a huge reserve for raw materials. Solwara 1 Warriors held at a press conference yesterday in Port Moresby to speak out against what is happening. The local advocacy group, which opposes any threat to local ecosystems, includes the Council of Churches of Papua New Guinea. Mavis Tito, national director of Caritas PNG, was present on behalf of the Catholic Church. Deep Sea Mining Finance Limited has relieved Canada-based Nautilus Minerals Limited in the Solwara project to mine the seabed for copper and gold. Between May and June, residents of the affected area noticed activities on the west coast of Namatanai, a district of New Ireland province, involving a foreign ship named Coco, which reportedly mined about 180 tonnes of seabed matter for sampling in Singapore. The Mineral Resources Authority (MRA),the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), and the New Ireland provincial government all claim to have no knowledge of this activity. Those who allowed the ship to operate in PNG waters did so in secret, keeping in the dark residents of the province as well as the rest of the country. Deep sea mining is not needed, not consented, said Michael Guka, secretary of the Council of Churches. The ocean is the little blue heart of our planet. It is our common responsibility. We are its guardian[s]. The complaint from Papua New Guinea comes just as the Council and the Assembly of the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA) is meeting in the Caribbean country. The ISA is an intergovernmental body charged with regulating seabed mining. Two very distant positions are facing off within the organisation, with some countries seeking a moratorium until a clear regulatory framework is adopted to protect the marine environment and those pressing for mining to go ahead after issuing concessions. Crucial in this regard will be the election of the new ISA secretary general on 2 August. The current office holder, Michael Lodge of the UK, is known for being soft on mining companies; his rival is Leticia Carvalho, a marine scientist and international diplomat. Today's news: Jimmy Lai's court deposition in Hong Kong postponed for another four months; Hamas leader in the West Bank dead after eight months in Israeli custody; Individual Indian states will also be able to impose their own royalties on mining activities; Brazil apologises to Japan for persecution of immigrants after World War II; In Moscow, Europe Square was renamed Eurasia Square. SRI LANKA Presidential elections in Sri Lanka, the first since Gotabaya Rajapaksa's exit from the scene in street protests two years ago, will be held on 21 September. Last week, the Supreme Court had rejected the possibility of any postponement in the country currently led by economist Ranil Wicremesinghe, who took over in the midst of a deep economic crisis. Nominations must be submitted by 15 August. HONG KONG-CHINA Jimmy Lai will be called on 20 November to testify in the national security trial against him in Hong Kong. Judges rejected a request by the 76-year-old founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, who has been in prison for four years now, to drop the charges against him for which he faces a life sentence. The postponement of his interrogation by a further four months is due to the availability of the three judges, each of whom was specially chosen by the Hong Kong government to handle national security cases. ISRAEL-PALESTINE One of the Hamas leaders in the West Bank arrested by Israel after the start of the conflict on 7 October has died in custody due to his deteriorating health. This was announced today by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, 63, died after being transferred to hospital from Ramon prison in southern Israel. The Palestinian Authority's Prisoners' Commission claims that he was suffering from health problems even before his arrest but was denied adequate medical care during his months of detention. INDIA The Indian Supreme Court has ruled that royalties due on minerals do not constitute a tax, agreeing with local governments in individual states that challenge the central government's contention that only Delhi has the power to tax mineral rights in the country. The court will hear the parties on 31 July to decide whether the ruling should also be applied retroactively. In this case it would bring huge revenues to the coffers of the governments of some states, including West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand, which already have local laws to impose additional levies on mining companies. JAPAN-BRAZIL The Brazilian government issued its first official apology for the persecution of Japanese immigrants in the country during and after World War II. The gesture was linked to two cases: one in which Brazil, as part of the Allies, evicted Japanese immigrants from their homes in Santos during the war, and another involving the mistreatment on Anchieta Island of people imprisoned during the post-war riots in the immigrant community. RUSSIA The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobjanin, signed the decree for the renaming of Europa Square, which will now be called Eurasia Square, after it was laid out and built in 2001 in a joint Russian-Belgian project in the centre of the capital, on the Berezhkovsky embankment next to the new skyscrapers, with the sculpture of the Rat of Europa in the centre. AZERBAIJAN The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliev, has signed the amendments to the Family Code banning marriage between second cousins and arranged marriages for children under the age of 16, with heavy fines or even arrests depending on the seriousness of the situation and the personality of the offender, which is widespread among Azerbaijani families. The BJP-led state government wants hoteliers and restaurateurs to display their names, so that Hindu pilgrims visiting Shiva temples at this time of the year can avoid Muslim-run establishments. The Supreme Court stayed the state order and will re-examine the matter later. The district where the order was supposed to apply saw serious violence in 2013. Lucknow (AsiaNews) The Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand issued an order requiring hotels, restaurants, and vendors along the route of a Hindu pilgrimage to display the name of the owners, but the case has gone before Indias highest court. On Monday, the Supreme Court issued an interim ruling staying the decision, which state governments ostensibly adopted to prevent religious unrest during the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage dedicated to Shiva that began on Monday from the Ganges River, near Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and will end 2 August after pilgrims visit various local temples dedicated to the deity. The original order, issued on 17 July for the Muzaffarnagar district, seeks to identify Muslim vendors to ensure that Hindu pilgrims buy only from Hindus. The government of Uttar Pradesh, led by BJP, an ultranationalist Hindu party, defended the decision before the Supreme Court, arguing that it was taken to maintain peace and tranquility. Even minor confusions regarding the type of food served to pilgrims (kanwariyas) can hurt their religious feelings and cause unrest, especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar, said lawyers representing the state. The Supreme Court has challenged this argument, announcing today that it will fully examine the case before issuing a final ruling. Muzaffarnagar district was the scene of sectarian violence in August-September 2013. Two young Hindus murdered a Muslim man, sparking unrest that left more than 60 people dead and 50,000 people displaced, mostly Muslims, not to mention gang rapes and other sexual violence against women. The districts of Muzaffarnagar and Shaml are in western Uttar Pradesh, and are home to ethnic Jat, both Hindus and Muslims, dedicated largely to sugarcane production. This is one of the areas where the Bharatiya Janata Party has managed to increase its influence by turning the story of local communities on its head. Traditionally, in rural areas like Muzaffarnagar, caste divisions, rather than religion, had determined differences. Instead, local BJP leaders fuelled sectarian divisions and widespread violence by making the disadvantaged castes believe that they could achieve what they had always been denied. After the two Hindus killed the Muslim man, a group of Muslims sought revenge. Shortly afterwards, BJP leaders posted a fake video on social media, which was quickly picked up, claiming that it showed a recent massacre of Hindus. In fact, it was about an incident that took place in Pakistan several years earlier, but the images went viral in a few hours, sparking unrest. The difficulties of determining what happened has meant that many people have been denied justice. While some people have been convicted, independent reports blame local officials for the outbreak of violence and law enforcement for poorly handling the situation. In Indias parliamentary election that ended in early June, the socialist Samajwadi party won in many other districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Muzaffarnagar. This historic result for the party has made it the third largest political force after the BJP and the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress. Its success represents a refusal of years of divisive politics and new sectarian tensions. INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. 26 July 2024 12:59 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more In a significant development at the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Agricultural Forum held in Baku, Alim Bayel, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, underscored a promising opportunity for both nations to enhance their agricultural exports. The potential establishment of a joint production enterprise is poised to benefit not only Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan but also offer broader advantages on the international stage. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, both recognized as agricultural powerhouses face a world grappling with food shortages. This global issue underscores the urgency and relevance of collaborative efforts between these two nations. By pooling resources and expertise, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan can address these shortages more effectively and bolster their positions in the global market. Establishing a joint production enterprise allows both countries to scale up their agricultural output and enhance their competitiveness in international markets. This collaboration could lead to a more diverse range of products and improved quality standards, making their goods more attractive to third countries. For Azerbaijan, diversifying its agricultural sector through such partnerships can lead to new revenue streams and economic stability. Similarly, Kazakhstan can benefit from expanding its agricultural footprint and accessing new markets. This economic growth can stimulate job creation and technological advancement within both countries. Kazakhstan's vast arable lands and Azerbaijan's strategic location provide a complementary advantage. By integrating their agricultural systems, they can optimize resource use, streamline supply chains, and reduce operational costs, leading to greater efficiency and profitability. The partnership extends beyond bilateral benefits. By targeting third-country markets, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan can assert their influence in regional agricultural trade, potentially setting new standards and practices that could benefit neighboring countries. The joint venture holds promise for contributing to global food security. As both nations work together to improve agricultural output, they can play a pivotal role in mitigating food shortages and fostering more resilient food supply chains globally. Ambassador Bayel also expressed readiness to explore agricultural projects in Garabagh, a region with significant untapped potential. This initiative could further solidify the partnership and pave the way for innovative agricultural practices and development in the region. The proposed joint production enterprise between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan represents a strategic move with far-reaching benefits. By leveraging their agricultural strengths and addressing global food security challenges, both nations stand to gain economically while contributing positively to the international market. As discussions advance, the realization of this partnership could mark a transformative step in agricultural collaboration and economic growth for both countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Azerbaijan is accelerating efforts to increase the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the country's overall energy balance. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Energy Kamal Abbasov during his speech at the 8th meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Serbia, Azernews reports. According to him, Azerbaijan aims to achieve the goal of having a 30 percent share of renewable energy sources in the country's installed energy capacity by 2030 ahead of schedule. "At the current pace of energy transition in the country, the share of renewable energy sources could reach 32.6% by 2027 and 34.6% by 2030," Abbasov said. The government's calculations are based on the portfolio of ongoing renewable energy projects with international energy companies. This project portfolio already encompasses a total capacity of 10 GW. "The energy obtained from renewable energy sources is intended for domestic consumption, decarbonization of the economy, and export," Abbasov noted. Currently, renewable energy sources account for 17-18 percent of the country's energy balance. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 15:00 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more The latest meeting of the Commission, established by the Presidents Decree on "Additional Measures for Renewable Energy Projects," took place at the Ministry of Energy, Azernews reports. Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Chairman of the Commission, highlighted key agenda items and outlined the Commission's objectives for the "Year of Solidarity for the Green World." The meeting featured a review of the Secretariat's report on progress since the last session. Updates were provided on auctions for renewable energy sources, the integration of green energy projects into the grid, and key elements of the National Action Plan for Electromobility. Discussions also covered the "Shafaq" Hydropower Plant (HPP) project by bp and other relevant issues. Attendees included representatives from the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources, the Ministries of Economy, Finance, Justice, Emergency Situations, Ecology and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Digital Development and Transport, the State Urban Planning and Architecture Committee, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the Demining Agency, "Azerenergy," and "Azerishiq" OJSC. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 15:33 (UTC+04:00) "We intend to drive growth activity in the private sector by strengthening joint activities with business representatives of Azerbaijan." Azernews reports that Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov stressed this on his official "X" social account. "Meeting with nonoil industry entrepreneurs was insightful, discussing the expansion of local production and new export markets. Questions were addressed, and valuable proposals were heard. Strengthening collaboration with business representatives is a priority to drive growth in the private sector," noted the minister. Meeting with #nonoil industry entrepreneurs was insightful, discussing the expansion of #localproduction and new #export markets. Questions were addressed, and valuable proposals were heard. Strengthening collaboration with #business representatives is a priority to drive growth pic.twitter.com/QGgzkielsJ Mikayil Jabbarov (@MikayilJabbarov) July 26, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 17:29 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The "Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Migration between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye" has been ratified. Azernews reports, citing AZERTAC, that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree regarding this matter. According to the decree, the "Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Migration between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye" signed in Ankara on June 6, 2024, has been ratified. According to the decree, the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan must ensure the implementation of the provisions of the agreement after it comes into force. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must send a notification to the Government of Turkiye stating that the necessary domestic procedures for the Agreement to come into force have been completed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 11:23 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Aktoty Raimkulova has received newly-appointed Kyrgyz Ambassador to Azerbaijan Maksat Mamytkanov, Azernews reports. Aktoty Raimkulova congratulated Mamytkanov on his appointment as the Kyrgyz Ambassador to Azerbaijan. During the meeting, head of the Foundation highlighted the projects implemented by the organization to preserve, study, and promote the unique heritage and ancient history of the Turkic world in the international arena. Aktoty Raimkulova hailed the partnership between the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and its founding country, Kyrgyzstan. She also mentioned the restoration work initiated by the Foundation and the museumification of the House-Museum of the great Kyrgyz poet and playwright Alykul Osmonov in Bishkek. The Kyrgyz Ambassador to Azerbaijan Maksat Mamytkanov highly appreciated the work done by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation to study and preserve the tangible and intangible heritage of the Turkic peoples. He stressed the significance of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the Foundation and expressed confidence in Kyrgyzstan's comprehensive support for further projects carried out by the Foundation. The sides also discussed the further strengthening the partnership between the Foundation and Kyrgyzstan and on future joint projects. Initiated in 2012, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation focuses on the preservation of the Turkic heritage in member countries as well as conducting projects in collaboration with partners in third nations. The foundation provides assistance in the protection, study, and promotion of Turkic culture and heritage through supporting and funding various activities, projects, and programs. The organization carries out its activities in cooperation with TURKSOY and the Turkic Academy. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 13:17 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The first official event dedicated to Azerbaijan-UK bilateral relations was held on the topic of COP29 in connection with the opening of the new administrative building of Azerbaijan's Embassy in the United Kingdom, Azernews reports. Attended by the designated President of COP29, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Muxtar Babayev, the event also saw the presence of the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, the UK's Minister for International Climate and Energy, Kerry McCarthy, the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in the UK Alistair Harrison, President of COP26 and Member of the House of Lords Alok Sharma, the UK Prime Minister's former Trade Envoy for Azerbaijan, Baroness Nicholson, parliamentarians Baroness Uddin, Bob Blackman, Lord McNicol, and other members of the diplomatic corps in the UK. The event was also attended by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in London, the Ambassador of Honduras to the UK, Ivan Romero Martinez, as well as the Ambassadors of Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, who are part of the COP Presidencies Troika, high-ranking representatives from The City of London, representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, employees from the UK Foreign Office and the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Gordon Birrell, Vice President for Production and Operations at BP, members of the Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council where the Embassy is located, numerous climate experts working in the UK, and other attendees. In his speech, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the UK, Elin Suleymanov, remarked that dedicating the first official event in the new administrative building of Azerbaijan's Embassy in the UK to COP29 is a significant occasion. He highlighted the symbolic importance of the attendance of the designated President of COP29, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Muxtar Babayev, and the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband. The Ambassador stated that Azerbaijan, which will host COP29 towards the end of the year, is fully focused on climate action and is doing everything possible to advance climate goals that are crucial for the entire world. Suleymanov expressed gratitude to the UK for its unwavering support to Azerbaijan from the very beginning in this important endeavour. Elin Suleymanov also thanked the UK for the hospitality shown by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, during the European Political Community summit held in Oxford a few days earlier, as well as for the cordial meeting between UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. The Ambassador appreciated the UK's efforts to contribute to the normalisation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Following Ambassador Suleymanov, the designated President of COP29, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Muxtar Babayev, spoke. He referred to the recent working visit of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev to the UK to participate in the European Political Community summit, emphasising that the event dedicated to COP29 held in Azerbaijan's new Embassy building in the UK also highlighted the bilateral friendship. Babayev noted London's significant role as a centre for climate action and mentioned his meetings and participation in events during his visit to the UK for the London Climate Action Week at the end of June. He spoke about his meeting with ambassadors of small island states at the Commonwealth Secretariat's headquarters, highlighting Azerbaijan's close cooperation with the organisation to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change in these countries. Babayev thanked the UK, which hosted COP26, for its vital partnership and support towards the successful organisation of COP29 in Azerbaijan. During his current visit to London, Babayev mentioned that he would hold official meetings with the private sector and financial institutions to discuss the sustainable markets initiative and talked about Azerbaijan's efforts and initiatives within the COP29 framework. The UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, expressed his honour to participate in the first official event in the new building of Azerbaijan's Embassy in the UK. Miliband emphasised the importance of COP events in bringing countries together to combat climate change and promote green development globally. He underscored the significance of continuing the measures agreed upon at previous COP meetings and reaching an important agreement on climate finance at COP29 to achieve climate goals. Miliband highlighted the importance of supporting countries most affected by climate problems and reiterated the UK's readiness to provide all necessary support to ensure the successful outcome of COP29 and closely partner with Azerbaijan. During the event, the original copy of the invitation letter from President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to participate in COP29 was ceremoniously presented to Ed Miliband, the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The official representative of the Lord Mayor of The City of London, Alderman Greg Jones, also spoke at the event, expressing The City's readiness to support the successful organisation of COP29. The event continued with a reception. It is noteworthy that this event, held in connection with the opening of the new building of Azerbaijan's Embassy in the UK, marked the first time a high-ranking official from the UK Cabinet, the Secretary of State, participated in an event at Azerbaijan's Embassy in the UK. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 20:00 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more It was an unexpected event that the 30-year Garabagh conflict would end in 2020 and 2023 with counter-offensive operations by the Azerbaijani army. During this period, the Azerbaijani leadership took maximum humane measures in response to every Armenian provocation without going beyond self-defence. The ceasefire violations that periodically occurred along the borders continued until the Second Garabagh War in 2020, particularly targeting the civilian Azerbaijani population. To end these provocations and liberate the formerly occupied Garabagh, the Azerbaijani army launched a counter-offensive operation and freed its historical territories from occupation in just 44 days. In 2023, during a 23-hour anti-terror operation, the separatist forces that illegally deployed military formations in Garabagh were neutralised . Against the backdrop of all these events, Armenia, which had survived for decades with the help of other countries, realised that even with the support of Western countries, it was powerless against the Azerbaijani Army. However, the subversive plans of the Armenian authorities, which pretended to be peace-loving, but played games against Azerbaijan with their Western allies in the background, did not last long. Despite the meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Almaty in May, which gave a significant impetus to the peace agreement to be signed in the South Caucasus, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's refusal to meet with the President of Azerbaijan at the 4th EPC summit in Oxford was another hindrance to a possible rapprochement between the sides. It is worth recalling that after the long-standing and resolved Garabagh conflict, the Armenian government seemed interested in peace. However, these events prove that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's "peace-oriented" decisions were only due to his dwindling hopes for external support. However, Armenia's shirking peace talks spilled the beans about the involvement of a US representative in the Armenian Ministry of Defence shortly before the London meeting, plus the European Union's 10 million aid package. The immediate provocations by Armenia towards Azerbaijan's Kalbajar and Tovuz districts demonstrate the false nature of all peace calls to date. It should be noted that such provocations by Armenia are not the first and have a continuous nature. France's provision of lethal weapons to Armenia and the European Union's initial military aid of ten million euros under the "European Peace Fund" encourage Armenia to commit such provocations. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence has once again warned Armenia and its patrons to refrain from its intention to create a new conflict zone in the South Caucasus region. It is clear that these steps will obstruct peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Azerbaijani leadership is well aware of the Armenian mindset. Yerevan's search for the slightest "hope fragment" to evade peace and lay the foundation for new tension in the region while making peace calls without correcting the mistakes that hinder peace embodies Armenian hypocrisy and falsehood. Another issue is the rumours in the media about Armenia's military procurements. Although the Armenian leadership denies these acts, many organisations claim that Yerevan is buying large quantities of weapons. Considering that Armenia lost a significant portion of its weapons during the 44-day war and is now trying to restore its military potential, these procurements could be seen as normal. However, Yerevan's inability to choose the right time for this undermines the steps taken towards peace. We underline that the Armenian army, militarised by other countries for over 30 years, could not withstand the Azerbaijani army for even 2 months. Moreover, while these two countries never had a chance to make peace, actions that could delay or even postpone the process suggest either some external forces pushing Armenia into a new war or the incompetent policies of Armenia's narrow-minded ruling circles. Nearly four years have passed since the adoption of the November 10 declaration, which emphasises the necessity of signing the peace agreement. During this period, instead of fulfilling important demands such as handing over maps of the mines planted in Garabagh to Baku and amending the Armenian constitution by removing its preamble about the territorial claims against Azerbaijan, the Armenian side delays the peace process with empty statements. It is interesting that instead of responding to Azerbaijan's demand for peace, Armenia resorts to new provocations, and this can be observed especially at the borders. Undoubtedly, Azerbaijan has a certain limit to its tolerance for such provocations. If there is no room for discussion at the table, it may be time to meet in the field at any moment. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 11:36 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The time has come to sign a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The agreement will allow the economic potential of the South Caucasus to be realised. Azernews reports that this statement was made by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. It was noted that the time has come to sign a peace agreement that will unveil the social and economic potential of the South Caucasus. Besides, the diplomatic mission came to this conclusion following meetings between Louis Bono, the State Department's adviser for negotiations in the Caucasus, and Kristina Kvien, the US ambassador, with high-ranking Armenian officials. According to the press release issued by the embassy, the sides discussed work to establish "a lasting and dignified peace between Yerevan and Baku". --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 11:58 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The Armenian diaspora has initiated another smear campaign against Azerbaijan, using their hired Luis Ocampo as a facade. The campaign targets Azerbaijan's hosting of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Azernews reports, citing the statement that the Western Azerbaijan Community issued. The statement also mentions: "In an interview where he presented himself as the author of this campaign, L. Ocampo portrayed himself as a climate activist, slandered Azerbaijan, and demanded the release of separatists accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Ocampo's simultaneous accusation of genocide against Azerbaijan and his demand for the release of those who committed genocide highlights his absurdity. Instead of demanding the release of these criminals, Ocampo should focus on clarifying the fate of the 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing as a result of Armenia's military aggression. It should be noted that there is irrefutable public evidence that Azerbaijani hostages were forced to work as slaves in the homes of high-ranking officers in Armenia's military leadership at that time, and that Azerbaijani prisoners were executed in camps in the formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan and in Armenia. If Ocampo wants to present himself as a climate activist, he should address the environmental damage caused by Armenia's occupation and destruction of Azerbaijani territories, the placement of millions of landmines, the destruction of areas where Azerbaijanis once lived, and the harm to air and water bodies from mining activities. The Western Azerbaijan Community condemns the actions of the Armenian diaspora and its hired servant, Ocampo, and calls on the international community to combat such malevolent elements." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 11:40 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Republic of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu on the occasion of the National Holiday - Independence Day of Maldives, Azernews reports. "Dear Mr. President, On behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my sincerest congratulations to you and all your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Maldives Independence Day. On this joyous day, I wish you good health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of the Maldives everlasting peace and prosperity. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 23 July 2024" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 17:56 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Shafiga Akhundova, a pioneering female composer in the East, has significantly contributed to the Azerbaijani music, Azernews reports. Throughout her nearly 70-year career, the composer created a diverse range of compositions in various genres, including songs, romances, operas, operettas and symphonic suites. The composer always wrote only about what touched her heart and expressed the highest human feelings. Therefore, her music finds a lively response in the hearts of many listeners. Akhundova had turned a brilliant page in the history of Azerbaijani music art, creating a myriad of beautiful works. Shafiga Akhudova, who was born on January 21,1924 in Shaki, devoted her whole life to the culture and art of her home country. She was born into a family of an eminent public figure Gulam Akhundov. He did not approve the passion of her daughter. Although they had a piano at home, he always kept it locked to prevent little Shafiga from playing it. When her father knew that Shafiga attended the Conservatory, he got angry with her and didn't let her come home. She even had to stay at her neighbors' place for a while. The father was afraid that, having engaged in music and art, his children would face financial difficulties. Thus, he wanted to see his daughter as a doctor. However, love for music overcame all challenges. Years later, he realized that he was mistaken. Shafiga received her primary education at Baku Music School named after Asaf Zeynally, where she had been taught by Uzeyir Hajibeyov for eight years. Then, in 1956, she continued her education at Azerbaijan State Conservatory named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, from which she graduated from the class of prominent composer Boris Zeydman. In 1972, Shafiga composed her first opera "Brides rock" and became the first female composer in the East. The opera was composed on the libretto of Iskender Joshgun based on the story of the same name by Azerbaijani writer Suleiman Rahimov. Initially Shafiga Akhundova wrote music for the radio play "Brides rock". In this music, the song "Melodies of the Heart" was especially popular. The author of the novel Suleiman Rahimov suggested composer to write an opera. The opera was staged on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater in Baku. Akhundova is also the author of the wonderful songs "Leyla", "Happy Land", the operetta "Our home, our secret" (1965), pieces for a string quartet, the dramatic plays "Aydin", "Farewell to India!", "What do you live for?", etc. and music for children's plays such as "A tale of a clown", "Birthday of a rabbit", etc. She is the author of more than 600 works and composed music for more than 30 spectacles staged in state theaters. In 1998, Akhundova was conferred a title of Peoples Artist of Azerbaijan and in 2005 she was awarded with the Shohrat Order. For many years she combined her creativity with the pedagogical work at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts. She wrote a number of critical articles, reviews of performances and concerts. She was a welcome and invariable guest at the creative meetings of composers, poets and writers. Shafiga Akhundova suffered from heart disease for a long time. He passed away on July 26 at the age of 89. The composer left behind a lasting legacy of musical excellence that continues to resonate with the Azerbaijani people. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 18:04 (UTC+04:00) A delegation of international travellers, led by Charles Veley, founder and head of Most Travelled People (MTP), visited Aghdam as part of their tour of Azerbaijans Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur regions, Azernews reports. The delegation represented 13 countries, including the USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, the Philippines, Poland, Hungary, and others. Witnessing the Armenian atrocities During their visit to the Alley of Martyrs in the city of Aghdam, the travellers were informed about the heroic Azerbaijani children who lost their lives in the First Garabagh War, as well as civilians who were victims of the Khojaly Genocide. They were also told about the destruction of Aghdam by Armenian vandals and the desecration of graves in the Alley of Martyrs. The visitors observed the remains of structures demolished by Armenians on Aghdams central street and learned that, before the occupation, Aghdam was one of the largest and most developed cities in Azerbaijan. Once known for its vibrancy, the city now lies in ruins. The delegation was shown the damage inflicted on the Aghdam Juma Mosque, built between 1868 and 1870. The mosque, like other historical and religious sites, was subjected to Armenian vandalism. The minarets were dismantled, the ceiling was damaged, and inscriptions were destroyed. The mosque was reportedly used to house livestock during the occupation. Following the liberation of Aghdam, the mosque was restored by the state of Azerbaijan. The travellers also received information about ongoing restoration and construction efforts in Aghdam. Travellers in Lachin's Zabukh and Sus villages According to the itinerary of the trip, the travellers arrived in Lachin after Kalbajar. They familiarised themselves with the construction and reconstruction work being carried out in the city. It was reported that currently, along with the city of Lachin, residents have also returned to their native lands in the villages of Zabukh and Sus in the district. It was stated that housing has been provided for 534 families (1,971 people) in the city of Lachin, 217 families (823 people) in the village of Zabukh, and 59 families (215 people) in the village of Sus, and all necessary conditions have been created for the resettled families. Additionally, the travellers were informed about important projects being carried out in the district. It should be noted that in the last four years, more than 360 international travellers from nearly 50 countries have visited Garabagh and East Zangazur in large groups 10 times. From July 25-27, a group of international travellers will be making another trip to Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur organised by the MTP (Most Travelled People) travel club. The MTP trip will be the 11th trip of this kind. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 19:44 (UTC+04:00) The European Council announced the appointment of Magdalena Grono as EUSR for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia. According to Azernews, Grono succeeds Toivo Klaar whose tenure of over 6 years comes to an end on 31 August. She will take up her duties on 1 September 2024 for an initial period of 12 months. The Council's report says that as the new EUSR, M. Grono will continue the work of her predecessors, contributing to the implementation of the EU foreign policy objectives in the region. According to what is said in the report, the special rep will contribute to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, including the crisis in Georgia and the normalisation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in close coordination with the UN and the OSCE. She will engage with the main interested actors regarding the region and will develop contacts with governments, parliaments, other key political actors, and civil society, encouraging and facilitating cooperation on regional themes of common interest. Ms Grono, a Czech national, currently serves as Chief Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. She has worked on foreign policy and conflict resolution issues for the past 25 years, including in high-level diplomatic posts for the EU as well as in think-tank capacities, with a strong emphasis on the former Soviet space and the South Caucasus in particular. Before joining President Michel's Cabinet, she was a foreign policy adviser to former President of the European Council Donald Tusk. Previously, she was the Europe and Central Asia Director at the International Crisis Group. Note that the EU Special Representatives are proposed by the High Representative and appointed by the Council to promote the EU's policies and interests in specific regions and countries, and provide the EU with an active political presence in those areas. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 11:03 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more In the first half of 2024, Croatia significantly increased its crude oil imports from Azerbaijan, purchasing a total of 587,600 tons worth $375.98 million, Azernews reports. This represents a substantial 90% increase in quantity and a 109% increase in value compared to the same period in 2023. Last year, Croatia imported 308,500 tons of crude oil from Azerbaijan, with a value of $180.25 million. This year, prices have risen, with the cost per ton climbing from $584 (approximately $77 per barrel) in 2023 to $640 (about $84 per barrel) in 2024. In the first half of 2024, Azerbaijan exported a total of 11.1 million tons of crude oil, generating $7.012 billion in revenue. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva Turkiye will transfer two patrol ships and six F-16 aircraft to Qatar, Azernews reports. According to the ministry, TCG KUMKALE ve TCG KUSADASI military vessels will depart on July 26 from the territory of the Aksaz naval base in the southwestern province of Mugla, and military aircraft will fly to Doha on July 30. "Aircraft and vessels will be subordinated to the Command of the Qatar-Turkiye joint forces in order to participate in training programs and conduct exercises," the Turkish Defense Ministry said. The Defense Ministry also shared the latest data in the field of combating terrorism. In the last week alone, the Turkish military has neutralized 94 terrorists in the region, and in general, 1,521 militants since the beginning of the year. According to the ministry, 795 militants have been neutralized in northern Syria this year as part of anti-terrorist operations, and 726 more have been neutralized in northern Iraq. Referring to the possibility of resuming joint patrols of the M4 highway with Russia in Idlib, the Turkish Defense Ministry said: "The Turkish army is taking and will continue to take all possible steps to ensure peace and tranquility in the region. The issue of ensuring safety on the M4 highway is being discussed. Turkiye is ready to take responsibility for any issues aimed at contributing to stability in the region. At the same time, Ankara again criticized the US actions in Syria, stressing the inadmissibility of Washington's contacts with the Syrian wing of the PKK - YPG terrorist organization. "It is unacceptable to fight some terrorists with the hands of other bloody organizations. We hope for the sincerity of the United States in supporting Ankara's efforts to eliminate the threat of terrorism in the region," the ministry stressed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 19:22 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The contract for the supply of two battalion sets of new Polish-made Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Polish army will be signed in early August, Azernews reports. According to the Ministry of Defense, the first batch of new IFVs will consist of 159 vehicles, including two battalion sets of 58 IFVs plus additional vehicles for crew training. A preliminary agreement on the purchase of 1,000 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles was signed in February 2023 between the Polish Arms Agency and the companies Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Huta Stalowa Wola. The Borsuk tracked BMP weighing 28 tons in the basic version is capable of reaching speeds of 65 km per hour and overcoming water obstacles at a speed of 8 km per hour. The crew consists of three people. The armor is able to protect the troops from small arms fire and grenade launchers. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 20:36 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Cho Tae-yel, met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos on the sidelines of multilateral events through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and expressed concern about the "ongoing provocations" of the DPRK and the Moscow-Pyongyang treaty, Azernews reports. Meetings of ASEAN foreign ministers and the organization's partners are taking place in the capital of Laos, the South Korean Foreign Ministry says. The talks between Cho Tae-yeong and Wang Yi lasted 40 minutes, the ministers positively assessed the state of bilateral exchanges, agreed to increase contacts, discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual interest. "Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol expressed serious concern that North Korea continues provocations and escalates tensions in the region by concluding a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Russia and strengthening military and economic cooperation," Seoul reported. The South Korean side asked China to play a constructive role in ensuring stability and peace on the peninsula. Wang Yi replied that China's policy in the region has not changed, Beijing will play a positive role. The Republic of Korea made a similar position during the session of the bilateral strategic dialogue with China at the level of deputy foreign ministers, which was held in Seoul on July 24. On June 19, during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang, Russia and the DPRK signed a Comprehensive Strategic partnership Agreement, which implies the immediate provision of military assistance in the event of a defensive war. The Russian President said that the new agreement does not pose a cause for security concern for South Korea. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that only potential aggressors can oppose the clause on military assistance in the event of a defensive war. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 July 2024 22:31 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Kyrgyzstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have held discussions on major transport projects, Azernews reports. Kyrgyzstans Acting Minister of Transport and Communications, Absattar Syrgabaev, met with an EBRD delegation led by Ayten Rustamova, the Regional Head for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. A key topic was advancing the financing agreement for the Balbay Baatyr - Karakol road reconstruction project, which is valued at 56.5 million. The next steps involve selecting a consulting engineer and contractor. The discussions also addressed two additional major projects: the reconstruction of the northern bypass road around Bishkek and surrounding areas in the Chuy region, and the upgrade of the Kara Balta-Chaldovar road. The Ministry of Transport and Communications affirmed its commitment to advancing both projects simultaneously, despite facing temporary challenges related to land acquisition for the northern bypass. They are collaborating with the Bishkek City Administration to address these issues. Additionally, the meeting covered a $12 million initiative aimed at boosting climate resilience for the Kyrgyz Railway's infrastructure. Upcoming actions include finalizing tender documentation and obtaining procedural approvals. The parties agreed to schedule a follow-up meeting with Simone Zeh Atanasovski, Head of the EBRD Advisory Services Program in Central Asia and Mongolia, to further discuss the outlined issues. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Defense ministry protests NATO's accusations against China concerning Ukraine Xinhua) 11:05, July 26, 2024 BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday expressed strong discontent with NATO's accusations against China concerning the Ukraine issue. On the Ukraine issue, China has held an objective and impartial position and actively promoted peace talks, while the U.S.-led NATO allies kept fueling the fire and profiteering from the war, said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference, when commenting on allegations aimed at China in the Washington Summit Declaration recently issued by NATO. "NATO needs to reflect on itself, instead of deflecting blame onto China," Zhang said. China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order, while the Chinese armed forces remain a staunch force for global and regional peace and stability, he added. Zhang warned NATO against provoking bloc confrontation and creating division in the Asia-Pacific region. "We urge NATO not to interfere in China's internal affairs, not to challenge our legitimate rights and interests, and not to smear China's domestic and foreign policies," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Dance and Eat at Port Orford Coast Guard Day, Maybe Help Save a South Oregon Coast Lighthouse Published 7/22/24 at 12:05 a.m. By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Port Orford, Oregon) If you've ever wondered how you might be able to someday have a ton of fun at a south Oregon coast beach landmark and help to save a lighthouse at the same time, that opp is coming up. August 4 brings the 20th Annual Picnic in Port Orford Heads State Park, which features live music and an occasion to wander some of the south coast's coolest historic landmarks. (Port Orford Heads Lifeboat Museum, courtesy photo) It takes place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bring chairs, blankets and a picnic lunch to celebrate US Coast Guard Day as well as Lighthouse Day. While the event is free, it helps raise awareness of the plight of the nearby Cape Blanco Lighthouse and how it is badly in need of funds for repair. It needs to be rescued. This year, the band Timberwolf takes the stage, a rig that has been a favorite here for years. The music happens at the Port Orford Heads Lifeboat Station Museum. You'll also be able to celebrate Lighthouse Day, which technically doesn't happen this year until August 7, but US Coast Guard Day and its party at Port Orford were a perfect match for this year's event. Put together by the Cape Blanco Heritage Society (CBHS) and sponsored by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the two put a spotlight on the history of the US Coast Guard in the area. CBHS said it always celebrates the origin of the Revenue Cutter Service on the first Sunday in August. Detail from the event poster, this image of Lifeboat #36498 was created by Don McMichael, one of the last surviving officers of the Port Orford Lifeboat Station when it was still in service It was on August 4 of 1790 when the service was born, later seeing considerable action during the Civil War and helping to establish the state of Alaska. This branch of service was active in environmental protection dating back to the 1822 Timber Act that tasked them with protecting government timber from poachers, CHBS said. In 1915 the Revenue Cutter Service and Lifesaving Service were merged into the U.S. Coast Guard as we know it today. Courtesy CBHS The event gives you the opportunities to visit the CBHS' museum at Port Orford Heads, where you can learn more about the Coast Guard's distinct place in this area's history, as well as amble down incredible viewpoints along the locale's hiking trails. Turn West on 9th Street in Port Orford, near Milepost 301, and then follow the road up the hill to where the road ends. Yet there's a very serious aspect to all this fun and music-meets-scenic frivolity. The CBHS also runs the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, which has a significant plight going on. The tower has been closed since 2020 because it is in dire need of repairs, according to CBHS executive director Rebecca Malamud-Evans. There's much more going on, however. Thus, the event and its Lighthouse Day hope to raise awareness of how badly the lighthouse and its grounds need funds for all sorts of issues. It's a program known as Save Our Lighthouse. S. Oregon Coast's Cape Blanco Light Fundraising for 'Dire' Need of Repairs The lighthouse is still in limbo at the moment. I am working to possibly get the workroom open to public tours this summer, Malamud-Evans said. That is up to the US Coast Guard who currently owns the lighthouse. Oregon State Parks is very supportive having just installed an anemometer to help with our efforts to keep visitors informed of the wind conditions before they head up the lighthouse gate road. We made our US Coast Guard Day event in recognition of Americas Lighthouses to support Cape Blanco. We have a very nice art exhibit happening in our Greeting Center Gift Shop to support the lighthouse and make visitors aware of our lighthouse keeping legacy - one of the most impressive anywhere. Meanwhile, Malamud-Evans said she has some hope for possible funding coming from Oregon officials and State Parks. Some money has been doled out to other lighthouses. We just need someone to take that first step to make great things possible at Cape Blanco, she said. For more information, call 541-332-0521 or visit capeblancoheritagesociety.com. Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Photo CBHS More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Fata Morgana: Oregon Coast Weather Illusion Bends Reality, Caught Near Seaside Published 7/17/24 at 9:32 p.m. By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Seaside, Oregon) What's fairly rare here on Oregon's coast turned into a stunning and strange find for one north coast resident. (Photos Mike Bernard). There's a cool science explanation behind it. On July 5, Mike Barnard caught Seaside's Tillamook Head and the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse in a very unusual state: it was bent, squished and spread out in a repeated manner like something out of a sci-fi movie. The thin piece that resembles some digital reiterative anomaly is Terribly Tilly and part of the headland. There's also that thin line above it stretching almost horizon to horizon. The visage makes no sense. Barnard caught the elusive Fata Morgana, the surreal optical illusion that happens at sea or on land and turns ordinary objects into freaky things that cause plenty of head scratching. Reality gets bent here. Barnard said he was at the wreck of the Peter Iredale for awhile and spotted it. I immediately saw what I thought was smoke, he told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. As I drove towards Seaside from the wreck of the Peter Iredale, where one of the beach approaches are, it became clear it wasn't smoke because it was stationary. Mike Bernard He had to snap pics of it and then zoom in on his camera viewer to be sure. Yup, it turned out what he thought it was: the optical illusion you really don't often see on this coastline. Having been a commercial fisherman for awhile, Bernard said he'd seen it before in Alaska numerous times, but not here. We usually don't see it here, Barnard said. We usually get the fog, not what I'd call a layering of different atmospheric conditions. Photo Seaside Aquarium: you can just barely make out the lighthouse from this angle - as it normally looks. Note the lighthouse rock is in only one place: in the optical illusion phots it's repeated a strange way. It turns out, it had been around awhile on this particularly warm north coast day. The park ranger at Fort Stevens that Barnard spoke to said he'd been seeing it out there for a good hour and wondered what the hell it was. Barnard left after a half hour of watching it himself and said it was still around when he left. The north coast resident said he isn't sure it's much of a big deal, but it is considered at least a little rare on this coastline. In the 30 or so years staff from Oregon Coast Beach Connection have been documenting the coast and literally tens of thousands of photos we've never seen it. Brian Nieuwenhuis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Medford, said he has seen it before in other areas but not around here. Mike Bernard So what is the Fata Morgana? The science is as trippy as the sight itself, and it's thought it's behind some strange mythology in our past. It's simply a type of mirage, formed when there is a cold layer of air trapped below a very warm one, Nieuwenhuis said. I imagine this is pretty common at our coast in the summer, with the marine layer in place at the ocean surface and hot air flowing over the marine layer as it blows off the land. Maybe conditions were just right on this day? Indeed, conditions were right. I noticed you can actually see the line where the dense air meets the warmer air, Barnard said. When I cropped it to blow it up, then I could see that the lighthouse actually had an inverted image above it. Same with the pinnacles at the end of Tillamook Head, inverted above the normal image. The distant horizon on Earth can cause all sorts of interesting sights, especially on the sea (like the Green Flash at Sunset or its freaky cousin the Novaya Zemlya. See Oregon Coast's Green Flash at Sunset and Its Wacky Cousin Novaya Zemlya). The differences in temperature cause light to bend through what is called an 'atmospheric duct,' and this can cause objects on the horizon to look reflected, vertically stretched, and stacked on top of itself, Nieuwenhuis said. This same kind of 'ducting' can happen at any layer of the atmosphere, and it can mess with our radar data sometimes. In this case, the layer is right at the surface. Nieuwenhuis said the cool thing about Bernard's shots is you can see exactly where the duct is. Or in other words, exactly how shallow the marine layer is, Nieuwenhuis said. The rocks offshore are being vertically stretched and reflected, and also stacked so they look like hour glasses. Mike Bernard Fata Morgana can result in strange sights like seeing a ship out at sea that appears to be floating. The Fata Morgana probably had its hand in a lot of paranormal things people have reported throughout history. It is thought that in the past this phenomenon is responsible for reports of castles in the sky, phantom mountains and islands, and even the legend of the Flying Dutchman!, Nieuwenhuis said. Fata Morgana is also known as Morgan le Fay, a sorceress from Arthurian legends who was the sister of Merlin. Fans of Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis will also recognize that name. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Big Things in Pacific Northwest Skies: 3 Meteor Showers for Oregon, Washington, the Coast Published 7/23/24 at 12:05 a.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Portland, Oregon) There's something sizable going on in the skies above the Pacific Northwest right now, and it can be spectacular. And yet the show is really just beginning with a whole host of meteor showers above Washington, Oregon and the coastlines. (Photo NASA) The Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids and the Perseids are all happening right now, with the Aquariids and Capricornids peaking later this week. Indeed, Oregon Coast Beach Connection witnessed some of this. Friday night, in spite of a rather large moon and a bit of haze, staff saw some four meteors (one of them really bright) and one satellite in the space of 15 minutes. It was astounding. And yet the peaks of these two smaller showers were still a good week away. Meteor showers come from the dust clouds left in space, often from large comets. Are we going through an extra dense cloud of interstellar dust this time? According to the south Oregon coast's NASA ambassador Dr. Aaron Coyner (from Coos Bay's Southwestern Oregon Community College), probably not. He thinks there's just luck involved, although he said there have been some good reports of sightings around the U.S. Shooting stars in Portland / Oregon Coast Beach Connection Typically, we see 2 to 3 random meteors an hour just on any night, Dr. Coyner said. Maybe we hit a particularly large dust clump, so you get a few in a short time. The Delta Aquariids are here from July 18 through August 21, and they're better seen down south of the equator. North of the equator, the radiant is positioned lower in the southern sky, resulting in lower visibility compared to southern regions. This particular shower typically produces good rates for about a week centered around its peak night which is July 29 - 30. The meteors are usually faint and lack persistent trains and fireballs. Also, these don't produce much, perhaps about 5 or so an hour. Yet some of them can be quite spectacular. This year, moonlight will have minimal impact due to the waning crescent moon setting in the early morning hours. The Alpha Capricornids are bouncing around above us from July 7 through August 15 with its peak on July 30 and 31. They are not very strong and rarely shoot out more than five glowing balls per hour. However, what is notable about this shower is the number of bright fireballs produced during its run. Then there's the Perseids. They are the top dog, if this were any kind of celestial contest. These can produce some 50 to 75 shooting stars per hour at their peak, which is August 11 and 12. If you're heading to the Oregon coastline or Washington coast, and the weather is clear, you're going to get an eyeful. Really, that's true of the entire Pacific Northwest: from Spokane and Seattle to Westport, and from Pendleton to Cannon Beach, Forest Grove down through Medford and over to Florence. Made of tiny space debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, the Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus, said Jim Todd of Portland's OMSI. The Perseids are widely sought after by astronomers and stargazers because most years at its peak, one can see 60 to 100 meteors in an hour from a dark place. They started a little over a week ago on July 14 and run until September 1. Luckily, according to Dr. Coyner, the moon won't be much of a problem after 1 a.m. as it sets at that time during the peak in August. What's interesting here is that the farther north you go, the higher the Perseids' radiant. Star movement at Arch Cape / Oregon Coast Beach Connection The location they'll appear to be coming from is called the radiant they're coming from Perseus, Dr. Coyner told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. If you're in a higher latitude the Perseids shift higher in the sky. Which is helpful, because you're not dealing with getting blocked from any of the forests we love so much around here. That means good things for those up in Washington and its coastline: they could be easier to see.. It's not that they're in the atmosphere longer up there, they just don't disappear into the haze on the horizon as quickly, Dr. Coyner said. Whether you're at the coastlines of the Northwest or in places like Ashland or Salem, make sure you check out the clear skies at night. Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Oregon State Parks' Campfire Ban in Effect, Some Coastal Areas Affected Published 7/24/24 at 1:15 a.m. - Updated 7/24/24 at 3:15 p.m. By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Oregon Coast) - Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) has issued a temporary ban on campfires at most Oregon State Parks, while those on the south coast have some resctrictions, including no beach fires. The decision comes in response to the dry conditions prevailing across the state and the strain on firefighting resources caused by ongoing wildfires. Some state parks have even closed because of fire dangers. OPRD said the restrictions mean campfires and open flames are strictly prohibited at all parks east of the Cascades due to the combination of low humidity and the extremely high risk of wildfires. Additionally, parks in other high-risk regions across the state are subject to restrictions. While most bans primarily affect parks east of the Cascade Range and in the valley, some coastal parks may also have specific limitations. They are increasingly challenging conditions. Fire bans also affect beach bonfires in those restricted areas, but currently that is only on the south Oregon coast and not applied to any part of the northern half of the coastline. That could change considering the region has had hardly any rainfall in a good month. Campfire restrictions generally ban all open flame, but often make exceptions for propane cooking as the flame is contained. You'll want to check individual park webpages for details on any restrictions before visiting. Restrictions are listed in alphabetical order in a feature story at stateparks.oregon.gov/ or on the individual park pages. JR Collier, OPRDs deputy of statewide operations, said the agency is well aware that campfires are an integral part of the camping experience. We dont make the decision lightly to restrict the use of fire, but unfortunately conditions require that response, Collier said. The decision is made in consultation with our local fire agencies. Thank you for helping us do our part to reduce the risk of any new wildfires. Fire at Crissey Field beach in recent years Due to wildfires, several parks have been temporarily closed. These include Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor, Farewell Bend State Recreation Area, and the East and West Hatfield Trailheads on the Columbia River Highway State Trail. Additionally, the Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor is affected. For the most up-to-date information, visit the park webpages at stateparks.oregon.gov and search for the specific park youre interested in. Some Oregon state parks have reduced air quality due to wildfire smoke. Check DEQs website for air quality information at www.oregonsmoke.org/. For Oregon coast state parks, currently only south coast parks are affected and usually have the exception of allowing fires in designated fire rings. Fires are only allowed in the campgrounds and not on those particular beaches. However, this may differ from park to park on the south coast. A fire ban means no wood fires, charcoal, charcoal briquettes, pellet-fueled grills, candles, tiki torches and other devices that emit flames or embers and cannot be turned off with a valve, OPRD said. Portable cooking stoves, propane fire rings, barbecues, and lanterns using liquefied or bottle fuels are allowed. Devices using liquefied or bottle fuels are banned in the backcountry unless used for cooking." UPDATE: TO FURTHER CLARIFY, OPRD SENT THIS TO OREGON COAST BEACH CONNECTION: No fires are permitted on the beaches or in day-use areas from the Douglas/Lane County border south to the Oregon border with California. Fires are currently permitted in established fire rings in campgrounds within that area (William Tugman, Umpqua Lighthouse, Sunset Bay, Cape Blanco, Humbug Mountain, Bullard Beach, Harris Beach). No coastal parks or beaches from the Lane County border with Douglas County north to the Washington border with Oregon are impacted at this time. No fires are permitted on the south coast beaches (and beach fires when permitted are limited to no more than 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet in rule). Around Brookings these parks include Crissey Field, the entire Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor and Harris Beach State Park, among others. In the Gold Beach / Port Orford to Bandon area, parks with restrictions include Face Rock, Cape Blanco, Port Orford Heads, Sisters Rock State Recreation Area, Seven Devils, among most others. Around Coos Bay, Cape Arago and Shore Acres also have restrictions. Last week, Siuslaw National Forest along the Oregon coast put further bans into place for its lands, which include the entire Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area between Florence and Coos Bay as well as some areas around Tillamook and Lincoln City. All Siuslaw National Forest Areas Under Fire Restrictions; South Oregon Coast Parks Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Crissey Field / OPRD More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Oregon Wildlife Experts Warn of Dogs Getting Salmon Poisoning on Coast, Around the State Published 7/19/24 at 6:35 a.m. By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Newport, Oregon) A handful of dogs have become sick around the central Oregon coast in recent days and that has wildlife officials worried, warning the public to keep their dogs away from fish carcasses around the state. (ODFW photo) Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) said several cases of salmon poisoning were reported around Newport, a severe illness that can sometimes be deadly to dogs. Salmon and trout carcasses may harbor bacteria in their blood that can be fatal to dogs, ODFW said. The illness comes from the bacteria Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which is transmitted from a parasitic flatworm that lurks in dead fish by the side of a body of water, mostly salmon. Fortunately, most dogs survive if they receive treatment, but without it they are certain to die. Recently, a dog had to be rescued near Seaside. Dog Injured on N. Oregon Coast Hike, Needed Rescue Due to Wire Mesh in Trail Symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea, ODFW said. However, it begins with a kind of lethargy: your dog will suddenly not be as energetic as before, according to ODFW Veterinarian Julia Burco. It does not take much contact for a pup to get salmon poisoning. ODFW said. They can get infected from even just licking a dead fish carcass, but certainly from a bite or actually eating some. Symptoms often don't become visible until 5 to 7 days after exposure. The disease does not just happen on the Oregon coast, either: ODFW warns of the issue statewide. This is earlier than usual, however, as ODFW usually warns the period from September through December is where it normally is at a higher risk of occurring. ODFW said you'll want to be very proactive in looking out for your pooch in this situation. It's far too easy for them to become infected. State Park rules, laws for dogs on Oregon coast beaches, such as Port Orford, Bandon, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Pacific City, Florence, others: Unleash at the Beach? Hikes? Oregon Coast and State Park Dog Guidelines, Laws - Tips, guidelines and rules at state parks, beaches, towns, more If you see your dog eating a dead salmon or trout, or even around one, take them to the veterinarian right away, ODFW said. Don't wait for your dog to get sick as prophylactic treatments can prevent a more serious illness. The sooner your dog gets treated, the less likely they will get sick and need expensive treatments. Burco said you should keep dogs on a leash and in plain sight while at bodies of water, preventing them from even coming across fish carcasses. If you are cleaning fish out there, she said to make sure you pick up and bag all garbage associated with that. Do not leave fish parts around the landscape, and be sure to clean coolers and gear. The highest risk of salmon poisoning is usually September when salmon gather in rivers to spawn and die. These cases early in the year are unusual, ODFW said. Through ODFW, Oregon resident Wesley Shum said his dog Ukee was severely sickened after a fishing trip for trout back in June. She went from being an energetic puppy to lethargic and would barely get up off the couch, he said. She lost her appetite and then she started throwing up every time she drank water. The bacteria are also called flukes - and that's what the vet reported to Shum when he took the dog in to be examined. Test results came through fecal matter. Ukee ended up in the emergency vet for five days, but has luckily since recovered and is now back to her normal, energetic self. ODFW said Wesley told them he is now super diligent about keeping things clean, but both he and the agency admitted only a trace amount of fish slime or blood on a boot can expose your dog to salmon poisoning. See the ODFW video Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Dog rescue / US Coast Guard More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Two Drownings in 10 Days at South Oregon Coast's Lobster Creek, Near Gold Beach Published 7/16/24 at 8:55 p.m. By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Gold Beach, Oregon) Two people have drowned at the south Oregon coast's Lobster Creek area, taking place in two separate incidents ten days from each other. The Curry County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said both were men in their early 40s, visiting from elsewhere. In one case, the man's friends witnessed the drowning at the Rogue River spot, which is nine miles east of Gold Beach. (Photo CCSO) The first incident took place on July 4 as the sheriff's office began receiving 911 calls about 3:30 p.m. Deputies responded by boat and vehicle to the location. Also dispatched were Cal Ore Life Flight, Gold Beach Fire and northern California's Reach Air, which arrived by helicopter. Sergeant Gray arrived in the marine boat and several first responders got on the boat and they started the search for the person who was being reported as drowned, said Curry County Sheriff's Office. The deceased was later identified as 42-year-old Rohithumar Godhani from Milipitas, Ca. Godhani was in the area recreating with his family when he entered the water for unknown reasons, CCSO said. The searchers in the boat located Godhani in six feet of water about a hundred yards down river from where he had gone in. Godhani had been submerged for almost an hour from the time he went under water to when he was located. CPR was started by medics and first responders on scene. Ghodani could not be revived and was pronounced dead on the scene, even after Reach Air medics arrived and attempted lifesaving efforts. The second incident in the popular south Oregon coast recreation area happened on July 14 at 1:33 p.m. Around that time, CCSO said it was hearing Oregon State Police radio traffic of a drowning at Lobster Creek's gravel bar area. Along with deputies, Cal Ore Life Flight and the Gold Beach Fire Department were also called to the scene. There, they discovered a man had gone under the water as his friends witnessed the incident from shore. Less than two minutes after going under, a marine boat from Linn County Sheriff's arrived, which was training in the area. The man was soon ID'd as 41-year-old Adam Birdsell from Medford. Without prior knowledge of a drowning and being flagged down and told about the drowning by witnesses, they began searching for Birdsell, CCSO said. The two marine deputies quickly located Birdsell submerged in about six feet of water. One of the deputies dove in and pulled Birdsell out of the water and onto their boat. Several other marine deputies and boats arrived to assist. Deputies immediately began CPR efforts and quickly transported him to the shoreline, where Cal Ore Life Flight continued to try and revive him. Birdsell was soon transported to Curry General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased by medical staff. Birdsell was on vacation with his family and friends, who witnessed the drowning, CCSO said. The Curry County District Attorney was notified and authorized release of Birdsell to Redwood Memorial Services out of Brookings. CCSO sent out its condolences to the family and friends of both men. Lobster Creek Campground is part of the US Forest Service's water recreation areas. White it does have water safety signage of its own, Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) notes that most places around the state are not supervised. Wearing a life jacket, and making sure it fits properly, saves lives. Remember: many of our lakes, rivers, and reservoirs are filled by snow runoff and remain cold year round, OPRD said. And even water that look calm could have swift currents and hidden obstructions beneath the surface. MORE FROM THE GOLD BEACH AREA BELOW: Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Newsweek and research firm Statista released their annual rankings of the best hospitals in the U.S. for cardiac care, which includes four hospitals in California in the top 25. The list was compiled by surveying health care professionals and hospital managers working in cardiology. Their responses were considered along with hospital quality metrics, patient experience surveys and an analysis of whether the facilities use patient-reported outcome measures to improve care. Read more about the methodology here. Here are the leaders of Newsweek's best hospitals in California for cardiac care: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles) Thomas Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System Bryan Croft, executive vice president and COO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Cente Stanford (Calif.) Health Care - Stanford Hospital David Entwistle, president and CEO Quinn McKenna, executive vice president and COO Linda Hoff, executive vice president and CFO Niraj Sehgal, MD, MPH, executive vice president and chief medical officer UCLA Health - Ronald Reagan Medical Center (Los Angeles) John Mazziotta, MD, PhD, CEO of UCLA Health Johnese Spisso, CEO of UCLA Hospital System UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco) Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine has proposed a new medical office building at its Huntley (Ill.) hospital campus, according to a July 25 report from Shaw Local News Network. The building would be next to an existing medical office facility and would add 300 jobs, according to the report. The new building already has reached maximum occupancy in terms of tenants. The two-story building is set to house oncology infusion, oncology radiation, cardiology diagnostics, the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, medical oncology, general surgical services for gastroenterology, pulmonary, urology and related professional offices. There will be a public hearing on the proposal before the Huntley Village Board and Plan Commission vote on it, the report said. The New York Department of Health has given New York City-based Mount Sinai conditional approval to close Beth Israel after months of reviewing the health system's closure plan. "The conditional approval of the closure plan submitted by Mount Sinai-Beth Israel Hospital is based on careful and extensive review of the plan and delineates several conditions to help ensure that patients receive quality care at nearby hospitals and other primary care providers," a spokesperson for the state health department said in a July 25 statement shared with Becker's. The health system recently pushed back the July 12 planned closure of the hospital because of the state health department's ongoing review of a revised closure plan submitted by Mount Sinai. "We are grateful for the DOH's careful and comprehensive review of our proposed closure plan," Loren Riegelhaupt, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai, said in a July 25 statement shared with Becker's. Below are some of the state's requirements for Mount Sinai to close Beth Israel: 1. Secure formalized agreements with other area hospitals to ensure patients needing transfer to an inpatient setting are accommodated. The health system must also appropriately staff the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health Center to "ensure sufficient access for patients seeking psychiatric care at other hospitals," according to information shared with Becker's from the state health department. 2. Formalize an agreement with NYC Health + Hospitals that invests in an expansion of Bellevue Hospital's emergency department and comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs capacity to handle patients no longer receiving care at Beth Israel. 3. Open a 24/7 Mount Sinai urgent care clinic "for at least the first three months" to ensure sufficient patient capacity. A monthly operations report must be submitted to the state's department of health during the opening of the clinic. A quarterly report will be required afterwards. 4. Ensure that patients have knowledge of other ways to receive area care, including outpatient and urgent care centers, virtual care and the Mount Sinai Hospital-At-Home program. 5. Work with the New York City Fire Department to ensure EMS services are available in the area where Beth Israel will close. Per the requirements, the health system plans to open an expanded, 24/7 urgent care center two blocks away from where Beth Israel is located once the hospital closes. The center will support the New York City Fire Department by operating an additional ambulance in the city's downtown area. It will also work with and support other city hospitals, like NYC Health + Hospitals and Bellevue. Beth Israel will remain open and accepting patients for now and plans to share more information as they work with the state health department, Mr. Riegelhaupt said. Mount Sinai has also asked the state court for an expedited review of the lawsuit filed against the health system by the Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel Hospital and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary to keep the New York City-based hospital from closing. "The approval issued by the Department of Health is not unexpected," Arthur Schwartz, lead counsel for the coalition, said in a July 25 statement shared with Becker's. "The DOH has been laggard in defending the interests of the community ever since Mount Sinai began the process of shutting down Beth Israel back in 2017" Mr. Schwartz also pointed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for the loss of vital services should the hospital close. "We are still in court and we still have a Temporary Restraining Order in place," he said. "We intend to keep on fighting." The Justice Department pointed to antitrust scrutiny for why UnitedHealth Group's Optum backed out of its planned acquisition of Dallas-based Steward Health Care's physician group, Stewardship Health. Steward, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 6, is working to offload its 31 hospitals along with Stewardship Health. Steward was also recently hit with a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston. "When you ask Americans what keeps them up at night, affording and accessing quality health care is too often at the top of their list," Jonathan Kanter, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's antitrust division, said in a July 25 statement. "These transactions are among UnitedHealth Groups latest proposed provider-related acquisitions, and they raised questions about quality of care, cost of care and working conditions for doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers." Optum backing out of acquiring Stewardship Health comes amid an antitrust investigation the Justice Department opened into UnitedHealth Group in February. The investigation is partially looking into Optum's physician group acquisition and how the health plan and physician unit ownerships impact competition. Optum employs or is affiliated with more than 90,000 physicians. Steward did not have an immediate comment for Becker's. Becker's has also reached out to Optum and will update this story if more information becomes available. CEO exits have declined 19.5% in the first half of 2024 compared to last year. There were 66 reported hospital CEO exits in the first six months of 2024, according to a July 25 report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Tapping hospital CEOs from within the same health system and promoting COOs were among the more popular ways to find successors. Here are four ways hospitals and health systems chose their new CEOs in 2024. 1. In-house promotion, dual roles Marley Koons was promoted from CFO to CEO of Lakin, Kan.-based Kearny County Hospital in February. Ms. Koons continued to serve as interim CFO while searching for her successor. COOs are a common choice for promotion, as seen with Anderson Healthcare's Mike Marshall, who took over as CEO in February. He had served as the Maryville, Ill.-based system's CFO from 2005 to 2022 before becoming COO. Erik Wexler, Renton, Wash.-based Providence's COO, was named its next CEO; he will succeed Rod Hochman, MD, on Jan. 1. 2. Talent from other systems In July, Trey Abshier was selected as CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, Fla. Mr. Abshier previously served as CEO of HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford. In March, Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health tapped Hollie Seeley, RN, as CEO of Sutter Medical Center in that city. Ms. Seeley previously served as CEO of HCA Healthcare's North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colo. Jody Prather, MD, was tapped as Loveland-based HealthSource of Ohio's new CEO. Prior to that, Dr. Prather had served as chief strategy and marketing officer at Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health. 3. Returning leaders George Brown, MD, was selected as CEO of Portland-based Legacy Health in April, returning to the role after serving in it from 2008 to 2018. Eleze Armstrong also returned to her previous workplace this year. She was named CEO of Templeton, Calif.-based Twin Cities Community Hospital in January and had previously worked at the hospital from 2010 to 2018, most recently as chief strategy officer. 4. Movement within one system Transitioning between hospitals under the same system was common. Dallas Purkeypile, for example, was named CEO of AdventHealth South Overland Park (Kan.). Mr Purkeypile had previously led CEO AdventHealth Ottawa (Kan.). Michelle Fuentes shifted between workplaces within Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth. Ms. Fuentes was named CEO of AdventeHealth Castle Rock (Colo.), and had most recently been president of Adventist Health Sonora (Calif.) Randolph, Vt.-based Gifford Health Care has named Cheyenne Holland CFO. Ms. Holland will assume the role on Aug. 19, according to a July 24 Gifford news release. She previously served as Gifford's interim finance chief from November 2023 through January 2024. She most recently served as managing director of Mazars USAs healthcare advisory services, according to the release. She provided services to Gifford as part of that role. She also previously served as CFO of Berlin-based Central Vermont Medical Center. Ms. Holland said her priorities in her first 90 days in the role include continuing to support the optimization of Gifford's new EHR, according to the release. The system went live with Meditech in October after previously using three different systems. St. Bernard Hospital, located in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, recently celebrated its 120th anniversary. Leaders say this milestone is particularly meaningful given the challenges of remaining sustainable in today's healthcare environment. "It's something that's very special," Diahann Sinclair, vice president of organizational support and external affairs, told Becker's. "Over the years there have been four hospitals that served the neighborhood. And at least for the last 40 [years] or so, we have been the only remaining [community] hospital in a neighborhood that is economically challenged and has high rates of all the chronic conditions." St. Bernard serves families in need of urgent care and preventive services. More than 90% of its patients are on Medicaid or Medicare. "So it is really special that in this environment where healthcare is challenging we are able to sustain ourselves as an independent hospital, a safety-net hospital that's not part of a system, and still produce quality care for our patients," Ms. Sinclair said. "It is significant that with all of that, we are still here. We're not just existing but providing excellent care for our patients." The hospital's roots date to June 1904. It began as the vision of the Rev. Bernard Murray, the leader of St. Bernard's Church in Englewood, who asked the Kingston, Ontario-based Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, for help in founding a local hospital, according to St. Bernard's website. Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph sent seven sisters who, along with community residents, raised funds to build the hospital. During the week of June 24, the hospital celebrated the milestone with activities for staff, including a Mass and hospital rededication June 26. Ms. Sinclair said the hospital also presented employee service awards in July to recognize those who have served at St. Bernard for as long as 40 years. "One of the things that has been really important and critical in this as we acknowledge the 120 years of service is to acknowledge the employees who have stood by us through some very challenging times," she said. While the mood has been celebratory amid the milestone, Ms. Sinclair acknowledged the hospital's path has been particularly difficult financially. "We have become very efficient. We have a very lean team," she said. "Many organizations like us have many layers. Our leadership team is six strong. People wear many hats. We are committed to quality. We are always advocating and looking for different avenues to generate revenue, and, of course, we depend on funding sources from the state. It is just about being very creative, but the truth is it's still financially challenging, and the years to come will be challenging until we become fully sustainable and profitable." One recent approach was to establish the Center for Better Aging with community partners as part of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services' Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program. The center opened July 23 at the hospital to address the shortage of aging care, practitioners and services for people 50 and older on the South Side. "The goal is to have this comprehensive approach so people can be healthier, stay out of the hospital and be healthier as they age," Ms. Sinclair said. "Right now, that's a challenge for many of our seniors. Access is a challenge. Many of them don't feel comfortable. Some of them don't have the support." She added that the goal is for the program to be a model that institutions across the country can follow. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of hospital leaders nationwide, especially leaders of organizations serving populations that are economically challenged, knowing the populations they serve. "It's important to get to know the populations because every population, every group, if you go to different communities, the socioeconomic issues may be different, the support structure may be different," she said. "So you have to get to know the population you serve. You've got to craft what you do so it addresses the needs that they have and not make assumptions about what those needs are. It also means you have to engage, build trust with, not just with them, but with the local groups and leaders, like the faith-based groups, who already have that trust with that population. I think it's really about relationship building, focusing on the need, and making sure you are also bringing services and practitioners to the population that are reflective of who they are, their principles and their values. Because I think the more we do that, the easier that partnership will be in care delivery." Healthcare is shifting to a multi-region model and the number of health systems operating in multiple states is rapidly increasing. The trend is becoming more prominent as health systems diversify portfolios, increase their bargaining power with payers and vendors and pursue further economies of scale amid challenging financial headwinds. The Federal Trade Commission also has challenged several recent in-market hospital deals, which is driving health systems to increasingly look outside their traditional service areas to expand. Here are three health systems that recently acquired or plan to acquire their first hospital in an adjacent state: 1. Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System on July 1 acquired Liberty (Mo.) Hospital. The transaction sees KU Health grow into a nine-hospital system, including seven acute-care hospitals and two behavioral health facilities. Liberty Hospital is its first hospital in Missouri. Notably, 35% of KU Health's patients come from Missouri, making it "a perfect opportunity to partner with another independent hospital in a prime area for our health system," Bob Page, president and CEO of the health system, told Becker's. "We also have that cultural compatibility, so it was pretty much a no-brainer for us to pursue." 2. Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health plans to enter Tennessee by acquiring Blount Memorial Hospital, a 304-bed community hospital in Maryville, Tenn. The 18-hospital system has committed to investing $364 million into Blount Memorial should the deal close. Several health systems were interested in acquiring Blount Memorial, according to hospital leaders. "Expanding to desirable nearby markets with respected regional hospitals like Blount Memorial strengthens our scale, capabilities, relevance, resources, and attractiveness to top talent and industry partners all attributes of leading health care organizations," Prisma President and CEO Mark O'Halla said. 3. Dalton, Ga.-based Hamilton Health Care System plans to acquire Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland (Tenn.), a 351-bed hospital from CHS. The $160 million deal, expected to close in the third quarter, would mark Hamilton's entry into the Tennessee hospital market. The nonprofit, independent health system also plans to rebrand to Vitruvian Health as part of its regional expansion plans. "As a not-for-profit and one of the few remaining independent health systems in the region, above all, we are committed to the well-being of our region and keeping care local to the communities we serve," Hamilton President and CEO Jeff Myers said. "Hamilton Medical Center and Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland share a proud history of serving the members of our respective communities and we will invest in furthering that legacy to ensure long-term stability, the availability of advanced, comprehensive expert care, and a best-in-class patient experience." Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare has grown significantly since Founder, Chair and CEO Prem Reddy, MD, launched the health system in 2001. Now it is preparing to acquire nine Illinois hospitals from St. Louis-based Ascension in what would be the largest acquisition in the health system's 23-year history. The proposed transaction, expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, would increase the number of hospitals in Prime's portfolio to 53. It would also expand the health system's presence into the third-largest metropolitan market. "With this historic transaction, Prime Healthcare's Midwest region will become one of the largest in the system," President and Chief Medical Officer Sunny Bhatia, MD, told Becker's. "This transaction is unique in that it provides scale and therefore opportunity to create significant benefit to communities, patients and Illinois." Dr. Bhatia highlighted the health system's track record of improving financially struggling hospitals at a time when the industry is facing ongoing financial and workforce challenges and widespread consolidation. "We are committed and uniquely able to improve, invest and ensure the continued legacy of service of these hospitals, having saved and transformed over 40 hospitals across the country," he said. "While Illinois would be a new market for us, there were a lot of similarities and parallels with other communities we've entered in Los Angeles and the Northeast, and we understand the vulnerable patient populations some of these hospitals serve in the Greater Chicago area." Prime has committed to invest $250 million in facility upgrades, capital improvements, technology investments and system upgrades at the nine hospitals, which include: Ascension Holy Family (Des Plaines) Ascension Mercy (Aurora) Ascension Resurrection (Chicago) Ascension Saint Elizabeth (Chicago) Ascension Saint Francis (Evanston) Ascension Saint Joseph Elgin Ascension Saint Joseph Joliet Ascension Saint Mary Chicago Ascension Saint Mary Kankakee Dr. Bhatia insists that "healthcare is local," and that the smooth and successful integration of these facilities starts with speaking to hospital leaders. "We first learn about the hospitals, their legacies, keeping healthcare local and supporting them with a larger system that has done this over 40 times," he said. "We also infuse capital around systems, technology, protocols, processes to ensure they're practicing at their highest level and following guideline-based medicine. Then you start to see efficiencies and improvement in outcomes and quality metrics." As a physician-founded and physician-led system, Prime said it maintains a constant focus on clinical care to improve quality, operational efficiencies and the patient experience. Investments will focus on enhancing care and operational performance through facility improvements and new technologies or systems. Part of Prime's integration plan includes converting all nine hospitals to its iteration of the Epic EHR system to drive synergy and quality. "Operational improvements also stem from economies of scale and the ability to share resources and best practices across a national system," Dr. Bhatia said. "Most importantly, we define successful integration by raising the quality of care delivered, advancing equity and access, and expanding service to communities. Prime is committed to the long-term success and service of every hospital that is part of our system and has never closed a hospital." Dr. Bhatia said Prime often introduces or expands service lines that hospitals put on the back burner or delayed, such as behavioral health programs, advanced cardiac programs, or comprehensive stroke programs, which the health system has established and expanded at multiple hospitals. The 44-hospital system is in a strong financial position and is expected to close the transaction with its current finances without adding any debt to the nine hospitals, according to Dr. Bhatia. Prime is preparing to welcome the nine hospitals into the system in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals and closing conditions, but it is not dismissing the possibility of further hospital acquisitions should the opportunities make sense. "We're a big believer in community hospitals and their role in delivery of healthcare. There's many hospitals in distress, and we want to be very thoughtful, very thorough in the review, because there are challenges today that weren't in place many years ago, when we were growing at a rapid clip," Dr. Bhatia said. "We will continue to look at other opportunities if they present themselves and if we believe that the opportunity to turn them around and add value is realistic." Clinician leaders might want to enourage their teams to meet hospitalized patients at their eye level, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Compared to standing by an adult patient's bedside, sitting or crouching was associated with more trust and satisfaction, the study authors found. The researchers, who work in Maryland-based health systems and medical schools, evaluated 14 studies that examined how patients perceived clinicians who stood versus those who sat down. The studies were notably different in terms of study design, interventions, measurement types and outcomes, and most had an elevated bias risk. Also, some interventions require standing, and some clinicians lack seating options. In spite of these conditions, the meta-analysis revealed that patients favor clinicians who sit while communicating. Ten of the 14 studies noted better perceptions of clinician compassion and time spent, plus high satisfaction scores, among those who were seated. Three showed no difference, and one reported higher patient ratings of communication for clinicians who stood. The preference for seated clinicians might be because communication at eye level indicates shared power, the study authors said. "For those healthcare systems that wish to promote this behavior, it is likely that several changes would be necessary such as adjusting local culture to one that expects clinicians to sit, role modeling patient-centered posture in clinician teams, and eliminating physical barriers," the study said. In their conclusion, the researchers recommended this practice because of the potential benefits and easy implementation. Transitioning new nurse graduates from a remote learning environment forced by the pandemic into practicing by the bedside has been a challenge for health systems, calling for a change in the way C-suite leaders tackle the issue, hospital leaders told Becker's. "While they were certainly receiving an excellent education through online course trainings and simulation labs, these students were unable to practice and sharpen their patient interactions and fully realize their medical training in clinical settings, which is so essential to building ones confidence as a nurse," Gara Edelstein, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer at Catholic Health in Rockville Centre, N.Y., told Becker's. "However, the experience gap has granted us the opportunity to retrospectively evaluate how to more effectively transition nursing students to practice not only in dire situations such as COVID, but as a best practice orientation process to ensure all nurses feel fully prepared and supported as we move forward." Solutions are not "one-size-fits-all." Prompted by issues with the transition into practice, Catholic Health launched a Transition to Professional Practice program for its newly hired graduate nurses. The program is three months long and immerses the new nurses in a combination of classroom learning and bedside clinical training, Ms. Edelstein said. The nurses are also given a preceptor, one for each new nurse, to provide them with an individualized mentor and guide. "The one-on-one interaction each training nurse obtains is the finishing touch, giving them confidence and support as healthcare professionals ready to serve on the front lines," Ms. Edelstein said. "Whatever the clinical or organizational skill they may practice, an orienting nurse preceptor is at their side to help guide them through the process." The program also has the new nurses reconvene as a group three times after starting the program after each month to share experiences and progress. "The orientation period is a crucial and highly influential time in any nurses career. It helps them to establish themselves as medical professionals while they are still learning," she said. "At Catholic Health, our top priority is to ensure our nursing staff both the newly graduated and those with experience coming from other health organizations have a solid foundation on which they can develop emotionally, clinically and professionally." Transitioning the transition The transition to practice from medical and clinical education was named the No.1 patient safety concern of 2024 by ECRI safety experts, but it's one Akin Demehin, the senior director of quality and patient safety at the American Hospital Association, has seen listed various times before, and heard vocalized by association members. "The transition to practice has always been an area that hospitals and health systems have been quite attentive to," Mr. Demehin told Becker's. "When a new clinician comes in for practice, they come with a lot of clinical preparation; they come with a lot of educational preparation; and they come with some practical experiencebut hospitals know that no matter what that preparation is, every individual has to be oriented to policies in the organization's approach to patient safety systems like EHR and other processes that are used to deliver care In that environment." Because there is not a cookie-cutter solution to be replicated for every hospital, Mr. Demehin said some systems have creatively brought in more resources or introduced mentorship programs, virtual platforms and educational opportunities to supplement training and onboarding. But what's most important is not following a standard approach, but ensuring that these newly onboarding clinicians are being heard. "Always set up in-person conversations and talk about how things are going to check-in," he said. "One of the things that hospitals know is an important driver of patient safety is the workplace culture. We have seen hospitals really doubling down on building cultures that are supportive of the delivery of safe care, making sure that all staff, no matter their experience level but especially those who may be newer know that they'll be supported in raising potential patient safety issues." What else can hospitals do? Other systems have turned to solutions ranging from the addition of virtual nursing, wellness initiatives to support nurse mental health, and other reinforcement tactics. The increase in simulation training done during the pandemic also brought on a need to "expand and enhance the transitional training hospitals provide," Susan Stone, PhD, RN chief nurse executive at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, told Becker's. Meeting nurses where they are today is critical, since nursing, from a national perspective, has also seen "an increase in nurses either retiring or transitioning to work outside the clinical setting," she said. Part of meeting them where they are not only includes reflection on what these new nurse graduates have been through during their educational programs throughout the pandemic, but also recognizes that nurses today want more in their careers. In addition to transitioning them into practice, transitioning them for internal mobility is also important, Dr. Stone said. "The transitional training programs we provide include didactic reinforcement and education for policy and procedure, along with clinical training and performance validation to equip our people with the knowledge and training required for optimal clinical outcomes, and optimal patient and family experiences," Dr. Sharp said. That's something Ms. Edelstein emphasized as well. Catholic Health also provides yearlong residencies to nurses that help them build further confidence in a specialty area they choose. "[The] yearlong residencies [are] designed to help them master the medical specialty they will be working in," Ms. Edelstein said. "We invest a great deal of time and money to ensure that our nurses are confident, clinically competent and fully prepared to care for patients according to the exact needs of their specialty." The soft skills While educational and clinical preparation are vital to onboarding and transitioning any new nurse into successful bedside practice, one of the things enveloped by the pandemic's onset was in-person patient interactions and social skills for the workplace, all three experts told Becker's. "Every hospital and health system has a workforce that is usually comprised of multiple generations working alongside one another," Mr. Demehin said. "We already know technologies and communication styles do change across generations. So one of the things I've heard members do [to assist with the transition to practice] is provide educational offerings for everyone in the organization rather than just new clinicians to sort of help folks get acclimated to what it means to practice in a multi-generational environment and give them tips and practices on how to make sure that everyone no matter what generation they're from or what their experience level is feels welcomed, respected and supported in a care environment." At Catholic Health, Ms. Edelstein said as part of the system's segmented transition to practice meetings which occur 30, 60 and 90 days throughout the three-month program, they also bring in clinical staff who aren't part of the training. This allows the newer nurse graduates to decompress, communicate with peers and also ask questions in a focused, supported setting with more seasoned members of the staff. U.S. workers' confidence in their careers is now lower than it was at the height of the pandemic, according to LinkedIn's most recent Workforce Confidence survey. LinkedIn's market research team surveyed 34,637 U.S. professionals from Dec. 30, 2023 to July 12, 2024, scoring their confidence on a scale from -100 to +100. Workers' confidence in their ability to progress in their careers has declined since the start of 2024 and now sits at +24. This score is down from +28 in 2020 when COVID-19 spurred many workplaces to shut down, according to the report. The decline has been especially pronounced among male workers this year, whose confidence in their careers dropped from +32 in January to +24 in July. Historically, men have reported higher confidence in their careers than women. LinkedIn's analysts did not explain the reasons behind this year's drop in confidence, but factors such as a loosening labor market, decreasing worker engagement, and a growing trust gap between managers and employees may be contributing. Learn more here. The new office block at Ebrington in Derrys Waterside. Picture Martin McKeown. Respected Derry company Alchemy is considering moving into the Grade A office blocks at Ebrington. The former Army base was handed back to the city over 20 years ago but an anchor tenant in the office space is seen as key to its overall success. Construction on the glass fronted units began back in 2019. At one time there were high hopes that Allstate would occupy them but those plans fell through in 2021. Alchemy Technology Services, founded and developed by Derry man John Harkin, has grown to become a key provider of technology and consulting services to the global insurance sector. Ebrington Plaza. Picture Martin McKeown. Alchemy recently acquired London management consultancy firm r10 Consulting for an undisclosed sum. It was also awarded the Kings Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade in May. It current employs more than 200 people. The Belfast Telegraph has learned that Alchemys current lease in Duncreggan Road in the city is up later this year and it is currently looking at a variety of options around the city. A spokesperson for Alchemy said: Ebrington Plaza remains as one of the options we are looking at in the city and we will confirm our plans when they are finalised. Meanwhile, plans by EY to develop a new hub in the north west are progressing well, according to Invest NI. Last year, EY said it would be creating new roles over the next five years in a move that will bring the total EY headcount to 1,900 in the region. It currently has around 900 staff here. There was some speculation that the company may avail of office space at Ebrington. When asked for the latest on these plans, Invest NI said: The project is progressing well and EY is progressing with its plans to establish a hub in the North West. The company will announce the location of the hub at the appropriate time. The Executive Office which currently owns and runs the Ebrington site was contacted for comment. More than 5,000 students will be accommodated at the site when completed A sketch of the Fallowfield redevelopment project, for which NI construction company Graham has been selected as the preferred bidder Co Down construction company Graham has been selected as the preferred bidder for a major student accommodation building project. The Fallowfield campus redevelopment is the UKs largest student accommodation development, and will see 5,400 student beds provided upon completion. The University of Manchester has chosen Graham for the project, alongside infrastructure company Equitix and facilities management company Derwent. The Fallowfield site is nearby Manchester Universitys main buildings. The redevelopment will see new rooms added, as well as 3,300 bedrooms being updated. The University of Manchester say this is a much needed update to one of our most popular student campuses, and add that they will work with the neighbours to ensure the surrounding community can benefit as much as possible from the redevelopment project. There will be several phases to the project, beginning with the ongoing demolition of the Owens Park Tower and the surrounding buildings. The buildings have been closed for several years, and the demolition work is due to be finished in early 2025. Graham is a construction company headquartered in Hillsborough, Co Down, that employs around 2,300 people. It had a turnover in 2023 of 1.1bn, resulting in a pre-tax profit of 15.1m. It cam 35th in the Belfast Telegraphs list of the Top 100 Companies in Northern Ireland 2024. Graham CEO Andrew Bill said: Graham is delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Manchester to deliver its vision for the Fallowfield Residences Redevelopment Programme. "Together, we will focus on creating an exemplar sustainable campus that will enhance the experience of the Universitys next generation of students. Dr Simon Merrywest, director for the student experience at the University of Manchester said: We are delighted to have reached another key milestone in the progression of our plans for the Fallowfield Campus Redevelopment with the selection of Viridis as preferred bidder and our delivery partner. "Clearly, there remains a lot of work to do in order to reach financial close on this exciting programme by summer 2025. A perverted care worker has been barred from the profession after confessing to sex offences against a teenage girl he was in a position of trust over. Disgraced carer Johnny Ritchie (29) was given a jail sentence at Londonderry Crown Court earlier this year after he pleaded guilty to five charges of intentionally sexually touching a girl he knew to be aged under 18. The Chief Executive of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has resigned. Dr Cathy Jack held the role of chief executive for four years after taking it up in 2020. She has marked 37 years working in healthcare. Dr Jack first joined the consultant medical staff in Belfasts Royal Victoria Hospital as a geriatrician in 2004 before becoming deputy medical director in 2008, followed by medical director in 2014 and deputy chief executive in 2017. A Health Trust spokesperson said: "Dr Jack has led the organisation through a challenging landscape for health and social care, including a global pandemic. She embodies health service values and has worked diligently to ensure our patients and service users have received the best possible care. "Dr Jack is passionate about staff engagement and spent time listening to staff to better understand their experiences and provide support. "Belfast Trust would wish to pay tribute to Dr Jack for her unwavering commitment to Belfast Trust and her wider contribution to health and social care in Northern Ireland." Ciaran Mulgrew, Belfast Trust Chair, said: On behalf of Trust Board I want to thank Cathy for her dedication and leadership to the people we serve and she leaves with our sincere thanks and best wishes. News Catch Up: Friday 26 July Supporters protest outside the Danish embassy in Dublin calling for the release of veteran environmental activist Paul Watson, who has been detained in Greenland (Brian Lawless/PA) A protest has been held outside the Danish embassy in Dublin calling for the release of veteran environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson. Mr Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen, is a former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose direct action tactics, including high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels, have drawn support from A-list celebrities. He was arrested in the Danish territory of Greenland on Sunday when his ship docked in Nuuk on foot of an international arrest warrant issued by Japan. The Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) said he would be detained in Nuuk until August 15 at least, to give the Danish justice ministry time to investigate the case and possible extradition. Environmental campaigner Paul Watson (Markus Schreiber/AP) At a protest outside the Danish embassy in Dublin, protesters wore fox and badger masks, wrapped themselves in ropes and chanted is it a crime to save the oceans, is it a crime to save the whales, is it a crime to save the dolphins? No. A letter was handed in by protesters to the Danish embassy urging them to release Watson. Alex Neubauer of the Irish branch of the CPWF told the PA news agency that Watsons arrest came as an absolute shock. He said that although he has heard Mr Watson is in good spirits, he is facing a prison sentence of up to 15 years in Japan, and there are fears that if he is sent there he may never leave. Paul Watson was actually two weeks ago in Dublin and we thought he was free to travel, he told PA. But it looks like the Japanese government made a confidential Red Notice so no one could see it. We are getting in contact all over the world, with politicians, with celebrities to ask for Paul Watson to be freed. People take part in a protest outside the Danish embassy in Dublin calling for the release of anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson (Brian Lawless/PA) He said they have petitions and have set up a website to help people send letters to embassies and politicians to increase pressure to release the activist. Captain Paul Watson saved whales, he kicked a Japanese whaling fleet out of the southern oceans. He always says if the oceans die, we all die. So what we do, were saving the whales but were also saving humanity. He said he hoped the Irish government would push for Watsons release. For Denmark, I say only one thing: the world is watching you. The court heard Kacey Clarke had texted a relative and told her she had been taking balloons, which was slang for inhaling nitrous oxide (PA) A 16-year-old boy has been found guilty of killing a woman during a row after they both inhaled laughing gas last Christmas Eve. The youth, who cannot be identified, had rowed with Kacey Clarke, 22, and stabbed her in the chest in a flat in Bermondsey, south-east London. Earlier that evening he was caught on CCTV threatening to ching her up and kill her, the Old Bailey heard. Like the victim, the boy was said to have a history of inhaling nitrous oxide commonly known as laughing gas which was classified a class C drug in November 2023 in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. A search of the defendants bedroom revealed a large collection of canisters, a jury was told. After the killing, the youth hid the weapon a large knife in a railway arch where it was later discovered by a Thames Water workman on January 17. The court heard he had a history of possessing knives, having been caught with a 25cm long Rambo-style blade in an ice cream shop and a lock knife in his waistband in a residential area. In all, he had convictions for 25 offences between April 2022 and September 2023 and was subject to an electronically monitored tag at the time of Ms Clarkes death. The crimes were mainly for theft and handling stolen goods and included an incident in April 2023 when he snatched a mobile phone from a woman who was injured when they both fell over, the court was told. The defendant denied Ms Clarkes murder in a row sparked by the loss of her car keys. Giving evidence, the boy admitted that he had taken laughing gas and claimed he had acted in self defence. A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for 13 hours and 23 minutes to find the boy guilty of manslaughter. Moments before, the defendant had flashed a smile at family members from the dock as he was cleared of the more serious charge of murder. Judge Simon Mayo KC ordered pre-sentence reports and said he would sentence the boy at a later date. Previously, prosecutor Jane Osborne KC had said the defendant had lost his temper with mother-of-one Ms Clarke. The prosecutor said: They might have been arguing, they might even have been fighting, but that argument met a fatal end when (the defendant) armed himself with a very large knife and used it to stab (Ms Clarke). His intention to stab is nowhere more evident than on the audio footage which records him shouting that he is going to ching her up and kill her. Earlier that evening, Ms Clarke had texted a relative and told her she had been taking balloons, which was slang for inhaling nitrous oxide. When challenged about it, Ms Clarke told the relative that she shouldnt be boring because it was Christmas. Another relative, texted to say Ms Clarke was buzzin like nothing, the court was told. Police and paramedics were called just after 10pm and found Ms Clarke was lying on the kitchen floor of the Bermondsey flat with a single stab wound to the chest. The defendant was arrested nearby around 45 minutes later. He had been wearing Croc shoes and blood was found on his bare toe, jurors were told. Clumps of his hair that appeared to have been ripped from the scalp were also recovered from the scene, the court heard. A broken lamp and picture frame were found on the floor of the living room as well as a bag of the clothes believed to belong to the victim beside two large 640g nitrous oxide canisters, jurors were told. In a police interview, the defendant offered a prepared statement in which he said Ms Clarke had become angry that she could not find her car keys. She smashed a lamp and threw something at the defendant, hitting him on the side of the face, he said. A fight ensued with Ms Clarke grabbing his hair, he claimed. Ms Clarke then burst into a room holding a knife and the boy said he picked up a blade and waved it to create an invisible shield, the court heard. He said he thought she was lying when she said she had been stabbed as he had no recollection of making contact, according to the statement. Following the verdicts on Friday, the defendant was remanded into custody. BBC racing commentator John Hunt has told friends that every message of support feels like a hug following the deaths of his wife and two daughters in a crossbow attack, a colleague has said. Matt Chapman, an ITV commentator, said Mr Hunt was very thankful that people are thinking about him and his third daughter, Amy, following the attack in their Hertfordshire home earlier this month. His wife Carol Hunt, 61, and two of their daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were found fatally injured at the house in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, on July 9. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Chapman said Mr Hunt had told him that every message thats been sent, every one of those messages feels like a hug. Three people were found fatally injured at a house in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, on July 9 (Jonathan Brady/PA) As far as whats happened, its still beyond belief that this could happen to anyone, a family in the world, Mr Chapman said. The message from all of us is when you need us [John], we are here. A GoFundMe page set up to support Mr Hunt and Amy has passed its target of 100,000, which Mr Chapman said shows from the horror of this event, we have seen the other side of human nature it just reminds us theres goodness out there in the world. Kyle Clifford, 26, was arrested on suspicion of three counts of murder after he was found with injuries in the Hilly Fields area of Enfield, north London, on July 11. Hertfordshire Police said he remains in hospital under arrest and continues to receive treatment, but that officers have not yet been able to interview him due to his condition. In a previous statement, Mr Hunt and Amy said: The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words. We would like to thank people for their kind messages and for the support we have received in recent days. These have provided great comfort to us for which we are very grateful. As you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for us, and we need time and space to come to terms with what has happened and start the grieving process. There has been a second night of protests over the man kicked and stamped on by a police officer at Manchester Airport. Roads and tram lines were blocked in Manchester city centre on Thursday night by people angry at the incident which has led to a Greater Manchester Police officer being suspended. Videos online appeared to show a handful of demonstrators with their faces covered, throwing eggs at Rochdale police station on Thursday night. The family of the man are particularly shocked by what happened because some of their family members are police officers, newly elected Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh said after speaking to them. The footage, filmed at Manchester Airports terminal two on Tuesday, appeared to show an officer kick and stamp on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him. The video also appeared to show the officer strike a second man. A Stand Up To Racism demonstration was held in Manchester (James Speakman/PA) Police said three of their officers had been assaulted, including a female police constable who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested. Posting on social media, on Thursday night Mr Waugh said it is clear they (the family) are deeply traumatised by what happened. The family, who are his constituents, have two priorities, he said, the health and wellbeing of those involved including their mother, and the need for justice to be done. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Waugh said: This is a hardworking Rochdale family, some of whose members are police officers themselves and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have witnessed. He went on: The family also want me to make it crystal clear that they have no political agenda, do not condone political violence and do not want to take part in any protests. They wanted me to appeal for calm and I hope that appeal is heeded. While there is clearly deep concern about this incident, there is also a vital need not to let extremists of any kind hijack these events for their own ends. The protest began outside the office of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham (James Speakman/PA) On Thursday evening, a few hundred protesters gathered outside the office of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as part of a Stand Up To Racism demonstration, chanting slogans such as No justice, no peace, no racist police. Placards included black lives matter, serve and protect means GMB will stamp on our heads and GMP is racist. They then marched through the city blocking roads and tram lines. Protester Nahella Ashraf, co-chairwoman of Greater Manchester Stand up to Racism, said she was horrified by the level of police brutality and called for all the police officers involved to be suspended. Fellow protester Shah Rahman, from Oldham, claimed communities were very scared when police have no limits. Crowds had gathered also outside Rochdale police station late on Wednesday, some chanting GMP shame on you. Solicitor Akhmed Yakoob said the family was OK but traumatised (James Speakman/PA) Mr Burnham, who met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss the incident, also asked for calm, saying the right and proper steps had been taken. Speaking to media outside Rochdale police station, the familys solicitor Akhmed Yakoob said: The family are OK but they are traumatised. He said the condition of one of the men had worsened and said a CT scan revealed a cyst on his brain. The regional director of police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Catherine Bates, promised a thorough and robust independent investigation. A team of Polish divers has discovered the wreckage of an old sailing ship loaded to the brim with luxury goods including porcelain items and about 100 bottles of Champagne and mineral water about 190ft deep off the Swedish coast. They believe the precious goods could have been on the way to the royal table in Stockholm or the Russian tsars residence in St Petersburg when the ship sank some time in the second half of the 19th century, according to the leader of the team, Tomasz Stachura. A diver from the Polish team inspects the wreckage (Marek Cacaj/Baltictech/AP) The private Baltictech group of divers, who search for shipwrecks on the Baltic seabed, made the discovery on July 11 while checking spots of interest about 20 nautical miles south of the isle of Oland. They were ready to call it a day, but two divers, Marek Cacaj and Pawel Truszynski, decided to make a quick dive and emerged two hours later with the news of the wreckage and its valuable cargo. I have been diving for 40 years, and it often happens that we find a bottle or two in a wreck, but to discover so much cargo, its a first for me, Mr Stachura told the Associated Press this week. The 19th century ship was discovered on the seabed about 20 nautical miles south of the Swedish isle of Oland (Marek Cacaj/Baltictech/AP) The mineral water, with the brand Selters imprinted on the stoneware bottles, was believed at the time to have medical properties. The Champagne brand is still to be determined but the letter R could be seen on one cork, Mr Stachura said. He said he believes the contents are still in good condition. At this depth the wreckage is perfectly preserved, the temperature is constant, there are no currents and its dark, he said. That preserves the wreckage in a wonderful way. The treasure included bottles of Champagne (Tomasz Stachura/Baltictech/AP) He said Champagne and Selters experts have already contacted Baltictech and are interested in doing laboratory tests on the contents of the bottles, but it is Swedish authorities who will decide the next steps in exploring the wreck. Divers from Baltictech previously discovered the wreck of the SS Karlsruhe, the last ship to leave Koenigsberg in 1945 as part of the evacuation of German civilians in the Second World War. This image provided by the U.S. Department of State shows Ismael El Mayo Zambada, a historic leader of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel. Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday, July 25, 2024. (U.S. Department of State via AP) Ismael El Mayo Zambada, a long-time leader of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopeza, son of infamous cartel leader El Chapo, were arrested by US authorities in Texas, the US Justice Department said. A leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for decades alongside Joaquin Guzman, Zambada is one of the most notorious drug traffickers in the world and is known for running the cartels smuggling operations while keeping a lower profile. A Mexican federal official told The Associated Press that Zambada and Guzman Lopez arrived in the US on a private plane and turned themselves into authorities. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter. Joaquin Guzman Lopez (US Department of State/AP) The US government had offered a reward of up to 15 million dollars (11.6 million) for information leading to Zambadas capture. Zambada and Guzman Lopez, who have eluded authorities for decades, oversaw the alleged trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence, FBI director Christopher Wray said, adding that now they will face justice in the United States. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable, attorney general Merrick Garland said in a statement. Mexican authorities did not immediately comment on the arrests. US officials have been seeking Zambadas capture for years, and he has been charged in several US cases. He was charged in February in the Eastern District of New York with conspiring to manufacture and distribute the synthetic opioid. Prosecutors said he was continuing to lead the Sinaloa cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Zambada, one of the longest-surviving capos in Mexico, was considered the cartels strategist, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, El Chapo Guzman, who was sentenced to life in prison in the US in 2019 and is the father of Guzman Lopez. FBI director Christopher Wray (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Zambada is an old-fashioned capo in an era of younger kingpins known for their flamboyant lifestyles of club-hopping and brutal tactics of beheading, dismembering, and even skinning their rivals. While Zambada has fought those who challenged him, he is known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention. In an April 2010 interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso, he acknowledged that he lived in constant fear of going to prison and would contemplate suicide rather than be captured. Im terrified of being incarcerated, Zambada said. Id like to think that, yes, I would kill myself. The interview was surprising for a kingpin known for keeping his head down, but he gave strict instructions on where and when the encounter would take place, and the article gave no hint of his whereabouts. Zambada reputedly won the loyalty of locals in his home state of Sinaloa and neighbouring Durango through his largess, sponsoring local farmers and distributing money and beer in his birthplace of El Alamo. Zambada started gaining the trust of Colombian traffickers, allegiances that helped him come out on top in the cartel world of ever-shifting alliances. Eventually, he became so powerful that he broke off from the Juarez cartel, but he still managed to maintain strong ties with the gang and avoid a turf war. He also developed a partnership with El Chapo Guzman that would take him to the top of the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambadas detention follows some important arrests of other Sinaloa cartel figures, including one of his sons and another son of El Chapo Guzman, Ovidio Guzman Lopez. In recent years, Guzmans sons have led a faction of the cartel known as the little Chapos, or Chapitos, that has been identified as a main exporter of fentanyl to the US market. They were seen as more violent and flamboyant than Zambada. Their security chief was arrested by Mexican authorities in November. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested and extradited to the US last year. He pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in Chicago in September. Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Agency, said Zambadas arrest is important but unlikely to have much impact on the flow of drugs to the US as Joaquin Guzman Lopez was the least influential of the four sons who made up the Chapitos. This is a great blow for the rule of law, but is it going to have an impact on the cartel? I dont think so, he said. Its not going to have a dent on the drug trade because somebody from within the cartel is going to replace him. Vice President Kamala Harris said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza can return home. Ms Harris said she had a frank and constructive conversation with Mr Netanyahu in which she affirmed Israels right to defend itself but also expressed deep concern about the high death toll in Gaza over nine months of war and the dire humanitarian situation there. With all eyes on the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Ms Harris largely reiterated President Joe Bidens longstanding message that it is time to find an endgame to the brutal war in Gaza, where more than 39,000 Palestinians have died. Yet she offered a more forceful tone about the urgency of the moment just one day after Mr Netanyahu gave a fiery speech to United States Congress in which he defended the war, vowed total victory against Hamas and made relatively scant mention of ceasefire negotiations. There has been hopeful movement in the talks to secure an agreement on this deal, Ms Harris told reporters shortly after meeting Mr Netanyahu. And as I just told prime minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. Mr Netanyahu met separately earlier in the day with Mr Biden, who has also been calling on Israel and Hamas to agree on a US-backed, three-phase deal to bring home remaining hostages and establish an extended ceasefire. Ms Harris said after her meeting with Mr Netanyahu that Israels war in Gaza is more complicated than simply being supportive of one side or the other. Too often, the conversation is binary when the reality is anything but, she said. Ms Harris also condemned Hamas brutality. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby reiterated the administrations position that the militant group that killed some 1200 on October 7 and kidnapped 250 people from Israel ultimately holds responsibility for the suffering in Gaza and must come to terms with Israel. Mr Kirby added that gaps between the two sides can be closed but there are issues that need to be resolved that will require some leadership, some compromise. With Ms Harris forceful comments, the administration also appeared to be stepping up pressure on the Israelis to not let the moment pass to reach a deal. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time, Ms Harris said. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent. Thousands protested Mr Netanyahus visit to Washington, and Ms Harris condemned those who were violent or used rhetoric that praised Hamas. Mr Netanyahu, last at the White House when former president Donald Trump was in office, is headed to Florida on Friday to meet with the Republican presidential nominee. Ahead of the Harris-Netanyahu meeting, Mr Trump said at a rally in North Carolina the vice president was totally against the Jewish people. Ms Harris has long spoken of her strong support for Israel. The first overseas trip of her Senate career in early 2017 was to Israel, and one of her first acts in office was to introduce a resolution opposing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel. She has also spoken of her personal ties to Israel, including memories of raising money as a child to plant trees in Israel and installing a mezuzah near the front door of the vice presidents residence in Washington her husband is Jewish. She also has connections to pro-Israel groups, including the conservative American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the liberal J Street. For Ms Harris, the meeting with the Israeli prime minister was an opportunity to demonstrate her mettle as commander in chief. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Julia Nikhinson/AP) She is being scrutinised by those on the political left who say Mr Biden has not done enough to force Mr Netanyahu to end the war and by Republicans looking to brand her as insufficient in her support for Israel. In what will likely be his last White House meeting with the outgoing president, Mr Netanyahu reflected on the roughly 40 years they have known each other and thanked Mr Biden for his service. From a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel, Mr Netanyahu said. A US-backed proposal to release remaining hostages in Gaza over three phases is something that would be a legacy-affirming achievement for Mr Biden, who abandoned his re-election bid and endorsed Ms Harris. Following their talks, Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu met with the families of American hostages. Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, said the families received an ironclad commitment from leaders to get the deal done. He said he was more hopeful than at any time since Hamas released more than 100 hostages during a temporary ceasefire in November. There is more reason today than in any time since the last round of hostage releases that something can happen, he said. Former film mogul Harvey Weinstein has been transferred from a New York City jail to a hospital to undergo treatment for a variety of health problems including Covid-19 and pneumonia in both lungs, his representatives said. Weinstein, who is awaiting trial in New York on rape and sexual assault charges, was moved from the citys Rikers Island jail complex to a locked ward at Bellevue Hospital. The other conditions he was to be treated for included diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, and fluid on his heart and lungs, according to a statement released by Weinsteins publicist that attributed the health information to Craig Rothfeld, Weinsteins prison consultant. Weinstein has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone (Andrew Kelly/Pool Photo via AP) We continue to express our gratitude to the officers, doctors and nurses in the citys corrections and public hospital systems who saw to it that Mr Weinstein was immediately transferred to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward, said the publicist, Juda Engelmayer. Weinstein has had at least one stint at Bellevue before, after he was first brought to New York City for legal proceedings related to his rape case. Weinstein, 72, was found guilty in 2020 of rape and sexual assault. The conviction was tossed out by appeals judges who said jurors should not have heard testimony from women who had accused the film producer of misconduct but whose allegations were not part of the case. A retrial has been scheduled for November. While his conviction was thrown out, Weinstein has remained behind bars 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. Weinstein has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone. At a recent court hearing, Weinsteins lawyers had said he was in poor health and asked for him to be transferred from the jail to the hospital. Donald Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time in four years. As president, Mr Trump exceeded his predecessors in fulfilling the Israeli leaders top wishes from the United States. Yet by the time the former president left the White House, relations between the two had broken down after Mr Netanyahu rapidly congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential victory. Both are interested in overcoming their differences. For Mr Trump, now the Republican presidential nominee, the meeting could cast him as an ally and statesman, as well as sharpen efforts by Republicans to portray themselves as the party most loyal to Israel. That is as divisions among Americans over US support for Israels war against Hamas in Gaza open cracks in what has been decades of strong bipartisan backing for Israel, the biggest recipient of US aid. For Mr Netanyahu, who was in the United States to address Congress and meet with incumbent President Joe Biden, repairing relations with Mr Trump is imperative because he may once again become president of the United States, Israels main arms supplier and protector. For both men, Fridays meeting at Mar-a-Lago will highlight their home audiences depiction of themselves as strong leaders who have gotten big things done on the world stage and can again. One political gamble for Mr Netanyahu is whether he could get more of the terms he wants in any deal on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release and his much-hoped-for closing of a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia if he waits out the Biden administration in hopes that Mr Trump wins. Former US president Donald Trumps relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu broke down in the aftermath of the 2020 US presidential election (AP) Benjamin Netanyahu has spent much of his career in the last two decades in tethering himself to the Republican Party, said Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat for Arab-Israeli negotiations, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. For the next six months, that means mending ties with an irascible, angry president, Mr Miller said, meaning Mr Trump. Relations between the two soured in 2021 after the Israeli prime minister became one of the first world leaders to congratulate Mr Biden for his presidential election victory, disregarding Mr Trumps false claim he had won. Bibi could have stayed quiet, Mr Trump said in an interview with an Israel newspaper back then. He made a terrible mistake. The pair last met at a September 2020 White House signing ceremony for the signature diplomatic achievement of both mens political careers. The accord brokered by the Trump administration involved the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreeing to establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel. For Israel, it amounted to the two countries formally recognising it for the first time. It was a major step in what Israel hopes will be an easing of tensions and a broadening of economic ties with its Arab neighbours. In public postings and statements after his break with Mr Netanyahu, the former president portrayed himself as having stuck his neck out for Israel as president and Mr Netanyahu paying him back with disloyalty. Mr Trump also has criticised Israels prime minister on other points, faulting him as not prepared for the October 7 Hamas attacks that started the war in Gaza, for example. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In his high-profile speech to Congress on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu gave recognition to Mr Biden, who has kept up military and diplomatic support for Israels offensive in Gaza despite opposition from within his Democratic Party. However, Mr Netanyahu praised Mr Trump, thanking him for all the things he did for Israel. Mr Netanyahu listed actions by the Trump administration long-sought by Israeli governments the US officially saying Israel had sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured from Syria during a 1967 war; a tougher policy toward Iran; and declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel, breaking with longstanding US policy that Jerusalems status should be decided in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. I appreciated that, Mr Trump told Fox & Friends on Thursday, referring to Mr Netanyahus praise. He did not quiet his criticism, however, of Israels conduct of the war, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians. I want him to finish up and get it done quickly. You gotta get it done quickly, because they are getting decimated with his publicity, Mr Trump said in Thursdays interview. Israel is not very good at public relations, Ill tell you that, he added. Look closer to home for one of the most despicable acts of racism in football and the shameful 1988 'Banana Match' between Linfield and Glentoran Sir Patrick Mayhew sent a highly classified message to John Major just 12 days after arriving in Belfast Patrick Mayhew, who was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1992-1997, said he 'heartily disliked' David Trimble Under Prime Minister John Major, he held the role between 1992 and 1997, a time when the peace process was just beginning and the Troubles were still raging. More information about the period, which was previously shrouded in secrecy, has emerged. The Belfast Telegraphs Sam McBride has now discovered a secret briefing written by Mayhew to then Prime Minister Major in the national archives in Kew, London. It suggests the IRA was in a stronger position in the early 90s than previously thought, and questions some of the received wisdom about the intelligence war against the Provisionals. The highly classified memos also show how a post-Cold-war military shrinkage meant that there werent enough troops to give Mayhew what he wanted to combat the IRA. In this episode, which is the 4th episode of The BelTels series on the Kew Files, Ciaran Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride to reveal his recent findings from the national archives in Kew, London. The Kew Files: Sam McBride unveils secret memos on NI Secretary of States IRA Intelligence concerns This episode of The BelTel is part of a series of podcasts on The Kew Files. The Previous episode covered IRA decommissioning and how it almost collapsed the Good Friday Agreement. BENNINGTON A Rutland man, charged with sexually assaulting a teenage runaway in one case and then another runaway under the age of 16 four days later in September 2023, was arraigned and held without bail in Bennington after police in Manchester, New Hampshire, arrested him on two outstanding Vermont warrants. A judge must now decide whether to keep him without bail or release him pending a final outcome in the cases. James A. Gathright, 56, was charged with four counts from two separate incidents last September. On September 18th, Gathright allegedly engaged in a sexual act without consent. Four days later, Gathright allegedly sexually assaulted a minor. Both incidents happened in Bennington and prompted an arrest warrant after he left the Bennington area. Gathright is charged with four felony sexual assault counts two sexual assault without consent charges, lewd and lascivious conduct, and sexual assault with a victim under 16. He faces a maximum life sentence on three of the four charges if he is found guilty as a charged habitual offender. He faces an additional 20-year sentence if found guilty of the sexual assault on the minor. Vermont law considers a defendant with three or more felony convictions a habitual offender, allowing state prosecutors to enhance any further felony charges with a possible life sentence penalty. Gathright was at a contested weight of evidence hearing Friday afternoon to determine whether he should continue to be held without bail, released on bail, or released on conditions. The hearing would also determine whether the preliminary evidence in the case was great, allowing for a continued hold. Gathrights mother and sister testified on his behalf, telling the judge that he could reside with them in New Hampshire until his trial and that they would alert authorities if Gathright strayed from his conditions if released. Gathright, who has two separate attorneys on the two separate cases, appeared at the courthouse in shackles and smiled at the family members when he entered and after they testified. Prosecutor Jared Bianchi, on cross-examination of Gathrights mother, was able to establish that Gathright struggled with addiction for many years and that his mother knew of at least one New Hampshire conviction involving underage women similar to the age of one of the victims in this case. Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady, pressed for time after Gathrights delayed transport from corrections, took the matter under advisement and told the court she would release her decision in a written order sometime in the next few days. Gathright pleaded not guilty to all four counts at his arraignment on July 8th. According to police affidavits in the case, on Sept. 18, 2023, an emergency nurse at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center reported to police that Gathright allegedly assaulted a runaway student from the Vermont School for Girls after befriending the student and forcing her down to a river bank trail behind Apollo Fuels in Bennington. In a second incident four days later, a parent reported to police that a female under 16 had recently run away from home. As the victim walked near the KFC on Northside Drive in Bennington, a man on a bicycle, Gathright, allegedly offered the victim cigarettes and alcohol. He then allegedly took the victim to the bicycle path near Cumberland Farms and onto an empty building where he is accused of sexually assaulting her. Later, DNA evidence taken from the victim allegedly matched Gathrights DNA profile in the CODIS offender database. Vermont State Police stated attempts were made to contact Gathright to no avail. Bennington Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady signed two arrest warrants in April, instructing law enforcement to hold Gathright without bail on the sexual assault under 16 and lewd and lascivious arrest warrant. The second warrant had a $25,000 cash or surety bond. It was believed that Gathright left the Bennington area sometime in November 2023, allegedly after finding out the police were searching for him. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series. The trail had been cold for years in the 1930 murder of Bennington cab driver Michael Kane. Pre-indictments had already been issued at the time for Harry Pincus, Pittsfields famed strongman-swimmer, and two unidentified suspects but no one knew quite where to look. Then in 1936, an informant came to NYPD about a woman whod been crying into her drink at a Brooklyn bar, proceeding to tell a story about how her ex had murdered a cab driver upstate. Investigators quickly traced the woman, Jean Mack, and William Franco, a former New York City boxer with a prior gambling conviction. A confession was initially obtained from Franco, but thrown out because it was obtained after beating him with a rubber hose. In the end, the case all came down to their primary witness, Jean Mack, about whom they knew almost nothing, except that her photo was confirmed by witnesses as the one seen in the getaway car with Harry Pincus. She said she could not recall the date or place of her birth, or the name of any family. Shed been with Franco since they and Pincus planned to rob Michael Kane she said had not known hed killed him until after. Recently, hed rejected her and become engaged to another woman. In many ways, she was a less-than-ideal least ideal witness, but her account of the day of the murder remained exact and unflappable under cross-examination, and jurors were moved by her account. Franco was convicted; initially sentenced to death, his execution was commuted and he got paroled in 1955. The circumstances of Pincus capture were similarly unusual. In 1940, a Newark police officer read about the case in a popular crime magazine, and as he showed it around, the photo of Pincus was recognized as a worker at a nearby glass company. Living with a new wife as Jack Brenner for years, hed actually installed windows at the Newark police station. Harry Pincus was tried in the spring of 1941. This is about the time that his son Harold (father of Barry Manilow), whod been living in Brooklyn, began using his stepfather surname, Kelleher, instead of Pincus. There were excited rumors that the prosecution would call as their star witness Jean Mack, who had long been an object of press fascination. She had been an enigmatic lead since the day of the murder, described variously as the mysterious red-haired girl or the blonde sweetheart, seen with Pincus the day of the killing, and at Pontoosuc Lake in the days before it. They were clearly disappointed when he changed his plea to guilty mid-trial, and she disappeared back into anonymity. In fact, Jean Mack wasnt even her real name. Born Helen McAvage, she was originally from Wyoming, Pa. In the early 1920s was married briefly to Frank Kerenski, then possibly to a man named Thomas Mack. In New York, shed been a chorus girl in the controversial 1926 edition of Earl Carrolls "Vanities on Broadway." As such, she was probably present with the rest of the cast at his infamous bathtub party, the biggest Broadway scandal of the year. While most of the "Vanities" chorus girls were serving canapes in lingerie, Carroll instructed one inebriated cast member to get naked in a bathtub that was rolled out for his guests to drink champagne from. In an ensuing trial, the high-profile theater producer was sentenced to a year in jail for perjuring himself about the party. Eight months later, before the murder plot with Franco and Pincus, she was arrested in 1929 by NYPD for prostitution as Helen Mack, but not prosecuted. A decade later, she was arrested on a similar charge in Manhattan in July 1940, as Alice Winchell, pleading down to vagrancy. No one knew any of this during the trials of Franco and Pincus; no one realized these were all the same person as the mysterious star witness Jean Mack, despite her photo appearing in several Northeast newspapers and tabloid crime magazines. Then on June 9, 1948, the corpse of a 40-something woman with brown-gray hair was discovered by a tugboat passing in the Hudson River. The body had been tied to an iron weight, and was wearing only a gold ring with no inscription. An autopsy revealed her skull and larynx had been crushed. After fingerprinting, and subsequent identification by her Pennsylvania relatives, all the dots began to connect in the story of Helen/ Jean Mack. Relatives pointed her to Charles Wolford, aka Ray Winchell, a river barge captain. Charles had been arrested with her in 1940, and the two had apparently been living together ever since. Police caught up with Wolford, who quickly confessed that hed beaten Helen in a drunken argument on his boat. When he realized his blows had killed her, he undressed her and tied a weight to her. Kissing her goodbye, he pushed her into the river. Despite the weight she wouldnt sink, he said in his confession, bobbing back to the surface as though an accusation. The mystery of the key figure in one of the regions most famous murder cases had ended as it began, in senseless violence. This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle. LENOX For 40 years, the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum has been a magnet for rail buffs and anyone who fondly remembers regular passenger service from New York to the Berkshires that ended in 1970. The nonprofit that runs the museum out of the vintage 1903 Lenox train station across from Woods Pond on Willow Creek Road will celebrate its anniversary with two public events this weekend. Three cars of the historic Roger Williams train, under their own power for the first time in more than 30 years, will ride the rails south from Lenox to North Canaan, Conn. Starting in July 1984, the all-volunteer museum operated scenic train rides from Lenox and Lee to Great Barrington through 1989, when it lost the use of the tracks. In 2003, with the help of local elected officials, the group began offering scenic rides between Lenox and Stockbridge, attracting more than 100,000 passengers per season. But after nine successful seasons and with plans in the works for a dinner train, the organization was forced off the tracks again in 2011. Starting in April 2016, seasonal excursions were offered on an 8-mile run from Adams to North Adams using traditional diesel-powered locomotives hauling passenger cars or a 1955 Budd Rail Diesel Car, both of which are historically accurate for the route. A new fundraising campaign is being launched to help support the continued operation of those train rides. Thanks to the scenic rail rides, hundreds of thousands of people have seen the beauty of the Berkshires in a whole new way, said Tom Delasco, president of the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, in a prepared statement. Were holding these events to celebrate the work weve done and to hopefully kick off many more decades of educating and entertaining our visitors. The 40th anniversary celebration will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Lenox Station, 10 Willow Creek Road in Lenox Dale, at the eastern end of Housatonic Street. The station is on the National Register of Historic Places. At the Stockbridge train station, an outdoor concert will be presented at 3 p.m. Sunday by the Pellegrino Band. The anniversary event will include hors doeuvres and beverages, remarks from special guests starting at 5 p.m., and tours of the museum grounds. Tickets start at $40 per person. Tickets for the concert at the Stockbridge Station are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3 to 13. Visitors to the Lenox station can walk through the Roger Williams train, sit in the engineers seat and hear the engines run, but the trip to North Canaan, Conn., will not be open to the public. The train, originally six cars, was an innovative effort at high-speed rail service in 1956 by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. It was a forerunner of Amtraks Acela train operating in the Northeast Corridor since the year 2000. The train continued to operate into the Amtrak era until the surviving cars were sold into private ownership in the mid-1980s, according to Railfan Railroad Magazine. The train eventually ended up in storage at the Lincoln, N.H., Hobo Railroad (now the Granite State Scenic). Last year, the Lenox-based museum leased the surviving three cars from the Budd RDC Foundation. The Lenox Station museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Rail Diesel Cars were an efficient, innovative way that railroads continued to offer value to passengers even as automobile and airplane travel grew more popular after World War II, Delasco said. All three railroads serving the Berkshires in the 1950s used RDCs when they were introduced, and were glad that we can continue using these historically accurate cars on our scenic train rides. While we won't pretend to have all the answers on exactly how Lenox or any other community should adapt local regulations to this troubling housing paradigm, we would simply suggest that towns prepare for this debate that might be coming to a Town Hall near you if it hasn't already. What does the Democratic Party base in the Berkshires and those on the left make of presidential candidate Kamala Harris? By all appearances, Harris, the current vice president, will be the Democratic nominee for president in the upcoming election. The party nationally, the Berkshire delegation, and locals have consolidated around Harris without much hesitation, though some further to the left remain skeptical. The partys loosely comprised base locally and beyond people of color, working-class people, environmentalists and party loyalists are ready for Harris. Those further to the left, like the Berkshire Democratic Socialists of America, are resistant to Harriss centrist views on certain issues. CONQUERING APATHY Dennis Powell, president of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch, says he and the group are energized by Harriss ascendance to front-runner for her partys nomination. He will be in attendance at Harris's event Saturday. Asked if he thinks her rise has rallied the party base, he said, 600 percent. Its an injection of life. It was like going to the doctor, they bring the syringe, and they put life back into the democratic process, Powell said. They put hope back in, and its a chance for those of us who study history to now be a part of history. Powell spoke against the apathy hes heard from people who were disappointed between the two major parties nominees for president. He argued that not voting is in itself a vote. When he heard that type of thinking from his nurse, Powell urged them to vote for the many Americans whod struggled for that right. If youre a white woman, vote for the fact that there was a time in history you couldnt vote. Think about your ancestors who could not vote, and vote in their honor, he said. For young Black people, think about the number of Black people who died so you would have the right to vote. Think of your lineage, that there were slaves who could not vote. This is your time to correct history, and make history, he added. Powell singled out John Lewis and W.E.B. Du Bois for their work advancing civil rights, and, in the case of Du Bois, the longevity of the NAACP. Instead of nitpicking issues with Harris, Powell urged people to look for the good in her. POSTCARD CAMPAIGN Soon after Biden ended his campaign, making room for Harris, North Adams residents Sarah Sutro and Michael Bedford reignited their local political postcard-writing campaign, which they conduct regularly from their loft at the Eclipse Mill. On Wednesday, they wrote to their group, We likely are all very relieved that President Biden has halted his reelection campaign, and that [Vice President] Harris is poised to lead the democratic effort to halt the Trump-Vance campaign. Early results of the outpouring of support in volunteers, new voter registrations and donations is incredibly exciting, the email continues. We feel a cloud has lifted! Now the work begins in earnest." The campaigns typically render around 600 postcards, but with Harris's likely nomination, the group is expecting around 720. MOOD FOR LABOR Jeff Jones, president of the Western Mass Area Labor Federation, which is based in Springfield and covers the four western counties of the state, said that most major unions have endorsed Harris for president: Pretty much all of those national unions have come out in support of Harris with a vote of their executive councils. National decision-making goes to the federation's national office, which has already chosen to endorse Harris. We in the Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation have not taken an official position, Jones said. Our next regularly scheduled meeting is in August. That may very well be on the agenda. The federation includes a number of Berkshire unions, including UFCW Local 1459, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and teachers unions. Ian Rhodewalt, a field organizer for the federation, said that it has significant concerns about two people reportedly on the shortlist for Harriss VP pick: Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Rhodewalt said Kelly has voted down consequential pro-labor legislation in the past. Gov. Shapiro is an advocate of vouchers and charter schools, which divert public resources from public education, Rhodewalt said. Sen. Kelly and Gov. Shapiro are no friends of labor. ENVIRONMENT Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts is a volunteer group tied to the climate justice movement. Member Susan Theberge said the election will determine the fate of our climate, our democracy and our lives. Theberge said the organization is holding an event next month inviting all the climate organizers in the region out to plan how to impact the election with a strong environmental platform. We are on fire to get Kamala Harris elected, and the Democratic slate across the country, Theberge said. If shes there, we can work with her, we can organize. VIEW FROM THE LEFT While the Berkshire DSA plans to protest Harris visit on Saturday, and the Biden administrations continued military aid to Israel, it recognizes that there is a diversity of opinions held by the organizations and individuals coming to the protest. Theres no way we can speak for the diverse views of our membership, the group said to The Eagle via email Thursday. But the one thing we can agree on is that a candidate cannot support or be complicit in genocide and must advocate for the working class. As Pittsfield readies for Kamala Harris' visit, women in politics see hope for future Vice President Harris will be here less than a week after being catapulted from part of President Joe Biden's ticket to the Democrats' hope for retaining the White House. Cheryl Rose, of Dalton, is well-involved with progressive politics in the Berkshires, and is an active member of the state Green-Rainbow Partys Western Massachusetts chapter, which is an affiliate of the national Green Party. Rose questioned the excitement around Harriss visit to the Berkshires, saying its all about celebrity and money and out of reach of most Berkshire-ites. The patrons at this high-priced fundraiser will have a lovely evening with the 'star-studded cast' of invited guests gushing all over each other about how Democrats are saving democracy, Rose wrote in an email to The Eagle. They are fine with denying voters a fair and open primary, and chipping away at our right to dissent, including our right to support alternative candidates. RAINBOW COALITION Concerning former President Donald Trump, Powell does not permit himself to think about him. I dont want that energy in my spirit, he said. Hes already proven to me who he is. I looked for a reason to accept him, and there was none. Harriss candidacy is especially remarkable, Powell said, because, as he put it, She is her own rainbow coalition. Shes Jamaican, shes Black, shes a woman, shes of Indian descent, he said. Isnt that interesting, to hear we have someone who represents so many of the marginalized groups that have been under attack, who is now running for president of the United States of America? It does not get any better than that. Just hours before would-be rivals had to declare their candidacy, Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Pittsfield to raise funds for her own bid at the presidency. Here's what she had to say ... BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. According to the police, 95 Libyan nationals were arrested on suspicion of having been trained in a secret military camp in northern South Africa. Photo: Bulelwa Maphanga/AP/dpa Keystone Police in South Africa have discovered a suspected illegal military training camp. 95 Libyan nationals have been arrested in connection with it, the authorities have announced. The background to the camp in White River in the eastern province of Mpulamanga, not far from the border with the neighboring states of Mozambique and Eswatini, initially remained unclear. The site had been declared as a training center and had apparently been converted into an illegal military training base, the report continued. SDA When applying for their visas, the Libyans are said to have stated that they wanted to train as security personnel, South African police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe wrote on the X platform. The provincial police, on the other hand, suspect that the men from the North African civil war country received military training. Information two days ago had led to a raid by the security forces on the camp. Photos published by the police showed khaki-colored tents and the arrested men in civilian clothes. According to the police, the investigation is still ongoing. Further information will be released at a later date. There is no danger to the public, the provincial police authority emphasized. SDA Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. James Bond star George Lazenby has announced his retirement from acting at the age of 84, saying he had a fun ride but getting older is no fun. Lazenby starred in just one film as Bond, 1969s On Her Majestys Secret Service, making him the series shortest serving actor, as well as the only non-British or Irish actor to play the role. Advertisement The Australian actor explained in a post on Twitter that he would also be retiring from public appearances and signing autographs. George Lazenby starred in On Her Majestys Secret Service alongside Diana Rigg (PA) His post read: This hasnt been an easy decision but its time to announce my retirement from work. Advertisement Therefore, I wont be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today. Its been a fun ride but getting older is no fun. I would like to thank my manager and friend, Anders Frejdh, for helping me since 2013, the best representative I ever had. I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family. My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me. Despite his brief time as Bond, Lazenbys role in On Her Majestys Secret Service saw the secret agent get married, with his wife Tracy shot dead shortly after. Advertisement Prior to becoming 007, Lazenby had been a model, and was even voted Top Model Of The Year in 1966, until he met 007 producer Albert Broccoli in a barbers shop, who then offered him an audition for the part. Lazenby was offered the chance to return as Bond, but he declined after his agent told him the spy would be archaic in the 1970s. George Lazenby at a press reception in London, after he was announced as the second actor to play James Bond (PA) Advertisement After leaving the role of 007, Lazenby made the film Universal Soldier in 1971, which he helped to write, before starring in the 1972 Italian giallo film Who Saw Her Die? and the BBCs Play For Today TV series in 1973. In 1973, Lazenby revealed he had become an alcoholic and was broke having spent all of the money he made playing Bond. He moved to Hong Kong with the hope of starring in Game Of Death, alongside Bruce Lee, but the martial artist died on the day Lazenby was supposed to meet him for dinner. Despite Lees death, Lazenby featured in three films for his Golden Harvest production company, The Shrine Of Ultimate Bliss, The Man From Hong Kong and A Queens Ransom. A former British soldier living in Germany has had his 50th birthday wish come true after being reunited with his biological mother in Ireland. Mark Balls, now 53, was adopted as a baby and was raised well by his adoptive parents in London. Advertisement He was told by his adoptive father that he was adopted when he was 10-years-old but, out of respect for the man and woman who raised him, he chose not to pursue his biological family until after his adoptive parents had died. Advertisement Mr Balls, who has six children and now lives in Paderborn in Germany, said that while he knew some information about his biological mother, he could only get so far. In the run up to his 50th birthday, his daughters asked him what he would like. He said: I told them how far I got with my search and that maybe because theyre a bit more media savvy than I am I asked if they could find out more? They conducted their own research but were unsuccessful. Advertisement His daughter Amanda then decided to give him a gift of a MyHeritage DNA test which would ultimately set him on a path that would finally see him connect with his Irish family. The way I understood it is that if I do the DNA test and theres other people with a close DNA match to me, they might have information on where my mother would be. The mystery was not immediately solved but the results provided Mr Balls with a path to follow. I got the results and there were a couple of close connections. So I sent a few emails to people who unfortunately couldnt help me. Advertisement Michael Condon, Phyllis ONeill, Mark Balls, and Joe Condon (Amanda Gaese/PA) Time went by and there was a new match, with someone who had done a test and had a 10% match with me. I sent her a message and told her I was looking for my birth mother and it turned out her dads name was Condon the same surname as my birth mothers maiden name and that he had a sister called Phyllis. Advertisement Through a complicated chain of messages involving his newly discovered cousin in Greece as well as other relatives in Australia and Reading, Mr Balls eventually received an email to say that Phyllis ONeill was his mother and that he had two blood brothers in Limerick, Ireland. I was in work when I checked my emails. I got all choked up. Mr Balls mother was 18 and living in Hampstead, London when she gave birth to him. Fearing judgment over the situation, she kept the pregnancy secret and gave him up for adoption to an Irish family who lived less than 30 minutes away. She and Mr Balls father later married and had two more children. Five weeks after receiving the news, Mr Balls travelled to Fedamore in Limerick to meet his long-lost Irish family. Jason ONeill, Mark Balls, Phyllis ONeill and James ONeill (Amanda Gaese/PA) Mr Balls said that he believed his biological mother had felt guilt about the adoption process, but he said he assured her he had no bad feelings. It was put to her that she was very young to be bringing up a child and that wasnt the done thing. It was very different times, he said. My intention for this whole reunion was to get to know my mother and let her know I had no bad feelings. It was unbelievable. I was taken in straight away and accepted as one of the family. It was like a missing piece of a jigsaw, it felt so natural and like we had always known each other. On the six-day visit, Mr Balls stayed in the spare bedroom of one of his brothers. He said he connected with them over common interests and shared stories about their childhood, and he also met his uncles. He said that because his adoptive mother was from Lissycasey in Co Clare, he knew how to fit in: I knew the Irish side of things, that I had to drink and socialise! Mr Balls also brought his two daughters and youngest son as well as one of his grandchildren. Ms ONeill did not think she was a grandmother yet, so she was additionally surprised to learn she was a great-grandmother. Asked if he would recommend the process to other people in the same situation, Mr Balls said: Im aware that not every story has a good ending and that curiosity kills the cat. However, if you dont do it youll regret it. You dont want to look back and think I should have done that, or realise that you have left it too late. Mr Balls said he will absolutely be coming to Ireland more often, as he has yet to meet all his relatives. DNA test and historical records are available through MyHeritage.com. A man has died, and another has been arrested, following a fatal assault in Tallaght in Dublin. It happened in Drumcairn Estate in the early hours of Friday morning. The injured man was rushed to Tallaght Hospital, where he later died. Advertisement A man has been arrested and is currently detained pursuant to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the Dublin area. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward, particularly those who were in the Drumcairn Estate area of Tallaght, Dublin 24, between 3am and 4am on Friday morning. Additionally, individuals with video recordings, including motorists with dash cams, from the area within the timeframe are asked to provide footage to investigating gardai. Anyone with any information that can assist gardai with this investigation is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Investigations are ongoing, gardai said. A man presented to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting in Co Wicklow on Tuesday evening. It is reported that at approximately 10pm at Ballinahinch, Roundwood, two men travelling in a car were blocked in by another vehicle, and a firearm was discharged. Advertisement One of the men travelling in the car, aged in his 20s, received a number of wounds and later presented at hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigations into all the circumstances of this incident are ongoing at Bray Garda Station. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Anyone travelling in the Roundwood area between 9.30pm and 10.30pm on Tuesday is asked to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in this area at these times are asked to make this footage available to gardai. Gardai are also appealing to anyone who observed the movements of a silver Mercedes Benz that travelled from Roundwood onto Newtownmountkennedy and then northbound on the N11 into the Dublin 4 area between 10pm and 11pm on Tuesday. Any road users travelling in these areas at these times who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are also asked to come forward. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Bray Garda Station on 01 666 5300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. A 33-year-old mother died after Cork University Hospital (CUH) failed to detect that she had swallowed her denture when she first presented to the emergency department, the High Court has heard. The case of Beata Kunicka from Kanturk, Co Cork, who was wrongly discharged, has now led to changes in hospitals across the country. Advertisement The High Court on Friday heard CUH has apologised to Ms Kunicka's family for the deficiencies in the care provided to her. Ms Kunicka returned to CUH 17 days after first being discharged from the emergency department, when she collapsed at home and was vomiting blood. She died over 20 hours later, on October 12th, 2021, and hours after the embedded denture was removed from her oesophagus. The familys counsel, Gabriel Gavigan SC, instructed by Tracey Solicitors, told the court that liability was never contested by the HSE and the proceedings brought by Ms Kunickas partner, Kamil Jarzembski, were settled for 450,000 after mediation. The young mother first went to hospital A&E on September 25th, 2021, complaining of chest pain and reporting that she believed she had recently swallowed her dentures, which were two front teeth, supportive pallet and wiring. Advertisement A plain film X-ray of her chest was arranged, and she was given a small test meal to assess her ability to swallow. She was also given painkillers to treat her chest pain. However, no foreign body showed up on the X-ray and Ms Kunicka, who was able to eat and drink, was discharged. Mr Gavigan told the court that the hospital chief executive, David Donegan, wrote in a letter to Ms Kunickas partner Kamil Jarzembski last year that an external review into the care of Ms Kunicka made clear that we failed to identify that her dental plate had indeed been swallowed and as such wrongly discharged her when she first presented to ED. Medical staff, the letter said, were not aware at the time that some denture plates would not show up on X-ray and mistakenly decided that because she was able to eat and drink it was safe to discharge her. Advertisement It added that CUH has taken action to highlight these risks nationally to regulators and the HSE and amended its own local clinical training. Mr Gavigan said Ms Kunicka returned to CUH on October 12th after 1am. She was not assessed in the ED until 7am and she was vomiting blood. It was ordered she be given blood and a CT scan was arranged. She collapsed again and later underwent surgery where the embedded denture was removed. However, she suffered severe bleeding and had to be again stabilised. Advertisement It was claimed that there was a delay in further treatment due to there being disagreement as regards the diagnosis and in the hours that followed there was prolonged discussion of the case. Ms Kunicka became critically unstable and was haemorrhaging from her ear, nose and mouth. She continued to deteriorate and went into shock and died from cardiac arrest after resuscitation efforts failed. Mr Gavigan told the court the letter from the hospital chief executive stated that the review also outlined the care of Ms Kunicka in the hospital when she returned there on October 12th. It said it was a complex and challenging presentation but it was clear that a number of elements for care were not delivered promptly enough. Furthermore, clinical differences of opinion about the source for continued bleeding, the right course of corrective action and the availability of the necessary expertise to deliver it, all delayed her receiving the care she needed. Advertisement Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds offered her condolences to Mr Jarzemnski and their young daughter Julia over the very tragic series of events and she hoped they took some comfort from the review and that the recommendations have been shared nationally to ensure such an incident does not happen in an Irish hospital again. Taoiseach Simon Harris has doubled down on nominating former minister Michael McGrath to be Irelands EU Commissioner, despite a Brussels request for two names. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will formally ask countries to put the names of a man and a woman forward to help her form a gender-balanced team of Commissioners. Advertisement Mr McGrath stepped down as Minister for Finance several weeks ago in order to become the EU Commissioner nominee. Taoiseach Simon Harris said he did not believe that nominating just one person would affect Irelands chances of getting an important portfolio. Photo: PA The nomination to become Irelands next EU Commissioner was the choice of the Fianna Fail party under the terms of an agreement between the three parties forming Irelands coalition Government. Advertisement Speaking in Paris, Mr Harris said it would be odd and unfair to put two names forward after proposing a senior politician who had stepped down from Cabinet to focus on the role. The Taoiseach said he also did not believe that nominating just one person would affect Irelands chances of getting an important portfolio. I know President von der Leyen to be a very serious, a very competent and a fair politician, Mr Harris said, whose Fine Gael party is part of Ms von der Leyens EPP political group. I know from my conversations with her that she will assess the suitability of commissioners for portfolios based on their background, based on their CV, based on interviews that she will carry out. Advertisement Irelands outgoing EU Commissioner, Fine Gaels Mairead McGuinness, had described a thorough interview process through which it is decided what portfolio each candidate is given. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attends the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit at Cop28 in Dubai (Chris Jackson/PA) Mr Harris said: Michael McGrath was in Brussels this week, I spoke to Michael last weekend and I know hes taking that process extremely seriously in terms of preparing and engaging. Advertisement As the Taoiseach of Ireland, Im satisfied that weve sent a politician of substance in Michael McGrath. Yes, President von der Leyen has asked for two names, and she did the last time as well, and I suppose weve respectfully said to her that Ireland has made a decision, in line with the treaties, as is our right, as to the Commission candidate we wish to send forward. On other occasions in the past, weve sent one name and the name has been a woman. But weve had to make an assessment as to who we believe is the best commissioner to send from Ireland. That person, Michael McGrath, has had to step down from Cabinet. Thats a pretty profound thing for him to have to do. Advertisement I think it would be an unfair thing for him to have to do and then tell him he has a 50-50 chance of getting a role at the end of it. So I think theres at the very least an understanding of this at European level. He added: Ireland has played its part in terms of gender equality and the important issues around that and will continue to. On this occasion, though, we have a particular set of circumstances that are important. Firstly, we have a coalition Government this is the politics of Ireland thats important people understand at a European level and under that coalition Government, the nominee came from Fianna Fail. Its a Government nominee, I fully support Michael McGrath. And then the second thing to remember is that Michael McGrath was one of the most senior politicians in Ireland, he was the Minister for Finance, it was important that he would have his full concentration on preparing for the European Commission role and have a Minister for Finance whos preparing fully for the budget. So therefore, the fact that hes stepped down from Cabinet, I think it would seem odd that you would send more than one name considering those pretty particular set of circumstances. Lady Gaga and Celine Dion are expected to star on the banks of the River Seine on Friday night as Paris prepares to defy over a century of Olympic tradition. The duo are reportedly set to perform a version of Edith Piafs La Vie en Rose as part of a glittering conclusion to the first ever opening ceremony to be staged outside a stadium. Advertisement Instead, team delegations will set sail from the Austerlitz Bridge on a 6km journey through the centre of Paris to a unique finale close to the Trocadero. Every time I return to Paris, I remember theres so much beauty and joy still to experience in the world. I love Paris, and Im so happy to be back! Thank you to our wonderful friends at The Louvre! Celine xx PC: Laura Gilli pic.twitter.com/Mg9LVs9X8q Celine Dion (@celinedion) July 24, 2024 Advertisement Dion, who is French-Canadian, teased her appearance in a post on X, writing: Every time I return to Paris, I remember theres so much beauty and joy still to experience in the world. I love Paris, and Im so happy to be back! The city has been preparing for the unique ceremony for months, and over recent days the famous river has been increasingly hidden behind miles of chain-link fencing as part of a giant security operation. Advertisement Ticketed fans will have access to specially constructed stands on both sides of the river, while the ceremonys conclusion will be beamed around the city via 80 giant screens. The concluding stages of the torch relay, which travelled through each of Frances 64 territories before touching down in Paris in early July, is set to see rapper Snoop Dogg carry the flame through the suburb of Saint-Denis, home of the official Games stadium, the Stade de France. The Paris Olympics have already got under way in sports like rugby sevens, handball and archery (Mike Egerton/PA) Advertisement Olympic champions Tom Daley and Helen Glover will share flag bearing duties at the head of the Team GB contingent, marking the start of a Games at which they hope to set a new post-War record of 70 medals from a single Games. The ceremony for the Olympics staged in Paris in 1924 took place at the Olympic Stadium in Colombes, and welcomed 3,089 athletes, of which only 135 were women. Dignitaries gave speeches and carrier pigeons were released into the air. French president Emmanuel Macron has made the ambitious equivalent his personal project, telling reporters this week: At the beginning, it seemed to be a crazy and not very serious idea. But we decided it was the right moment to deliver this crazy idea and make it real. At least 26 people were reportedly killed by a gang in three remote villages in Papua New Guineas north, United Nations and police officials said. Acting provincial police commander in the island nations East Sepik province, James Baugen, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): It was a very terrible thing when I approached the area, I saw that there were children, men, women. They were killed by a group of 30 young men. Advertisement Mr Baugen told the ABC that all the houses in the villages had been burned and the remaining villagers were sheltering at a police station, too scared to name the perpetrators. Advertisement Some of the bodies left in the night were taken by crocodiles into the swamp. We only saw the place where they were killed. There were heads chopped off, Mr Baugen said, adding that the attackers were hiding and there were no arrests yet. Chris Jensen, country director for aid group World Vision, said 26 people had been confirmed dead, eight were missing and 51 families were displaced from their homes in Angoram district on the crocodile-infested Sepik River, the longest river on New Guinea island. The trigger seems to be, as it is in most cases in PNG, a combination of a couple of things. But sorcery seems to be one of the triggers along with land ownership, Jensen told the Associated Press. An individual will get accused of sorcery and they may be the people who perhaps have some control over some assets or land. Advertisement UN commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said in a statement on Wednesday that the attacks happened last week. I am horrified by the shocking eruption of deadly violence in Papua New Guinea, seemingly as the result of a dispute over land and lake ownership and user rights, he said. Advertisement Mr Turk said at least 26 people had reportedly died, including 16 children. This number could rise to over 50 as local authorities search for missing people. In addition, more than 200 villagers fled as their homes were torched, he said. East Sepik governor Allan Bird said violence across this diverse nation of more than 10 million people, who are mostly subsistence farmers, had escalated in the past decade. Police are under-resourced and rarely intervene, he added. Advertisement Papua New Guinea has more than 800 Indigenous languages and has been riven by tribal conflicts over land for centuries. Most of the land belongs to tribes rather than individuals. With no clear borders, territorial disputes never end. These conflicts have become increasingly lethal in recent decades as combatants move from bows and arrows to assault rifles, and mercenaries are increasingly becoming involved. Blake Johnson, an analyst at the Australian Security Policy Institute think tank, said while the East Sepik killings appeared to be a particularly gruesome event, it is not the first instance of mass murder this year in Papua New Guinea. Escalation of violence between groups, often leading to retaliatory murder is, at best, culturally accepted and at worst encouraged, he said. Law enforcement officers lack the resources and training to police most of the country, he added. The country is took big, too harsh and too difficult to navigate, and we dont even know how many people live in these places, Mr Johnson said. The tribal fighting attracted international attention in February when at least 26 combatants and an unconfirmed number of bystanders were killed in a gun battle in Enga province. The conflicts complicated an emergency response in May when a landslide in the same province devastated at least one village. The government said more than 2,000 people were killed, while the UN estimated the death toll at 670. Internal security problems in Papua New Guinea, the South Pacifics most populous country after Australia, has become a battle line for Chinas struggle against US allies for influence in the region. Australia, Papua New Guineas former colonial master and its biggest provider of foreign aid, signed a bilateral security pact last year that targets its nearest neighbours growing security concerns, while Beijing also reportedly wants a policing agreement with the nation. China struck a secretive security pact with Papua New Guineas near-neighbour Solomon Islands in 2022, which included police aid and has raised concerns that a Chinese naval base could be established in the South Pacific. The families of two Ryanair crew who died in a taxi crash on a motorway in northern England have told of their heartbreak. Matt Greenhalgh (28) and Jamie Fernandes (24) were working for the Dublin-based airline and were travelling to Liverpool Airport in a taxi when the crash happened at around 5.30am on July 11th. Advertisement The car was in a collision with two lorries on the westbound carriageway of the M62 between junctions eight and seven, near St Helens. Both men died at the scene. The family of Mr Greenhalgh, a captain for the airline, said in a statement issued by Cheshire Police, they were lost without him but took comfort in their fantastic memories. He was a loving husband, thoughtful son, loyal brother, caring grandson, respected colleague and valued friend, they said. Advertisement We have been overwhelmed with love and affection to our family, from so many areas of Matts life, as he clearly touched the lives of so many. Senior first officer Mr Fernandes was described as so very kind by his family, who said he had been living his best life achieving his childhood dream of flying. We have been truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection to our family which shows what a special young man Jamie was and how he clearly touched the lives of more people than we could ever have imagined. Our darling boy was a loving son, grandson, nephew and cousin. He is the light of our lives and always will be. Advertisement Cheshire Police said a 61 year-old-man who was driving one of the lorries was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and has since been bailed. The driver of the taxi was taken to hospital with serious injuries. A GoFundMe page was set up after the tragedy, with the victims families revealing the money raised, along with funds raised by their colleagues, will be used for a scholarship trust to help people in their journey to becoming pilots. In honour of their memory, Ryanair also announced it will be erecting a plaque with their names at East Midlands Training Centre and will be introducing the Matt Greenhalgh and Jamie Fernandes Memorial Award which will be presented to the top performing cadet each year. Vice President Kamala Harris said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza can return home. Ms Harris said she had a frank and constructive conversation with Mr Netanyahu in which she affirmed Israels right to defend itself but also expressed deep concern about the high death toll in Gaza over nine months of war and the dire humanitarian situation there. Advertisement With all eyes on the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Ms Harris largely reiterated President Joe Bidens longstanding message that it is time to find an endgame to the brutal war in Gaza, where more than 39,000 Palestinians have died. Yet she offered a more forceful tone about the urgency of the moment just one day after Mr Netanyahu gave a fiery speech to United States Congress in which he defended the war, vowed total victory against Hamas and made relatively scant mention of ceasefire negotiations. There has been hopeful movement in the talks to secure an agreement on this deal, Ms Harris told reporters shortly after meeting Mr Netanyahu. And as I just told prime minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. Mr Netanyahu met separately earlier in the day with Mr Biden, who has also been calling on Israel and Hamas to agree on a US-backed, three-phase deal to bring home remaining hostages and establish an extended ceasefire. Advertisement Ms Harris said after her meeting with Mr Netanyahu that Israels war in Gaza is more complicated than simply being supportive of one side or the other. Advertisement Too often, the conversation is binary when the reality is anything but, she said. Ms Harris also condemned Hamas brutality. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby reiterated the administrations position that the militant group that killed some 1200 on October 7 and kidnapped 250 people from Israel ultimately holds responsibility for the suffering in Gaza and must come to terms with Israel. Mr Kirby added that gaps between the two sides can be closed but there are issues that need to be resolved that will require some leadership, some compromise. Advertisement With Ms Harris forceful comments, the administration also appeared to be stepping up pressure on the Israelis to not let the moment pass to reach a deal. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time, Ms Harris said. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent. Thousands protested Mr Netanyahus visit to Washington, and Ms Harris condemned those who were violent or used rhetoric that praised Hamas. Advertisement Mr Netanyahu, last at the White House when former president Donald Trump was in office, is headed to Florida on Friday to meet with the Republican presidential nominee. Ahead of the Harris-Netanyahu meeting, Mr Trump said at a rally in North Carolina the vice president was totally against the Jewish people. Ms Harris has long spoken of her strong support for Israel. The first overseas trip of her Senate career in early 2017 was to Israel, and one of her first acts in office was to introduce a resolution opposing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel. She has also spoken of her personal ties to Israel, including memories of raising money as a child to plant trees in Israel and installing a mezuzah near the front door of the vice presidents residence in Washington her husband is Jewish. She also has connections to pro-Israel groups, including the conservative American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the liberal J Street. For Ms Harris, the meeting with the Israeli prime minister was an opportunity to demonstrate her mettle as commander in chief. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Julia Nikhinson/AP) She is being scrutinised by those on the political left who say Mr Biden has not done enough to force Mr Netanyahu to end the war and by Republicans looking to brand her as insufficient in her support for Israel. In what will likely be his last White House meeting with the outgoing president, Mr Netanyahu reflected on the roughly 40 years they have known each other and thanked Mr Biden for his service. From a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel, Mr Netanyahu said. A US-backed proposal to release remaining hostages in Gaza over three phases is something that would be a legacy-affirming achievement for Mr Biden, who abandoned his re-election bid and endorsed Ms Harris. Following their talks, Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu met with the families of American hostages. Ireland Harris must win over Republican-leaning voters who... Read More Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, said the families received an ironclad commitment from leaders to get the deal done. He said he was more hopeful than at any time since Hamas released more than 100 hostages during a temporary ceasefire in November. There is more reason today than in any time since the last round of hostage releases that something can happen, he said. Donald Trump will meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time in four years. As president, Mr Trump exceeded his predecessors in fulfilling the Israeli leaders top wishes from the United States. Advertisement Yet by the time the former president left the White House, relations between the two had broken down after Mr Netanyahu rapidly congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential victory. Both are interested in overcoming their differences. For Mr Trump, now the Republican presidential nominee, the meeting could cast him as an ally and statesman, as well as sharpen efforts by Republicans to portray themselves as the party most loyal to Israel. That is as divisions among Americans over US support for Israels war against Hamas in Gaza open cracks in what has been decades of strong bipartisan backing for Israel, the biggest recipient of US aid. Advertisement For Mr Netanyahu, who was in the United States to address Congress and meet with incumbent president Joe Biden, repairing relations with Mr Trump is imperative because he may once again become president of the United States, Israels main arms supplier and protector. For both men, Fridays meeting at Mar-a-Lago will highlight their home audiences depiction of themselves as strong leaders who have gotten big things done on the world stage and can again. One political gamble for Mr Netanyahu is whether he could get more of the terms he wants in any deal on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release and his much-hoped-for closing of a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia if he waits out the Biden administration in hopes that Mr Trump wins. Advertisement Former US president Donald Trumps relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu broke down in the aftermath of the 2020 US presidential election (AP) Benjamin Netanyahu has spent much of his career in the last two decades in tethering himself to the Republican Party, said Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat for Arab-Israeli negotiations, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. For the next six months, that means mending ties with an irascible, angry president, Mr Miller said, meaning Mr Trump. Relations between the two soured in 2021 after the Israeli prime minister became one of the first world leaders to congratulate Mr Biden for his presidential election victory, disregarding Mr Trumps false claim he had won. Advertisement Bibi could have stayed quiet, Mr Trump said in an interview with an Israel newspaper back then. He made a terrible mistake. The pair last met at a September 2020 White House signing ceremony for the signature diplomatic achievement of both mens political careers. The accord brokered by the Trump administration involved the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreeing to establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel. For Israel, it amounted to the two countries formally recognising it for the first time. It was a major step in what Israel hopes will be an easing of tensions and a broadening of economic ties with its Arab neighbours. Advertisement In public postings and statements after his break with Mr Netanyahu, the former president portrayed himself as having stuck his neck out for Israel as president and Mr Netanyahu paying him back with disloyalty. Mr Trump also has criticised Israels prime minister on other points, faulting him as not prepared for the October 7 Hamas attacks that started the war in Gaza, for example. Today, I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu for a detailed discussion on the ceasefire and hostage deal. I also raised the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the critical importance of restoring basic services and protecting civilians lives during military operations. pic.twitter.com/87c8toQ296 President Biden (@POTUS) July 26, 2024 In his high-profile speech to Congress on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu gave recognition to Mr Biden, who has kept up military and diplomatic support for Israels offensive in Gaza despite opposition from within his Democratic Party. However, Mr Netanyahu praised Mr Trump, thanking him for all the things he did for Israel. Mr Netanyahu listed actions by the Trump administration long-sought by Israeli governments the US officially saying Israel had sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured from Syria during a 1967 war; a tougher policy toward Iran; and declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel, breaking with longstanding US policy that Jerusalems status should be decided in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. I appreciated that, Mr Trump told Fox & Friends on Thursday, referring to Mr Netanyahus praise. He did not quiet his criticism, however, of Israels conduct of the war, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians. I want him to finish up and get it done quickly. You gotta get it done quickly, because they are getting decimated with his publicity, Mr Trump said in Thursdays interview. Israel is not very good at public relations, Ill tell you that, he added. Search teams are still digging at the site of deadly mudslides in southern Ethiopia as the death toll rose to 257, according to the UN humanitarian office. Heavy rain triggered deadly slides on Sunday and Monday in a remote part of the country. The UN humanitarian office OCHA said in an update that the death toll could rise to as many as 500, citing local officials. Advertisement More than 15,000 affected people need to be evacuated, it added. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is expected to visit the area on Friday. Rescuers are searching with hand shovels (Isayas Churga/Gofa Zone Government Communication Affairs Department/AP) Advertisement He said earlier in the week that he was deeply saddened by this terrible loss. Photos from the scene show residents standing over the shrouded bodies of victims pulled from the muddy earth. Rescuers have been using hand shovels to pick through the mud. Many people were buried in the Gofa Zone of Kencho Shacha Gozdi district on Monday, as rescue workers searched the steep terrain for survivors from mudslides the previous day. Advertisement Landslides are common during Ethiopias rainy season, which started in July and is expected to last until mid-September. Deadly mudslides often occur in the wider east African region, from Ugandas mountainous east to central Kenyas highlands. In April, at least 45 people were killed in Kenyas Rift Valley region when flash floods and a landslide swept through houses and cut off a major road. Our pilot lowered his chopper tentatively between red cliffs, settled it on a shelf at the confluence of two rivers, jumped out and started filming. Though hed flown for years in the Kimberley, hed never been to this most stupendous version of nowhere. At the last, he swung his camera and filmed us, and I recalled that grainy footage of Robert Falcon Scott in the howling white, waving at a photographer before disappearing entirely. Then he flew away, taking the world we knew. Carrying heavy packs, four of us set off downriver. I was whistling, I think. Credit: Robin Cowcher Along the rivers, we scrambled over bus-sized boulders, and when these cleared we were tangled in head-high cane grass and sliced by pandanus palms that rained hand-sized spiders. Because of crocodiles we couldnt swim through the deep pools, so we had to climb out of the gorges to the escarpment, up vicious hierarchies of rock while entwined in vines and rained on by green ants, sidestepping serpents. On the plateau we walked over broken stone covered with spinifex placing each foot was an act of faith. We had many falls, each time feeling for breaks and sprains, and extolling our luck with repetitious vulgarities. A 59-year-old bus driver has been charged with manslaughter over a late night collision that killed a pedestrian on June 28. The pedestrian, a man in his 40s, was declared dead at the scene of the collision on Melbourne Street at South Brisbane, near the intersection of Cordelia Street. In a statement on Friday, Queensland police said an investigation by the Forensic Crash Unit had led to the driver of the City Glider service being charged. The Forensic Crash Unit investigates the site. Credit: Tony Moore It was not immediately known why police opted for a manslaughter charge and not a traffic-related offence. Chinese, Lao foreign ministers vow to expand practical cooperation Xinhua) 11:10, July 26, 2024 VIENTIANE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith here on Thursday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China and Laos share a river and a common future, and a high degree of mutual trust and mutual assistance are thus the distinctive features of the China-Laos community with a shared future. Under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and countries, Wang said, the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future has achieved fruitful results, which is in line with the aspiration of both peoples and the trend of the times. China has always prioritized the development of China-Laos relations in its neighborhood diplomacy and supported Laos in taking the path of socialism which suits its national conditions, and in promoting the cause of innovation and opening-up, Wang said. He noted that China is willing to work with Laos to deepen strategic mutual trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, share development opportunities and work hand in hand towards modernization. China is willing to introduce the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the new measures to further deepen reforms comprehensively, share reform and development experiences in a timely manner, jointly improve the ability of governance, and join hands to promote the cause of socialism, Wang said. The two sides should implement the action plan for building the community with a shared future signed by the leaders of the two parties and countries, Wang said, adding that based on the construction of the China-Laos Railway, the two sides should give full play to the first-mover advantage, build the China-Laos Economic Corridor, and help Laos enhance its capacity for independent development and achieve economic revitalization. China will continue to provide all possible support for the economic and social development of Laos, deepen practical cooperation in energy, minerals and other fields, and import more high-quality Lao agricultural products to bring more benefits to the Lao people, said the Chinese foreign minister. Saleumxay, for his part, said that the successful holding of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC central committee has provided valuable experience for the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to enhance its governing capacity. He said Laos cherishes the firm friendship with China, firmly supports the building of the Laos-China community with a shared future, and is willing to implement the new version of the action plan, prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges between the two countries, expand practical cooperation in various fields, and work together to combat transnational crime. The Lao side has implemented a visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists and welcomes more Chinese visitors, he noted. The two sides also exchanged views on regional cooperation, saying that they will work together to resist the interference and infiltration of external forces, jointly safeguard the ASEAN-centered regional architecture, and jointly promote regional peace, stability and prosperity. Wang said China will continue to fully support Laos in fulfilling its responsibilities as the rotating chair of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs. After the talks, the two sides witnessed the signing of documents on cooperation in education, medical care and other livelihood issues. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Perpetrators of domestic and family violence will be targeted in an intervention strategy announced by the Queensland government as rallies against gendered violence kick off around the country. Broadening the Focus outlines the governments priority areas, including strengthening interventions for people using, or at risk of using, violence, as well as increasing community understanding and support. Premier Steven Miles at the Brisbane rally in King George Square to end gendered violence in April. Credit: Darren England Premier Steven Miles said the strategy was an Australian first and would show Queenslands commitment to preventative solutions. [This strategy] puts the focus on the people who commit the violence so that we can help break the cycle of abuse, Miles said. More than 500 editorial staff at one of Australias major media outlets have gone on strike over pay and conditions as Nine insists the walkout will not impact its Paris Olympics coverage. Journalists employed by Nine Publishing including union members covering the Games in Paris - began a five-day strike on Friday after rejecting managements revised enterprise bargaining offer. Striking workers outside Nines offices in Melbourne on Friday. Credit: AAPIMAGE Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) members from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, the Brisbane Times and WAtoday walked off the job at 11am AEST. After months-long negotiations, union members rejected the companys latest offer, saying it fails to include a fair pay rise that keeps ahead of the cost of living. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined with his counterparts from Canada and New Zealand to urge Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, saying they remain committed to a two-state solution as the only realistic solution to a lasting peace in the region. As international frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to grow, the three leaders implored him to allow extra aid into the area, where about 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Credit: Getty Images, Alex Ellinghausen, AP The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue, Albanese said in a joint statement with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxton and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released on Friday night. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas for the atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror. Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages. We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. Paris: France has suspended high-speed rail services across much of the country in what has been described as coordinated sabotage attacks just hours before the Olympic Games opening ceremony. The coordinated arson attacks on Thursday night will alarm organisers of the Paris Games as they prepare to host hundreds of thousands of spectators in the capital for the official start of the event, where thousands of athletes are set to sail through the heart of the city in boats. Travellers face delays at the Gare de Montparnasse station in Paris. Credit: AP A flotilla will carry more than 10,000 athletes along the River Seine in a route dotted with the citys major landmarks, in front of 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs and celebrities. French officials and security agencies have previously warned that Russia or political activists could seek to sabotage the Games, and have also been bracing for terror attacks. Mexico City: Ismael El Mayo Zambada, a longtime leader of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, have been arrested by US authorities in Texas, the US Justice Department said. A leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for decades alongside Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Zambada is one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world and is known for running the cartels smuggling operations while keeping a lower profile. Ismael Zambada, who is known as El Mayo has been pursued by authorities for years. The US government had offered a reward of up to $US15 million ($22.9 million) for information leading to Zambadas capture. The Justice Department said the men were arrested in El Paso but didnt immediately provide details about how they were taken into custody. Zambada and Guzman Lopez, who have eluded authorities for decades, oversaw the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence, FBI Director Christopher Wray said, adding that now they will face justice in the United States. Harris Faces Bipartisan Rebuke for Immigration Policies (Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America/CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Vice President Kamala Harris has faced a formal rebuke from the House of Representatives over her handling of immigration issues, a move that has been described as "long overdue but absolutely warranted" by former Border Patrol union head Brandon Judd. The bipartisan resolution, which passed with a vote of 220-196, criticizes Harris and the Biden administration for their perceived failures in addressing illegal immigration. "It's long overdue but absolutely warranted; better late than never," Judd told Fox News. He pointed to Harris's appointment on March 21, 2021, to address the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle countries-Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador-as the beginning of her failure. "She failed to do it," Judd said. Harris has been under fire for years regarding her approach to immigration. Tasked by President Biden to address the root causes of illegal immigration, Harris has faced criticism as illegal crossings reached unprecedented levels between 2021 and 2023. "She didn't look at the push factor from the cartels that go out and drive this," Judd added. "All she did was talk about issues that existed well before her term as vice president." During her 2020 presidential campaign, Harris supported the decriminalization of illegal immigration. Now, as the front-runner for the Democrats in the 2024 presidential election, she faces increased scrutiny. President Biden, who recently withdrew from the race after a lackluster debate performance against former President Trump, had struggled with low approval ratings for his immigration policies, according to Fox News polls. Migrants have increasingly been crossing the southern border from as far away as Asia and Africa. Representative Greg Murphy, R-N.C., noted that illegal immigration from China has surged by 8,000%. "Criminal illegals have taken innocent lives across America, fentanyl is pouring in, and over 100,000 individuals now die from drug overdoses each year," Murphy said. "Our legal immigration process has been defiled, and the sovereignty of our nation has been eroded." The Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua has also expanded its presence in the U.S., contributing to a wave of robberies in New York City. Harris's supporters argue that her mandate was limited to the Northern Triangle, not other countries. Six Democrats, including four from border states, joined Republicans in voting for the resolution. "We've been told that Vice President Harris' job was to find the root causes of the crisis," said House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn. "It turns out to do so, she could have just looked in the mirror." Critics like retired Yuma Sector Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem insist that Harris must "own" the border crisis. "The numbers don't lie," Clem said. "The U.S.-Mexico border under Harris has been disastrous." Despite criticism, Harris secured $4.2 billion in private-sector investments for Central America, aiming to create job opportunities. Official figures show that illegal border crossings have decreased by over 50% under the Biden-Harris administration. However, GOP lawmakers remain critical. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene labeled Harris as the "Czar of Chaos," while House Speaker Mike Johnson described her as "completely ineffective." In the midst of this controversy, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama endorsed Harris for president. "Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office," Obama said in a video call with Harris. Harris and Obama have a long-standing relationship, with the former president often serving as an advisor. Obama's endorsement came after Biden's announcement that he would not seek reelection, a decision that infuriated some Democrats. Harris, the first woman and the first person of Black and Asian descent to serve as vice president, would make history again if elected as the first female and first Black president. Harris's mother emigrated from India, and her father came from Jamaica. As the Democratic Party moves swiftly to nominate Harris, with official voting set to begin on August 1, the endorsement from the Obamas is expected to bolster her campaign. The Democratic convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, where the party will finalize its nomination. IndiGo received the intimation about the penalty from the US authority on 24 July. (Representational Photo) The US Customs and Border Protection has issued a fine of $5,832.60 to IndiGo Airlines for the delayed payment of the immigration user fee, according to the airlines regulatory filing on Thursday. The authority has imposed a penalty for the payment of the immigration user fee after the due date (non-interlineable tax). The company is exploring the possibility of a waiver of the penalty, it added. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp However, the company has stated that there is no material impact on its financials, operations, or other activities. In fact, shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, rose by 1.22 per cent to Rs 4,430.50 per share on the BSE on Thursday. IndiGo received the intimation about the penalty from the US authority on 24 July. 200 Indigo flyers stranded in Istanbul In a separate development, the airline faced criticism online on Thursday (July 25) after 200 passengers experienced a delay at Istanbul Airport when an IndiGo flight to Delhi was postponed by 12 hours. The delay was caused by technical issues with the aircraft. Hriday Madan, a passenger on the delayed flight 6E 12, shared his ordeal in a post on X, saying, Absolutely pathetic service by IndiGo Airlines. My wife and I are returning from Milan through an IndiGo codeshare booking with Turkish Airlines (6E 4156) to Istanbul and 6E 12 further to Delhi. We landed at 3 pm in Istanbul and now our connecting flight has been delayed. @IndiGo6E Absolutely pathetic service by Indigo Airlines. My wife and I are returning from Milan theough Indigo codeshare booking with Turkish Airlines (6E 4156) till istanbul and 6E 12 further towards Delhi. We landed at 3PM in Istanbul and now our connecting flight has been July 24, 2024 Flight delay draws criticism Another passenger, Govind Kanakan, wrote, Pathetic situation at Istanbul Airport for passengers travelling from Istanbul to Delhi. The Turkish IndiGo 6E-12 flight is delayed by over six hours now and the operators are ignorant. The food provided to passengers at the airport is stale. At URC (Underrated Club), we are redefining streetwear by combining innovation and sustainability," Abhishek Teri, Co-founder of Underrated Club, said | Photo: Pexels Online fashion retail brand KingsCraft Online Brands on Friday said it is eyeing Rs 50 cr revenue from its newly launched e-commerce platform Underrated Club in this fiscal. The Pune-based company, which started operations this year, also said it is looking to venture into offline segments as well with plans to set up 50 fashion retail stores across Tier-I cities under the new platform by March next year. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Bootstrapped with an investment of Rs 8 cr, the company has strategically positioned Underrated Club as a key player in the affordable luxury streetwear segment, it said. "At URC (Underrated Club), we are redefining streetwear by combining innovation and sustainability," Abhishek Teri, Co-founder of Underrated Club, said. Underrated Club is set to expand its reach through a robust online presence and partnerships with plans to tie up with leading e-commerce platforms and establish a physical presence through retail partnerships, pop-up stores, and flagship stores in key metropolitan cities, the company said. As part of this expansion, Teri said the company is planning to establish 50 physical retail stores under the brand in Tier-1 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad, among others, in the current fiscal. Moreover, he said, the company is also looking to garner Rs 50 cr revenue from the new business in FY25 while the target is to achieve Rs 200-cr topline from the platform in the next three years. "India is where we started. URC brings a fresh, dynamic edge to streetwear, tailored specifically for the youth. Our debut collection is just the beginning, with many more exciting ranges on the horizon. We're also expanding our offerings to include a diverse mix of fashion elements, ensuring there's something for everyone," said Kartik Anand, Co-founder of Underrated Club. Sun Pharma stock was up 2.2 per cent in morning trade on BSE. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for LEQSELVI (deuruxolitinib) that is used for treating an autoimmune disorder in adults. Alopecia areata, which is characterised by hair loss, affects some 700,000 people in the United States, with 300,000 experiencing severe forms of the condition. Current treatments have shown slow progress, prompting some patients to seek alternative solutions. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp LEQSELVI is a new, twice-daily oral Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor that disrupts the pathways involved in hair loss. In two Phase-III clinical trials, patients initially had an average of only 13 per cent scalp hair coverage. After 24 weeks of treatment, one-third of the patients achieved 80 per cent scalp hair coverage. "LEQSELVI represents a significant advancement for patients with severe alopecia areata," said Abhay Gandhi, chief executive officer of North America business at Sun Pharma. "Our growing dermatology portfolio is excited to include this innovative treatment." Alopecia areata occurs when the immune system targets hair follicles, causing sudden hair loss on the scalp, face, and other parts of the body. LEQSELVI, a twice-daily oral selective inhibitor of Janus Kinases (JAK1 and JAK2), works by interrupting the pathways believed to contribute to hair loss in severe alopecia areata. "This new treatment option empowers the alopecia community with more choices and provides an important option for those living with severe alopecia areata," said Nicole Friedland, president and chief executive officer of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) in the US. The approval was based on data from the THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 trials, which involved 1,220 patients with at least 50 per cent scalp hair loss. The primary endpoint, achieving a SALT (Severity of Alopecia Tool) score of 20 or less at 24 weeks, was met, with more than 30 per cent of patients achieving 80 per cent or more scalp hair coverage. Additionally, up to 25 per cent of patients experienced almost complete scalp hair regrowth (90 per cent coverage) at 24 weeks. During clinical trials, 3.1 per cent of patients discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions. LEQSELVI may cause serious side effects, including infections, malignancies, thrombosis, gastrointestinal perforations, and certain laboratory abnormalities. Common adverse events included headache, acne, and nasopharyngitis. "Early intervention with an effective treatment is critical for those with severe alopecia areata," said Dr Natasha Mesinkovska, associate professor at the University of California, Irvine, and an investigator in the LEQSELVI clinical development programme. "LEQSELVI offers proven results and will be impactful for the alopecia areata community." Dr Marek Honczarenko, senior vice-president and head of development at Sun Pharma, expressed satisfaction with the FDA's timely approval. "This approval validates our team's capability to bring treatments from research and development to approval in a meaningful way for physicians and patients," he said. Sun Pharma is a leading specialty generics company, offering a range of specialty, generics, and consumer healthcare products. It is the largest pharmaceutical company in India and a leading generic company in the United States. Anil Agarwal, chairman of metals major Vedanta group, has called for the sale of government stake in Bharat Gold Mine and Hutti Gold Mine so as to increase production of the yellow metal in the country. In a social media post, Agarwal said global gold prices are currently at record highs and India imports 99.9 per cent of its requirement. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp With massive investments, we can be a major producer of gold and a big generator of employment, Agarwal said. In India, as of now, only Bharat Hold Mine and Hutti Gold Mine are producing gold and the best way forward is to privatise both the mines, he said. In 2023, India's total gold consumption was 747.5 tonnes, a 3 per cent decrease from the previous year. Gold prices rebounded on Friday after falling for the past three sessions, rising by Rs 50 to Rs 70,700 per 10 grams in the local market due to strong trend in global prices. The precious metal had earlier closed at Rs 70,650 per 10 grams in the previous session on Thursday. In the Budget, the central government decided to reduce import duty on gold to 6 per cent from 15 per cent, leading to a sharp fall in the local markets. In the overseas markets, comex gold was trading higher at $ 2,416.40 per ounce. Agarwal said the privatisation of both mines should happen with three conditions. First, no retrenchment, second, some equity for employees; and third, it should be done as it is, without any attempt to parcel assets into different parts. Even if a state government holds shares, the Government of India must sell its equity. Entrepreneurs who acquire it are capable of persuading and working with the state government, Agarwal said. Agarwal also lobbied for sale of the government's stake in Hindustan Copper, the sole miner of copper in India. It is in a similar situation to the gold mines, he said. Even a 10 per cent reduction in gold and copper imports can save $ 6.5 billion in forex, contribute an additional Rs 3,500 crore to the government, and create at least 25,000 jobs, Agarwal added. After the Budget, top officials clarified that the governments strategy goes beyond privatisation and the aim now is to create value for government-owned companies. Maharashtra has been heavily impacted by relentless rainfall over the past 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of six people and injuring over 12 in rain-related incidents. The torrential downpour has led to severe flooding, especially in low-lying areas, forcing evacuation of hundreds of residents to safer locations. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Pune, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, and Raigad. In Pune, the Fire Brigade has rescued and relocated around 160 people from flood-affected low-lying areas. More than 200 firefighters and officers were mobilised for these rescue efforts. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Mumbai rains: Heavy rains led to flight cancellations Heavy rainfall in Mumbai resulted in the cancellation of 11 flights and the diversion of 10 others to nearby airports on Thursday. The Mumbai airport had to suspend runway operations twice due to poor visibility, causing major disruptions. Residents in the impacted areas have been advised to stay alert and adhere to official safety guidelines. CM Eknath Shinde reviews situation Amid ongoing heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assessed the current conditions in the state on Thursday. He contacted the Raigad collector, instructing him to assist all those affected by the floods and promising comprehensive support. In a press statement, the IMD stated, Isolated extremely heavy rainfall very likely over ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra during July 25-27 and in Konkan and Goa on July 25 and July 26 and Gujarat region on July 25. Schools and colleges closed in Mumbai As a preventive step, local authorities have announced a holiday for schools and colleges in Navi Mumbai, Panvel City, and Raigad district today due to heavy rainfall. Mumbais Powai Lake reaches full capacity Mumbais Powai Lake has reached its maximum capacity due to heavy rainfall over the past few days. The incessant downpour has caused water levels to rise significantly, leading to the lake overflowing. #mumbairains (Full video available on PTI Videos - pic.twitter.com/WhFpPuelKo VIDEO | Maharashtra: #Mumbai 's Powai lake is filled to the brim following heavy rains in the region from the last couple of days. #MumbaiWeather (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz July 26, 2024 This persistent rain has not only filled Powai Lake to its limit but has also resulted in waterlogging and traffic disruptions across different parts of the city. In Pune, Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh announced that residents in flood-prone areas have been evacuated to safer locations. Around 2,700 individuals have been moved to secure areas. Commissioner Singh urged the public to cooperate with rescue efforts and stay indoors unless it is absolutely necessary to go out. [With agency inputs] The objective of the Agnipath scheme is to keep the Army young and "continuously fit for war," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address on Kargil Vijay Diwas. Following criticism from several opposition parties over the Agnipath scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the recruitment scheme on Friday. During his address in Ladakh's Kargil on the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, PM Modi said the Army had been demanding the scheme for years. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "The country has felt the need for major reforms in the defence sector for decades. The Army has been demanding this for years, but unfortunately, it was not given enough importance earlier. The Agnipath scheme is also an example of the necessary reforms done in the Army. For decades, discussions have been going on in Parliament about making the Army young," said PM Modi. He added that the objective of the Agnipath scheme is to keep the Army young and "continuously fit for war." The PM pointed out that the average age of soldiers in India being higher than the global average was a concern raised over the years, and Agnipath resolved the matter. "The average age of Indian soldiers being more than the global average has been a cause of concern. That is why this issue has also been raised in many committees for years. However, the will to solve this challenge related to the country's security was not shown earlier. The country has addressed this concern through the Agnipath scheme," he said during the address. The Prime Minister also criticised the opposition parties opposing the scheme for "politicising" a sensitive issue related to national security. He said, "Those who are misleading the youth of the country. Their history is proof that they don't care about soldiers. These are the same people who lied on OROP by showing a meagre amount of Rs 500 crore. It is our government that implemented the charges. More than Rs 1.25 trillion was given to ex-servicemen." The PM continued his attack on the opposition, saying, "Some people used to think that the Army means saluting politicians, doing parades, but for us, the Army means the faith of 1.4 billion countrymen... These are the same people who weakened our Army by committing scams worth thousands of crores, who wanted the Air Force to never get modern fighter jets, who had made preparations to scrap the Tejas fighter plane." Meanwhile, the PM also highlighted the reforms made in the defence sector during the last 10 years. "Today, a significant share of defence procurement is being given to the Indian defence industry. Additionally, 25 per cent of the research and development budget in defence has been reserved for the private sector. As a result of these steps, India's defence production has now exceeded Rs 1.25 trillion... Due to these reforms, our armed forces are now more capable and becoming self-reliant," he said. Agnipath scheme: Army's reaction to PM's speech Reacting to PM Modi's speech, Air Marshal SP Singh (retired) told ANI, "PM Modi clarified it very well... Give the (Agnipath) scheme a chance... And like the PM said, it is the decision of the armed forces. It is a scheme endorsed by the government, and the country is accepting it.... It is a very good scheme..." However, just last year, former Army Chief General MM Naravane had said that the armed forces were taken by surprise by the government's formulation of the Agnipath scheme for the short-term recruitment of soldiers, airmen, and sailors. "We in the Army were taken by surprise by this turn of events, but for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue," Gen Naravane wrote in his memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny'. He said that it took him some time to explain to the IAF and Navy chiefs that his proposal had only been Army-centric and that he was equally surprised by these developments. What is the Agnipath scheme? The Agnipath scheme was rolled out in June 2022 to lower the age profile of the armed forces. It held that only 25 per cent of around 46,000 soldiers, airmen, and sailors to be selected in a year would serve for another 15 years after the first four years. Recommended by several expert committees, including the Kargil Review Committee (2000) and the Shekatkar Committee (2017), the Agnipath scheme sought to reduce the average age of Indias army personnel from 32 to 26 years. It is also aimed at lowering the government's spending on Army pensions. Therefore, the scheme provides a one-time payment of Rs 11.71 lakh to Agniveers on completion of a four-year tenure, but no gratuity or pension. The Reserve Bank of India's latest draft guidelines aimed at enhancing the liquidity resilience of lenders, amidst an increased use of digital infrastructure, are expected to boost demand for government bonds over the medium term, traders said. Late on Thursday, the central bank proposed that banks apply an additional 5 per cent reduction in the stability of retail deposits that have internet and mobile banking access. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp If finalised, the norms would be applicable from April 1, 2025. "Given the significant penetration of internet and mobile banking, the proposed changes are likely to increase the outflows in the next 30 day bucket for banks, thereby posing higher requirements of high-quality liquid assets (HQLA)," Anil Gupta, senior vice president and co-group head financial sector ratings at ICRA said. Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) is a certain proportion of HQLA that banks need to maintain at all times. It includes cash, reserves with central banks, and federal government bonds, which can easily be converted into cash. The new norms will pose requirements for higher liquid assets for the banks to shore up their LCRs. Banks are likely to add government bonds in the run up to the implementation of these guidelines, Gupta added. The norms also suggest that government bonds would be valued at an amount not greater than their current market value, adjusted for applicable haircuts in line with the margin requirements under the liquidity adjustment facility and marginal standing facility. "The additional haircut owing to internet enabled transaction facility has arisen from recent global experiences of run offs... These steps add to the withdrawal of accommodation stance as far as liquidity with banks is concerned," said Alok Singh, group head of treasury at CSB Bank. However, traders said that there may not be an immediate impact as far as government bond yields are concerned as the said circular will come into effect later. State-run banks are already holding assets more than what regulatory norms need, but traders said some private banks may have to shore up holdings which could push up demand for bonds at a later stage. "In such a case, demand for shorter duration bonds would pick-up further," said VRC Reddy, treasury head at Karur Vysya Bank. Google has announced that it is updating the free-tier of its Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot with the new Gemini 1.5 Flash model. Google in a blog post stated that users can now experience 1.5 Flash in the unpaid version of Gemini for faster and more helpful responses. The company said that the new model integration will offer improvements across-the-board and will lower the response latency. Google Gemini 1.5 Flash Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Google launched the Gemini 1.5 Flash AI model at its Google I/O developers conference in May. The company said that the new model optimises high-volume, high-frequency tasks at scale and is more cost-efficient. Although lighter than the Gemini 1.5 Pro model, the 1.5 Flash is capable of multimodal reasoning. This essentially means that the AI model is capable of processing images, videos, voice and text. At the time of announcement, Google said that the Gemini 1.5 model has been trained by the bigger Gemini 1.5 Pro model using a process called distillation. This means that most essential knowledge and skills from a larger model are transferred to a smaller, more efficient model. Google said that this makes Gemini 1.5 Flash optimum for text summarisation, chat applications, image and video captioning, data extraction from long documents and more. Google said that the Gemini 1.5 Flash model is now available to free-tier users in the Gemini Mobile app and on the web. The model is available in over 230 countries including India and supports more than 40 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, Urdu and more. OpenAI introduces SearchGPT OpenAI has announced that it is testing a prototype version of a new artificial intelligence-powered web search feature called SearchGPT, which it plans to integrate into its AI chatbot ChatGPT. The Microsoft-backed AI company said that SearchGPT utilises the companys AI models to fetch results and answers with relevant sources from the web. The feature is tested with select users and publishers to draw feedback. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Microsoft introduces AI-powered Bing to rival Google Search Microsoft is set to revamp the Bing Search experience by leveraging artificial intelligence to generate an overview of search results. The US-based software giant said it is combining the power of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) with the search results page to create a bespoke and dynamic response to a users query. Google has announced that it is updating the free-tier of its Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot with the new Gemini 1.5 Flash model. Google in a blog post stated that users can now experience 1.5 Flash in the unpaid version of Gemini for faster and more helpful responses. The company said that the new model integration will offer improvements across-the-board and will lower the response latency. Xiaomis spinoff smartphone brand POCO has set the launch of M6 Plus 5G smartphone in India for August 1. The POCO M6 Plus will join the POCOC M6 Pro in the companys M6 smartphone series. Ahead of the launch, POCO has confirmed that the M6 Plus will feature a dual-camera system on the rear, featuring a 108-megapixel main sensor of an f/1.75 aperture. POCO said the megapixel-rich main sensor will enable 3x in-sensor zoom. OpenAI will be rolling out Voice Mode for the GPT-4o model in ChatGPT for Plus members starting next week. OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, while responding to a question on X (formerly Twitter), regarding the features availability said that voice mode for GPT-4o will be available in a limited alpha release for ChatGPT Plus subscribers from next week. Reddit's recent actions in restricting access to its data for search engines other than Google have stirred significant attention and debate within the tech community. Initially, Reddit forged a prominent partnership with Google earlier this year, aimed at integrating Reddit's vast dataset into Google's AI models. This collaboration resulted in Reddit's content gaining heightened visibility in Google Search results, surpassing even the original websites linked within Reddit posts. Finnish mobile phone brand HMD (Human Mobile Devices) debuted Qi2 wireless charging in Android smartphone space with the launch of Skyline. This is an important development because the second-generation wireless charging standard by Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) was introduced in early 2023, but has been skipped by the big technology players, such as Google and Samsung, to date despite growing adoption of wireless charging features in smartphones. Nevertheless, more brands are expected to follow the suit since there now is a smartphone with support for Qi2 wireless charging support. OnePlus Nord 4 is presented by the company as its first smartphone in the 5G era to feature an all-metal unibody design. This is assumed significant because a full metal body generally presents challenges such as network reception issues, heating problems, and performance drops due to thermal throttling. OpenAI is venturing into a territory long dominated by Google with the selective launch of SearchGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine with real-time access to information from the internet. Last month, websites for a French film festival and the Grand Palais, a historic exhibition and museum complex in Paris, shut down after a cyberattack. Researchers tracked the episodes to a group of hacktivists affiliated with Russian intelligence and reported that the hackers described it as a training exercise. Foxconn is considering expanding its operations in India by assembling Apples flagship iPad, according to a report by The Economic Times. Currently, Foxconns efforts in India are primarily centred on manufacturing iPhones. Videogame company Epic Games said on Thursday its popular title "Fortnite" will be returning to Apple's iOS systems in the European Union soon, amid a long-winded legal battle with the iPhone maker. JPMorgan Chase has unveiled a generative artificial intelligence product, dubbed LLM Suite, designed to enhance the productivity of its employees in the asset and wealth management division, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT). Ismael El Mayo Zambada, a longtime leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaqun Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by US authorities in Texas on Thursday, the US Justice Department said. A leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for decades alongside Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, Zambada is one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world and known for running the cartel's smuggling operations while keeping a lower profile. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The US government had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Zambada's capture. The Justice Department said the men were arrested in El Paso but didn't immediately provide details about how they were taken into custody. Zambada and Guzmn Lpez, who have eluded authorities for decades, oversaw the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence, FBI Director Christopher Wray said, adding that now they will "face justice in the United States. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Mexican authorities didn't immediately comment on the arrests. US officials have been seeking Zambada's capture for years, and he has been charged in a number of US cases. He was charged in February in the Eastern District of New York with conspiring to manufacture and distribute the synthetic opioid. Prosecutors said he was continuing to lead the Sinaloa cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Zambada, one of the longest-surviving capos in Mexico, was considered the cartel's strategist, more involved in day-to-day operations than his flashier and better-known boss, El Chapo Guzmn, who was sentenced to life in prison in the US in 2019 and is the father of Guzmn Lpez. Zambada is an old-fashioned capo in an era of younger kingpins known for their flamboyant lifestyles of club-hopping and brutal tactics of beheading, dismembering and even skinning their rivals. While Zambada has fought those who challenged him, he is known for concentrating on the business side of trafficking and avoiding gruesome cartel violence that would draw attention. In an April 2010 interview with the Mexican magazine Proceso, he acknowledged that he lived in constant fear of going to prison and would contemplate suicide rather than be captured. I'm terrified of being incarcerated, Zambada said. I'd like to think that, yes, I would kill myself. The interview was surprising for a kingpin known for keeping his head down, but he gave strict instructions on where and when the encounter would take place, and the article gave no hint of his whereabouts. Zambada reputedly won the loyalty of locals in his home state of Sinaloa and neighboring Durango through his largess, sponsoring local farmers and distributing money and beer in his birthplace of El Alamo. Although little is known about Zambada's early life, he is believed to have gotten his start as an enforcer in the 1970s. By the early 1990s, he was a major player in the Juarez cartel, transporting tons of cocaine and marijuana. Zambada started gaining the trust of Colombian traffickers, allegiances that helped him come out on top in the cartel world of ever-shifting alliances. Eventually he became so powerful that he broke off from the Juarez cartel, but still managed to keep strong ties with the gang and avoided a turf war. He also developed a partnership with El Chapo Guzman that would take him to the top of the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambada's detention follows some important arrests of other Sinaloa cartel figures, including one of his sons and another son of El Chapo Guzmn, Ovidio Guzmn Lpez. Zambada's son pleaded guilty in US federal court in San Diego in 2021 to being a leader in the Sinaloa cartel. In recent years, Guzman's sons have led a faction of the cartel known as the little Chapos, or Chapitos that has been identified as a main exporter of fentanyl to the US market. They were seen as more violent and flamboyant than Zambada. Their security chief was arrested by Mexican authorities in November. Ovidio Guzmn Lpez was arrested and extradited to the US last year. He pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in Chicago in September. Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the DEA, said Zambada's arrest is important but unlikely to have much impact on the flow of drugs to the US Joaqun Guzmn Lpez was the least influential of the four sons who made up the Chapitos, Vigil said. This is a great blow for the rule of law, but is it going to have an impact on the cartel? I don't think so, Vigil said. It's not going to have a dent on the drug trade because somebody from within the cartel is going to replace him, Vigil said. Today, J. William Reynolds, Mayor of the City of Bethlehem, and Chair of the Bethlehem World Heritage Commission speaking on behalf of all four historic Moravian communities announced that Moravian Church Settlements has been inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India, July 21-31, 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240726407698/en/ Moravian Church Settlements Delegation at the World Heritage Committee meeting. Pictured here (from left) are Jean Manes, U.S. Deputy Representative to UNESCO; Moravian University President Bryon L. Grigsby; Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds; Johnathan Putnam, Acting Chief, Office of International Affairs National Park Service; Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler; Mr. Clemens, Saxon State Minister of the Chancellery (Photo: Business Wire) The historic Moravian Church Settlements of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania/USA; Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK; and Herrnhut, Germany now join Christiansfeld, Denmark (already inscribed in 2015) as a single World Heritage site that represents the outstanding universal value of these historic settlements and the worldwide influence of the Moravian Church. We would like to express our appreciation to our respective governments of the United States, Denmark, Germany, and Northern Ireland/UK for their efforts on behalf of Moravian Church Settlements, said Mayor Reynolds. More information can be found on moravianchurchsettlements.org, launching today. Moravian Church Settlements is a transnational extension of Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement in Denmark founded in 1773 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015. The Moravian Church is a Protestant denomination in the free church tradition centered in Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany. The extension includes three additional component parts: Bethlehem (USA) was established in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1741. This highlights the early transatlantic dimension of the Moravian Church phenomenon during a prolific settlement-building decade and added the cultural dimension of the Moravians outreach to Native Americans. Gracehill (UK) was founded in Northern Ireland in 1759. It represents the significance of the Moravian Church in the UK and exemplifies a unique series of ideal urban plans that demonstrate a notable gender axis. This is showcased by the division of the town plan into a sisters side and a brothers side, which directly reflects the fundamental functional structure of Moravian society. Herrnhut (Germany) is considered the mother or founding town of the Renewed Moravian Church. It was established in 1722 in Saxony and evolved in line with the development of Moravian theology and societal ideals. This town defined the principles of all Moravian Church settlements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240726407698/en/ Rakhi is a festival that celebrates the love that siblings share worldwide. Rakshabandhan comprises two words 'Raksha', which means protection, and Bandhan, which means to tie the siblings in the eternal bond of love, care, and protection. It is all about having each others back and ensuring one does not have to face anything alone. But with changing times the siblings live away from each other and find it difficult to celebrate Rakhi with their siblings like old times. Each year the festival is observed on the full moon day in the Shravana, August. GiftstoIndia24x7 aims to provide easy Rakhi gifting options for the NRIs and they can choose from a huge variety. With the vibrant collection of Rakhi, one can add more vitality to the celebration.When it comes to celebrating Rakshabandhan, the NRIs often find it difficult to look for ways to send Rakhis to their siblings living in India. But online websites like GiftstoIndia24x7, have made it easy to celebrate Rakhi online. They have made special efforts to curate Rakhi gifts for the loved ones. From choosing the designer Rakhi threads to curating gift hampers for the brothers, a lot goes on behind the scenes. The website has a huge variety of Rakhis and gifts so it fulfills the wishlist of those who are looking for gifts for their siblings. There are Rakhi threads for the spiritual brother to the cool one. The ample number of designs makes it easy to select gifts for the ones living far away but do not want to miss out on making their siblings feel special on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. The gifts are specially curated keeping in mind that they can emotionally connect even from a distance and it doesnt ruin the celebration.This year GiftstoIndia24x7 , the online gifting portal has come up with the largest collection of over 750 Rakhi threads and Rakhi gifts that one can send to their siblings online even from a distance. Sending rakhi online has become a lot easier and comes without any hassle. The website delivers Rakhis all over India and they have launched a whole lot of variety in the Rakhi threads. Spiritual Rakhis feature traditional designs like Om, Swastik, Rudraksh, Radha Krishna, Lakshmi, Ek Onkaar, Hanuman, Shiv, and Ganesh. These types of Rakhis are best for those who have a divine interest and traditional values. There are premium Rakhi threads that include Pearl, Stones, Peacock, and others. Bracelet Rakhis are also a type of Rakhi that is famous among brothers as they can wear it as an accessory even after the occasion is over. From premium designer rakhis to luxurious silver rakhis, you will find it all. There are traditional Raksha Sutras, the thread that one can wrap around the wrist two or three times. Bhaiya Bhabhi Rakhi sets are special lumba rakhis available in various designs with exclusive elements. Evil eye Rakhis are trending these days and you will find a variety of it on this website. Resin Rakhis are also gaining a lot of popularity these days and these are designed to perfection. There are also Rakhi sets available so you can also send Rakhis to the whole family at once. Last but not least, there are also Rakhis for the little ones. They would love to wear vibrant rakhis of their favorite cartoon characters and they will be elated to receive them as gifts. All the Rakhis are made with premium quality threads, beads, and elements which certainly give a good experience to the brothers who are far away from their sisters living in a different country but they can still soak in all the love even from a distance.When it comes to gifting brothers, one leaves no stone unturned. So the ample choices of gift hampers make it easy for the sisters to send Rakhi gifts to India to their brothers. The latest collection of Rakhi threads and gift hampers makes the Raksha Bandhan celebrations more ecstatic. There are unique designer Rakhis along with gift hampers specially curated for the brothers. Different gift hampers contain gift items that the brothers can use. Be it gourmet, personalized, or grooming- there are multiple options that one can choose from. For a change, the brothers can also find return gifts for the sister. With their choice of 'Customize your Combo', one enjoys more options and chooses the favorite one for their siblings. Sending Rakhi gift hampers serves the purpose of sending Rakhi threads along with curated gift hampers. Mr. Amit Desai, the CEO of GiftstoIndia24x7 says, Over the years, we have catered to the likes of the customers and made sure we walk that extra mile to fulfill their requirements. When it comes to celebrating your loved ones from a distance, we try to give a satisfying experience and deliver what they have chosen. There are a lot of emotions attached and we try to care for them in the best way possible.GiftstoIndia24x7 ensures that the celebration of Rakshabandhan is done wholeheartedly. They have ensured that Rakhis are available from as low as the price of Rs. 99 so that they fit into the budget easily. The website has curated its largest collection to date and significantly expanded its delivery area. At more than 15000 pincodes they have services of same-day delivery of Rakhi and Rakhi gifts. Distance should not ruin the celebrations so one can rely on their services when it comes to delivering rakhis to different parts of the country. With options of same-day delivery, one can avail to send rakhi to India to their brother. The website has a huge range of gifts, including flowers, cakes, chocolates, and exclusive gift hampers specially curated for Rakhi. There are also special personalized gift ideas that add up to the beauty of the occasion. GiftstoIndia24x7 makes sure that distance does not dampen the spirit of Raksha Bandhan and enables the customers to celebrate the occasion with a difference. After a long wait, on Saturday, July 27th, the Via dellAmore will reopen to the public. With just over 900 metres of trail perched over the sea, this iconic symbol of Liguria is one of the most stunning, evocative, and famous pathways in the world. It is located in the natural paradise of Cinque Terre, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240725501622/en/ View of Via dell'Amore - ph credits Bruno Maderna Closed since 2012 due to a landslide, the Via dellAmore was reopened after a complex redevelopment led by the Liguria Region, the Governments commissioner for management of hydrogeological instability, and in collaboration with Riomaggiore, the Cinque Terre National Park, the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, and the Harbour Masters Office. The total investment exceeded 23 million euros, with the Liguria Region providing 12 million euros, and additional funding from the Ministry of Culture (6.9 million), the Ministry of Environment (3 million), and Civil Protection (1.5 million). Reopening the Via dellAmore was complex due to its fragile cliffside location. Restoration work started on January 14, 2022, and finished on July 19, 2024. Specialist companies worked on-site using helicopters to transport materials while rock workers suspended by ropes and cables performed deep anchorages on the cliff and installed stainless-steel mesh. On the eve of its reopening, the Via dellAmore was inaugurated with support from the Ministry of Tourism. The communities of Riomaggiore and Manarola celebrated with key figures including the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanche; the Commissioner for the management of hydrogeological instability, Giacomo Raul Giampedrone; the interim President of the Liguria Region, Alessandro Piana; the President of the Cinque Terre National Park, Donatella Bianchi; and the Mayor of Riomaggiore, Fabrizia Pecunia. Accompanying the authorities was a train adorned with a design dedicated to the Via dellAmore, which will remain in service on the route. The day was marked by a captivating fireworks display and a music show. Going forward, Riomaggiore town will manage the trail as an open-air museum with reserved, limited, and fee-based access to maintain safety measures. www.lamialiguria.it View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240725501622/en/ CAMEROUN :: Senghor University UNESCO:25 African participants now equipped to set up projects and climate change :: CAMEROON These 25 participants come from the 5 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad and Cameroon. Since July 22, they have been taking part in this training called: Certificate in setting up projects integrating climate change (MPCC) at the UNESCO Regional Headquarters for Central Africa Yaounde in Cameroon. An initiative of Senghor University in Alexandria in partnership with UNESCO for Central Africa, the common objective of which is to support and strengthen the capacities of development executives and actors, particularly specialists in project management and/ or the environment. It aims to equip stakeholders in public and private organizations to design and implement development projects integrating mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change, among other things, participants are made aware of the issues posed by climate change, the main manifestations. It should be noted that the African continent is home to 60% of the countries most affected by climate change. At the country level, Governments, Municipalities, all classes of society are called upon to play a role in responding to these environmental challenges. Unfortunately, the constraints are numerous, with the lack of qualified human resources, limited access to financing mechanisms and the weak mobilization of internal financial resources, hence the challenge of holding this certification training. We remind you that two trainers from Senghor University in Alexandria: Ms. Etotepe A. SOGBOHOSSOU, Director of the Environment Department (coordinator) and Mr. Ulvick HOUSSOU, Director of Development and Entrepreneurship (trainer) direct this training work linked to the "Certificate in Project Setting up integrating the Climate Change" (MPCC). As a training module, participants have already had the right to acquire knowledge on climate issues, analysis of a need, implementation and monitoring of a project. According to these trainers, 6 Skills to acquire at the end of this training, among other things: Understand the context of results- based management and the general principles that govern development projects; Carry out a needs analysis, an essential step in setting up projects; Master the main project formulation tools (logic, budgeting intervention, planning). WHAT TO REMEMBER FROM THIS CERTIFICATE TRAINING. The initiative was born in 2022 during the Cop of the Cities in Cote dIvoire where many municipalities complained of not having access to funding. This certification training aims to help participants how to set up a good project that integrates climate change; on this subject, we involve the people who are at the heart of financing, according to Ms. Etotepe we had, today, a manager from the African Development Bank (BAD) who spoke to us about this module, the different resources that exist for the granting of financing. We hope that the participants will emerge empowered to be able to have easier access to funding, she specifies at the press microphone. For Mr. Mayor of the commune of Fongotongo region of Western Cameroon, department of Menoua Dongue Paul, one of the participants: Climate change is a real major problem in my municipality as head of a decentralized local authority so the main activity is agriculture, with drops in temperature, change in weather, heavy rain, drought, this training falls sharply in view of the climate changes observed in recent years. The training is going well, sharing experiences with other participants from other African countries. With the arrival of an ADB official this morning, I already know what procedure to adopt to develop and set up a good financing project that integrates matic changes, what I already knew the financing is there, and it is Its up to us, the bosses, to take the lead in seeking funding. Opportunity for me here to thank Senghor Alexandria University and UNESCO for having thought of launching this call for applications. We recall that the first edition was held in Abomey in Benin, it only took into account the cities.The 5th edition which is held in Yaounde is open to municipalities,private and public institutions, ONG , organizations, said training closes this July 26 at Yaounde in Cameroon. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code A TEENAGER who used threatening words to someone else, telling them youre dead, was before Carlow District Court last week. Jake Gorman, 12 Kyleshall, Raheendoran pleaded guilty to a charge of using threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour at Accommodation Road, Carlow on 13 November 2023. Sergeant Hud Kelly told the court that Mr Gorman told the person, who wasnt named in court, that they were dead and I know where you live. "No excuse" Barrister Eamonn OMoore told the court that 18-year-old Mr Gorman apologised to the complainant and that, though there was no excuse for his behaviour or for the words that he used, there was a back story to the situation, which he couldnt go into in open court. He continued that there had been a dispute between the two families involved and that they were no longer in contact with each other. Experience hugely affected him Mr OMoore continued that Mr Gorman had been a complainant in a criminal trial last year and that the experience had hugely affected him. He continued that his client had a vision for his life and that he intended to study music in college. Judge Geraldine Carthy heard that Mr Gorman was willing to pay 100 into the court poor box in lieu of a conviction, but Judge Carthy ordered him to pay 300 instead. She then adjourned the case until 18 September, to give the defendant a chance to pay the money, after which she will give him the benefit of the Probation Act. A BALTINGLASS man pleaded guilty to selling or supplying cannabis in Carlow District Court after gardai found 1,500 worth of the drug at his home. Jason Connolly, 15 Lathaleer, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to owning the drug and to having it for the purpose of sale or supply after gardai searched that address on 27 October 2023. Took responsibility for drugs Inspector Conor Nolan told the court that when the gardai found the 1,500 worth of cannabis, 25-year-old Mr Connolly took responsibility for it, saying that it was for his own personal use. He continued that the gardai found no evidence of Mr Connolly dealing the drug, such as a weighing scales or an amount of cash. Solicitor John OSullivan said that there was no methodology that he was dealing the drugs and that the amount of cannabis led to the sale or supply charge. Ambitions to travel He also handed a letter into court from Mr Connollys employer and told Judge Geraldine Carthy that his client had ambitions to travel to Australia after he completed his training in horticulture. Judge Carthy then adjourned the case until 25 September for the preparation of a probation report and for Mr Connolly to be assessed for his suitability for a community employment order. ISNT it dreadful to think that a group of hooligans and thats the only way to describe them believe they are above the law and can dictate to everyone else, including the government, where asylum seekers are to be housed. Dont get me wrong, I accept there is a lot wrong with the current situation, where literally hundreds of asylum seekers can suddenly appear in Dublin city centre every week looking for protection. The government was warned this was going to happen, but as is often the case, little or nothing was done in preparation for this huge increase in numbers until everything reached crisis point. That said, there is no excuse for the actions of people in Coolock last week, at Ballyogen sometime before that, Citywest, Newcastle, Co Wicklow and practically every other place where asylum seekers are being housed. After several days of protest and a total of 21 arrests for public order offences on Friday, we woke up to the news that gardai are now investigating a suspected arson attack on the premises in Coolock earmarked for conversion to cater for up to 500 asylum seekers. What I couldnt understand was the leniency shown by the court to some of those charged. Granted, they have had their cases adjourned, but they still got to go home after causing mayhem instead of spending a few nights in prison to cool their heels. If nothing else, it would show what possible sanctions they face if they continue with such deplorable behaviour. What is it with us? We pussyfoot around things instead of showing a firm hand. It is wrong that a few neer-do-wells, who wouldnt know what work was if it bit them, can go about stirring up hate, waving the Irish flag and calling themselves patriots, while all the time goading the gardai so they can then post items online showing how the police are attacking decent citizens, whose only crime is exercising their right to protest. I spent a considerable amount of time looking up recent posts of incidents around the country and all I saw was faceless individuals trying to create trouble. Yes, there is a lot wrong, and yes, we are all beginning to get sick and tired of looking at tent cities along canals or in green areas, but using violence, attacking people as they sleep or, as was reported on Thursday, using a machete on a tourist while shouting f**king immigrant, is not the answer. Im gone beyond the age limit for joining the gardai, but from what I saw of coverage at these protests and from what was written about the most recent incidents in Coolock, youd have to ask yourself who in their right mind would want to be a garda today? All I saw was a bunch of thugs trying their best to create a situation where they portray themselves as victims and then post negative reviews of the actions of those trying to maintain the peace. There have been too many incidents of late, where people believe they have the right to do and say what they like and even go so far as to issue death threats. Thankfully, no public figure has died, but public or otherwise, it will only be a matter of time before there are fatalities if this trend where people believe they have a right to resort to violence to get their own way isnt stamped out once and for all. One complaint people had about this latest flashpoint was that there hadnt been enough consultation prior to work beginning on converting this former factory into a holding centre. It became a you said, I said situation, with community activists saying there werent enough meetings, while the state agency responsible retorted by stating it had outlined plans for the new centre and would have elaborated further as work progressed. The rights and wrongs of who did what or whether there was enough talk before work actually got underway can be debated, but we were all aware that such centres were going to become a reality. The state signed up to a European agreement regarding immigration, so its now up to the state to house immigrants. What we need to concentrate on is ensuring we dont become a soft touch for accepting immigrants from all over the world. Waving the Irish flag while throwing bricks at gardai or attacking security guards is not the way to go about that. African officials speak highly of outcome of latest CPC plenum Xinhua) 13:17, July 26, 2024 CHANGSHA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- African officials attending the 7th China-Africa People's Forum have spoken highly of the outcome of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The 20th Central Committee of the CPC adopted a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization at its third plenary session held in Beijing from July 15 to 18. It is of great significance for Africa and China to jointly seek a development path towards modernization, said the African officials, adding that political parties and civil organizations of African countries are willing to strengthen cooperation with China to help build a China-Africa community with a shared future. The 7th China-Africa People's Forum and the 7th China-Africa Young Leaders Forum are being held in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province from Wednesday to Friday. More than 200 representatives from over 50 African countries are attending the events jointly held by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPC. Gelase Daniel Ndabirabe, president of the National Assembly of Burundi, expressed appreciation for China's efforts to provide Africa with useful experience, which has helped enhance its people-centered awareness and promote its development. On Wednesday, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPC jointly held a briefing to introduce the major measures adopted by the plenum to further deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. More than 200 foreign guests from over 50 African countries attended the briefing. Ndabirabe said at the briefing that he hopes to further strengthen education, culture and training exchanges between the two sides, break the barriers of languages and cultures, and learn from China's experience in governance and advanced technology. Marvin Fanny, vice president of the United Seychelles political party, was impressed by the specific measures adopted by the CPC to further deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. He added that he has drawn inspiration from the resolution and hopes it will help empower the governance of political parties. Obert Mpofu, secretary-general of the ruling ZANU PF party of Zimbabwe, praised the Chinese government for its efficient decision-making and executive force. "We are willing to strengthen our relations with the CPC, whose sincere advice and friendly support have promoted the development of Zimbabwe," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) By Cillian Sherlock, PA The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has expressed surprise over social media company Xs decision to use user posts to train an AI chatbot. Users of X, formerly Twitter, expressed outrage after discovering that the company had enabled a system where their posts could be used to train its Grok AI chatbot. Grok, which is available to X Premium customers, is billed as a humorous enhanced search feature powered by a state-of-the-art large language model that was initially trained on publicly available sources. The company now wants to use user interactions and posts to improve the service. X users are opted in to the new system by default but can choose to opt out in settings on the web-based app. When enabled, the setting allows posts on the site as well as interactions with the chatbot to be used for training, while the data may also be shared with the xAI partner company. X has it European headquarters in Dublin, making the DPC its lead regulator in Europe. In a statement, a spokesman said: The DPC has been engaging with X on this matter for a number of months, with our latest interaction occurring as recently as yesterday, therefore we are surprised by todays developments. We have followed up with X today and are awaiting a response. We expect further engagement early next week. By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA A protest has been held outside the Danish embassy in Dublin calling for the release of veteran environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson. Mr Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen, is a former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose direct action tactics, including high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels, have drawn support from A-list celebrities. He was arrested in the Danish territory of Greenland on Sunday when his ship docked in Nuuk on foot of an international arrest warrant issued by Japan. The Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) said he would be detained in Nuuk until August 15 at least, to give the Danish justice ministry time to investigate the case and possible extradition. Environmental campaigner Paul Watson (Markus Schreiber/AP) At a protest outside the Danish embassy in Dublin, protesters wore fox and badger masks, wrapped themselves in ropes and chanted is it a crime to save the oceans, is it a crime to save the whales, is it a crime to save the dolphins? No. A letter was handed in by protesters to the Danish embassy urging them to release Watson. Alex Neubauer of the Irish branch of the CPWF told the PA news agency that Watsons arrest came as an absolute shock. He said that although he has heard Mr Watson is in good spirits, he is facing a prison sentence of up to 15 years in Japan, and there are fears that if he is sent there he may never leave. Paul Watson was actually two weeks ago in Dublin and we thought he was free to travel, he told PA. But it looks like the Japanese government made a confidential Red Notice so no one could see it. We are getting in contact all over the world, with politicians, with celebrities to ask for Paul Watson to be freed. People take part in a protest outside the Danish embassy in Dublin calling for the release of anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson (Brian Lawless/PA) He said they have petitions and have set up a website to help people send letters to embassies and politicians to increase pressure to release the activist. Captain Paul Watson saved whales, he kicked a Japanese whaling fleet out of the southern oceans. He always says if the oceans die, we all die. So what we do, were saving the whales but were also saving humanity. He said he hoped the Irish government would push for Watsons release. For Denmark, I say only one thing: the world is watching you. By Cillian Sherlock, PA RTE will offer audition opportunities to around 150 people in a bid to fill gaps in the 2FM line-up. There have been a number of recent high-profile departures from the station, including Jennifer Zamparelli, The 2 Johnnies and Doireann Garrihy, leading to a reshuffle of hosts. After major financial and governance scandals across RTE, the organisation introduced a plan to cut presenter wages, restrict external activities and develop a register of interests. Head of 2FM Dan Healy previously said the new rules on external activities played a role but is not the reason for the exits. RTE director-general Kevin Bakhurst (Brian Lawless/PA) RTE bosses have acknowledged the clampdown may make the positions less attractive. At the start of this month, the national broadcaster announced an open call for applicants to present roles on 2FM. It said it wanted to create a long list of presenters for single or double-header roles who would appeal to a 15 to 34-year-old audience. In an interview with the PA news agency, RTE director-general Kevin Bakhurst denied suggestions that 2FM had run out of ideas, adding: Far from it. He said the reaction to the call-out was fantastic. We had over 500 applications from a range of people, from existing radio presenters, members of staff, podcasters, social media people, some great young Irish-language journalists. Theres a whole range of people and I know that Dan Healy and his team are actually very excited by the number of people. They were very excited by some of the people that weve come across that we wouldnt have come across otherwise. They had 500. I think were going to give an audition opportunity to around 150. By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA Taoiseach Simon Harris has doubled down on nominating former minister Michael McGrath to be Irelands EU Commissioner, despite a Brussels request for two names. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will formally ask countries to put the names of a man and a woman forward to help her form a gender-balanced team of Commissioners. Mr McGrath stepped down as Minister for Finance several weeks ago in order to become the EU Commissioner nominee. Taoiseach Simon Harris said he did not believe that nominating just one person would affect Irelands chances of getting an important portfolio. Photo: PA The nomination to become Irelands next EU Commissioner was the choice of the Fianna Fail party under the terms of an agreement between the three parties forming Irelands coalition Government. Speaking in Paris, Mr Harris said it would be odd and unfair to put two names forward after proposing a senior politician who had stepped down from Cabinet to focus on the role. The Taoiseach said he also did not believe that nominating just one person would affect Irelands chances of getting an important portfolio. I know President von der Leyen to be a very serious, a very competent and a fair politician, Mr Harris said, whose Fine Gael party is part of Ms von der Leyens EPP political group. I know from my conversations with her that she will assess the suitability of commissioners for portfolios based on their background, based on their CV, based on interviews that she will carry out. Irelands outgoing EU Commissioner, Fine Gaels Mairead McGuinness, had described a thorough interview process through which it is decided what portfolio each candidate is given. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attends the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit at Cop28 in Dubai (Chris Jackson/PA) Mr Harris said: Michael McGrath was in Brussels this week, I spoke to Michael last weekend and I know hes taking that process extremely seriously in terms of preparing and engaging. As the Taoiseach of Ireland, Im satisfied that weve sent a politician of substance in Michael McGrath. Yes, President von der Leyen has asked for two names, and she did the last time as well, and I suppose weve respectfully said to her that Ireland has made a decision, in line with the treaties, as is our right, as to the Commission candidate we wish to send forward. On other occasions in the past, weve sent one name and the name has been a woman. But weve had to make an assessment as to who we believe is the best commissioner to send from Ireland. That person, Michael McGrath, has had to step down from Cabinet. Thats a pretty profound thing for him to have to do. I think it would be an unfair thing for him to have to do and then tell him he has a 50-50 chance of getting a role at the end of it. So I think theres at the very least an understanding of this at European level. He added: Ireland has played its part in terms of gender equality and the important issues around that and will continue to. On this occasion, though, we have a particular set of circumstances that are important. Firstly, we have a coalition Government this is the politics of Ireland thats important people understand at a European level and under that coalition Government, the nominee came from Fianna Fail. Its a Government nominee, I fully support Michael McGrath. And then the second thing to remember is that Michael McGrath was one of the most senior politicians in Ireland, he was the Minister for Finance, it was important that he would have his full concentration on preparing for the European Commission role and have a Minister for Finance whos preparing fully for the budget. So therefore, the fact that hes stepped down from Cabinet, I think it would seem odd that you would send more than one name considering those pretty particular set of circumstances. New line to further squeeze imports to the Philippines Peter Bell By 26 July 2024 Cement imports to the Philippines are expected to come under increased pressure after the start-up of Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc's (TCPI) PHP12.8bn (US$219.25) brownfield line last week. The plant modernisation is just one of several new capacity projects that have seen the country's cement capacity rise by 13Mta over the last five years to approximately 53Mta, according to the Cement Manufacturers Association (CEMAP). The aim is for domestic infrastructure projects to be supplied by local producers, encouraging local employment and safeguarding jobs in the Philippines' cement sector. "Taiheiyos new plant in San Fernando, Cebu, will bolster the Philippines' cement production by 3Mta, reducing our reliance on imports. This investment aligns perfectly with our governments Build Better More Infrastructure Program, stated Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary, Alfredo Pascual. Support for local cement producers The push for locally-produced cement has been further bolstered by the Tatak Pinoy Law, which aims to empower Philippine industries with finances and incentives for the manufacture of quality goods. The swift passing of the law authored by Senator Sonny Angara was the result of close collaboration between the Senate, House of Representatives and the President, which had listed it on the priority measure of his administration. A key provision of the Act is that Philippine Products will be given priority and preference in all government procurement activities for a period of 10 years. The added protection of the Tatak Pinoy Law is expected to give cement producers and other local industries the confidence to invest and improve the quality of their products. The new San Fernando plant, for example, will cut CO 2 emissions by 10 per cent compared to older lines. The plant will now produce an additional 100,000 bags of cement per day and will raise the company's market share from seven to 10 per cent by 2025. TCPI has also invested PHP3.2bn in the Jetty and Marine Belt Conveyor and the PHP1.4bn San Fernando port area projects. Furthermore, the Luzon Distribution Terminal has been modernised with an investment of PHP3.7bn. Ramping up pressure on imports The increases in domestic capacity could finally result in a sharp fall in imports. Earlier, in February 2024, CEMAP called the DTI to help curb the influx of imported cement that had evaded proper inspection. CEMAP claimed that cement products in Western Visayas, Central Luzon and parts of Mindanao, appeared to have been directly sold from vessels, at ex-vessel price, possibly even before the necessary inspection and sampling. CEMAP argues that imported cement should be mandated to undergo both chemical and seven-day physical strength testing before distribution or use. Vietnam is the largest source of cement and clinker imports for the Philippines' cement market, accounting for approximately 2Mt of cement sales in the 1Q24 or US$81.56m, reports the General Department of Customs. A brighter future? The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecast a six per cent growth in the Philippines GDP in 2024 and 6.2 per cent in 2025. The government also seeks to maintain infrastructure spending at the 5-6 per cent level with its BBM Infrastructure programme. The government-initiated Philippine Construction Industry Road Map also envisions PHP130trn of business will be generated between 2020-30 in the country. Published under Ramco Cements sees 55% fall in net profit ICR Newsroom By 26 July 2024 The Ramco Cements Ltd reported a 55 per cent fall in net profit to INR355m (US$4.24m) during the quarter ended 30 June 2024, compared to INR793m in the same quarter of 2023. The companys net revenue decreased by seven per cent in the first quarter of FY24-25 to INR20.97bn, down from INR22.49bn in the same period of FY23-24. During the first quarter of FY24-25, sales volume was 4.4Mt, compared to 4.3Mt in the April-June quarter of 2023. This was due to weak demand amid general elections, the company stated. Ramco is targeting a cement capacity of 30Mta by March 2026. It expects to achieve this target by commissioning a second line in Kolimigundla, along with de-bottlenecking of existing facilities and adding grinding capacity with minimal capital expenditure. The India-based company has also announced its intention to sell off non-core assets worth about INR10m over the next 12 months. Published under In October of 2022, during the City Council meeting, Mayor Kelly apologized for the lack of communication from the city about this project. On the city of Chattanoogas website, the city specifically stated how they would keep the community engaged throughout the process, but have never followed through. The last thing the community heard was back in January when they were told by the citys Chief Housing Officer, Nicole Heyman, that the city may be pivoting away from permanent support of housing and toward an affordable housing or mixed income project. Since the last community meeting, the city has done nothing to prepare this site for a homeless shelter or permanent supportive housing. No new bus stop anywhere close, no grocery stores nearby, no new sidewalks, no cleaning up of the other motels, nothing. It is the exact same as it was when the city purchased this flea bag motel as Mayor Kelly likes to call it. Lets not forget that the group that Mayor Kelly praised and was so excited to bring to Chattanooga is now embroiled in a $100 million lawsuit with the state of California. Now, without much time for due diligence, the city is just going to hand over a $2.8 million property and no one should ask questions? Tiffany Newberry Now, they just want to hand it off to an outside group with no community input or involvement in the middle of summer when hopefully no one is looking. * * * Thank you, Ms. Newberry, for informing. The public is in the dark about this situation, or at-least I was. Another homeless funding debacle. The city of Chattanooga has a history of chronic failure in the use of tax dollars assigned to help the homeless. The large tax dollar investments trickle away from the need. What an embarrassment. The city taxpayers are once again being fleeced for another round help the homeless where public funds flow to everyone, but the homeless. For the folks that remember the millions of local tax dollars wasted on the citys purchase of the polluted farmers market in a land deal that was simply deplorable, this is outrageous. The farmers market project was about 50 percent intended to funnel proceeds to political friends, and millions for environmental studies that never amounted to helping the homeless. An estimated 10 million dollars was wasted in the homeless campus pursuit that yielded nothing for the homeless. That citys outrageous actions on the prior homeless effort are condemnable. The city of Chattanooga dared to call down Hamilton County elected for failing to fall in line with their spending for homeless intervention 3 years ago. I was cheering for the citys plan to help provide temporary housing for the homeless and felt hopeful, of course history does repeat. The city failed miserably. Here we are three years later, and not one homeless person has been assisted with the purchase of this Airport Inn. Money for vulnerable populations such as the homeless flow away for impactful purpose. What is this? The city has left a $3 million investment sitting for three years, not housing homeless. Is that correct? Somehow this is not surprising, as we dodge potholes everywhere. I am reasonably fed up with seeing millions go to the cause of homelessness by the city of Chattanooga that results in zero temporary housing or outcomes at all. Thank you, Ms. Newberry. No one would know about this without your words. What would the $3 million in a land purchase have done for the homeless over the last three years? City Council, do your job and intervene, sell the Airport Inn, and get the money to the need. April Eidson The Mayors Council on Disability invites everyone to a community celebration for the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Acts passage. The event will take place at Coolidge Park from 11 a.m.2 p.m. Mayor Tim Kelly will be in attendance and will read a proclamation regarding the ADA and its importance at 1:15 p.m. Officials said, "The passage of the ADA in 1990 was a monumental occurrence for those with disabilities in the United States. Through this legislation, the Civil Rights and equal access of those with disabilities were legally mandated. The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990 under President George H.W. Bush." Food will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be multiple vendors and service agencies present that serve those with disabilities. Cheryl Zuckerman, who heads the council, said, The Mayors Council on Disability is delighted to offer this celebration for the community, and it is wonderful that Mayor Kelly has agreed to take part in the festivities. Chattanooga is known for being a city that is accessible and friendly for those who have disabilities, and it is important for us to come together to recognize how the ADA makes a difference in the lives of those with disabilities every day. Weve made great strides, but we know there is more to be done. The Hamilton County Health Department, WillowBend Farms and Vision Hospitality Group partner with local organizations to participate in the Red Sand Project to raise awareness of human trafficking.The Red Sand Project uses sand artwork as a way for people to come together and connect, raising awareness about human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation.Officials said, "The red sand symbolizes the human trafficking victims that fall through the cracks of our society every day.Although Hamilton County makes continuous efforts and improvements, human trafficking remains a significant public health concern within our community.Vision Hospitality Group is honored to serve as host for our third annual collaborative Red Sand Project. The One Voice Coalition, the Hamilton County Health Department and our civil leaders across Chattanooga have been hard-working partners in putting a stop to human trafficking. For that, we are deeply grateful. In keeping with our theme this year of 'progress,' Vision is proud to represent the hotel industry by sharing the ways hospitality has been taking a stance and our efforts towards increasing survivor support and awareness. While progress is being made, this fight isnt over, and we invite the community to join us with their voices."According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, human trafficking is a demand-driven crime that involves exploiting a person for labor, services, or commercial sex acts, targeting men, women, and children. Human trafficking is also one of the fastest-growing criminal industries in the country, with cases reported in all 50 states. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, in 2021, 217 victims in Tennessee were involved in 152 reported cases; cases can have multiple victims."As a survivor, I understand the importance of decreasing barriers to victims seeking services and that having a continuum of care provides survivors with sustainable restoration. During the Red Sand Event on Thursday, August 1st, we will share the progress made in the last year, including information on the Counter-Trafficking Alliance of Chattanooga launched in January 2024. That has brought together over 52 agencies in our community to address human trafficking. Massive steps to protect our community, bring awareness, and coordinate care with cultural sensitivity as a critical objective to serve the most vulnerable of populations to trafficking are at the forefront. One Voice collective comprises five local counter-trafficking agencies that serve the Chattanooga region that come together as one unified voice with a mission to support survivors and prevent human trafficking, said Sarah McKinnis, co-founder and CEO of WillowBend Farms.If you know someone who needs help to escape trafficking, contact the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-558-6484. If you suspect you have encountered a victim of human trafficking, you may call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233722.As part of outreach efforts regarding Human Trafficking Awareness, a Red Sand Project event will be held on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. at the Aloft Hotel. Due to limited space, RSVPing is preferred. Event information and the RSVP link are available here Improving school attendance addresses many educational challenges, including poor reading skills, chaotic classrooms, and learning loss. However, truancy, chronic absenteeism, and school dropouts often go unnoticed and are not given enough attention by policymakers. School attendance is just not a sexy policy issue. Unlike testing, there is no industry like the highly profitable testing companies that spend millions lobbying policymakers for more taxpayer dollars to fight for these kids. No highly financed political campaigns are focused on promoting showing up for school as an alternative to universal vouchers.Stephen Hawking once said, Half the battle is just showing up. If we want to elevate public education and see children achieve their potential, we must ensure that students show up in classrooms and learn daily. We must ensure that our schools have a teacher in each class and that students receive the support they need to know and succeed. School attendance is one of the most important indicators of school success.Many schoolchildren experience enormous hardships in their lives, including abject poverty, complex health challenges, neighborhood violence, and challenging family circumstances. These obstacles make it hard for students to make the most of their schooling opportunities. Mike Martin emphasized the need for policymakers to address transportation issues impacting chronic absenteeism to ensure no students are left behind.School absences nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, posing a significant educational threat. Chronic absenteeism is particularly concerning, as it can become the new norm and hinder students' academic progress. Studies have shown that chronically absent students perform lower in reading and mathematics.Although schools have implemented strategies like attendance-tracking systems and community outreach to tackle absenteeism, the problem persists. While some states have managed to reduce chronic absenteeism rates, they remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. The availability of COVID relief funds for attendance campaigns has also diminished, making it challenging for school districts to continue their efforts.States like Rhode Island have taken proactive measures to address chronic absenteeism, such as using billboards to catch students' attention and implementing a public dashboard to monitor daily attendance rates. However, reducing chronic absenteeism requires tailored approaches that consider the unique circumstances of each region.The consequences of high school dropout rates are far-reaching, including lower wages, limited employment opportunities, increased reliance on welfare and public services, and higher incarceration rates. Tennessee, for example, has experienced high dropout rates in urban areas such as Memphis-Shelby County and Davidson County.Inconsistent policies and practices across states, districts, and schools hinder combatting chronic absenteeism and truancy. The lack of a standardized classification of absences as excused or unexcused and variations in truancy laws prevent accurate data analysis and comparison.When students drop out of high school, it creates challenges that most kids never understand. These include lower wages, lost productivity, lack of employment opportunities, dependence on welfare and public services, and higher rates of incarceration. For the state, lost wages for citizens mean a loss of tax revenue.To address these issues, a common language and stable attendance policies are needed. It is essential to prioritize school attendance as a critical indicator of success and ensure students have access to teachers and the support they need to thrive. We can elevate public education and empower students to reach their full potential by confronting truancy, chronic absenteeism, and dropouts. It is time we start having those conversations. JC Bowman Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee * * * In response to JC Bowmans recent letter on school attendance, I will share Professor Walter Williamss opinion. For someone to do well in school, somebody needs to make him go to bed on time and get a good 10 hours of sleep. Somebody must make him do his homework. Somebody must feed him breakfast in the morning and somebody must make him mind the teacher. If those things are not done, I dont care how much money you put in the school system, education will not occur. Thomas Blewett Ross Pitcairn has informed Mayor Tim Kelly that he will be stepping down from his position as Public Works Administrator, effective in two weeks. Jerramy Jay Wood, who currently serves as Deputy Administrator of Wastewater Systems, will serve as Interim Public Works Administrator. Ross is a true public servant, and I want to thank him for his hard work and wish him the best in his future endeavors, said Mayor Kelly. Jerramy was a prior finalist for this position, so I have full confidence in his ability to step in as an effective leader for Public Works, ensuring we advance our One Chattanooga goal of efficient and responsive local government. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will conduct artillery firing demonstrations, each lasting approximately 30 minutes, inside Point Park, on Lookout Mountain on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.Entrance to Point Park is $10 per adult (ages 16 years and older; ages 15 years and younger enter free of charge). If a visitor has an America the Beautiful National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, the passholder and three other adults may enter for free.Officials said, "Artillerists rely on a line of sight, and the clearer the better.However, on Nov. 24, 1863, Captain Max Van Den Corput and his Cherokee Light Artillery fired off Lookout Mountain without ever seeing their enemy. How did they aim their guns during The Battle Above the Clouds? Come join us for a unique experience and find out the answer to this question and more."For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch. How pharmaceuticals act, how efficient catalysts are and how effective and accurate printing inks function all depend on the size of the nanoparticles they contain. However, there are as of yet no methods for monitoring the particle size distribution during grinding processes. In the EU-funded PAT4Nano project, a consortium from industry and research has spent the last four years looking for practicable approaches for such inline measurements. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen has developed a promising laser-based method that could soon make such measurements possible. Particles on a nanometer (nm) scale make all the difference in inkjet printing, vehicle catalytic converters and pharmaceutical production. "Their size distribution has a major influence on product properties in many applications," explains Dr. Christoph Janzen, who conducts research in the field of laser medical technology and bioanalytics at Fraunhofer ILT. For example, the degree of particle grinding in printing inks influences the reliability, costs and color effect in digital printing. So-called oversized particles i.e. particles that are too large can clog the inkjet nozzles. If they are ground too finely, the energy and time required in production increase and the print quality can also suffer. The situation is similar with nanoparticles for catalyst coatings. Both the catalytic effect and the raw material consumption of the precious metals platinum and iridium depend on the particle size distributions of the carrier materials aluminum and zirconium oxide: The optimum particle size achieves maximum catalytic efficiency with minimum precious metal input. Particle size distribution is also important in the pharmaceutical industry because the size of the active ingredient particles determines how quickly they are dissolved in the body and how long their effect lasts. Some pain-relieving medicines have a drug-like effect when finely ground. Precision is, therefore, required in production. "If the specified particle size distribution is not adhered to, there is a risk that the entire batch must be discarded, which means the company could incur high financial losses," explains Janzen. However, as great as the influence of nanoparticles is on the properties of many products, it is difficult to measure them using currently available measurement and microscopy methods. This is especially true if the measurement is to be carried out inline during the grinding process. Because there are no practicable solutions for this, users have so far made do with in-process random sample measurements. Making inline measurements of nanoparticles possible In order to close this gap, a consortium of industrial companies, manufacturers of measuring and analysis equipment and research partners has sought new approaches for inline particle measurement. In the PAT4Nano (Process Analytical Technology Tools for Realtime Physical and Chemical Characterization of Nanosuspensions) project, they have spent four years advancing various analytical approaches to measure and analyze industrially relevant nanoparticles with funding from the EU's Horizon 2020 research framework programme. In addition to the Belgian companies Agfa-Gevaert and Janssen Pharmaceutica, the National University of Ireland in Galway and the Irish University of Limerick, Johnson Matthey and Malvern Panalytical from the UK and InProcess-LSP and TNO from the Netherlands, Fraunhofer ILT was also part of the consortium. A team led by Janzen has developed a novel laser-based technology for particle analysis, which it has used to investigate particle size distributions of samples from applications in pharmaceutical, printing ink and catalyst production during the PAT4Nano project. The new method is able to measure the size and size distribution of particles (particle size distribution; PSD) during the ongoing grinding process. This task is challenging for particles in the size range of less than 100 nm because microscopic image-based methods reach their limits here. The team, therefore, had to dig deep into their photonic bag of tricks when developing the laser-based inline analytics. Mathematical detours to precise inline particle measurement "We developed our method on the basis of dynamic light scattering," explains Janzen. This measuring principle is based on Braun's molecular motion: In the liquid medium, the suspended nanoparticles are excited by collisions with molecules of the solvent and are in constant motion. The smaller the particles, the faster the movement. This is precisely where the laser measurement process comes in. "We focus a laser on the solution and analyze the scattered light or its temporary fluctuation," he explains. The particle size can be derived from the fluctuation using mathematical methods. Two mathematical methods are commonly used: Fourier analysis leads to the actual particle size via the intensity distribution in defined frequency ranges. Alternatively, it is possible to use correlation analysis to draw conclusions about the particle sizes in the ground material based on the frequency of movement. If other parameters such as the viscosity or temperature of the liquid are included, the process can provide a very precise picture of the particle sizes and their distribution. According to Janzen, an absolute value is not always required. It is often sufficient for users to track how the "hydrodynamic radius" of the particles changes during the grinding process. "By comparing this to a perfect run, they can easily track how their process is progressing and when the desired particle size has been reached," he reports. In addition to the mathematical approaches, the laser measurement process also involves imaginative engineering. This is because the inline measurement cannot take place in the ball mill, as the dynamic light scattering is based on the observation of undisturbed diffusion. However, it cannot be guaranteed that the particles diffuse freely in the liquid medium in a running ball mill, especially as the ground material is continuously mixed in it. Sampling by cuvette, on the other hand, does not fulfill the requirement of continuous process monitoring. To solve the dilemma, the Fraunhofer team systematically analyzed the grinding process. This gave the researchers the brilliant idea: "In the ball mills typically used, the liquid medium is constantly pumped around," explains Janzen. The team used the optical measuring method in this liquid cycle. To guarantee the measurements are precise despite the moving liquids, the ILT researchers constructed an inline probe. A rotating impeller moves the sample liquid in front of the optical probe. When it stops, a closed space is formed in one of its chambers, decoupled from any flow. The particles can diffuse freely here, and an undisturbed measurement can be made. To analyze them, the team directs the laser through the probe onto the temporary measuring chamber. After the measurement, the impeller starts moving again, exchanges the analyzed sample liquid and closes the measuring chamber against the outside again when it stops. A further step toward a stable measurement method for nanoparticles used in industry According to Janzen, the light is introduced into the solution via an optical fiber, whereby the focus point is variable. A second optical system captures the scattered light and also guides it via fiber to the detector, which records the signals. "The advantage of this method is that the measurements are taken under the same conditions that prevail in the grinding process," he says. One challenge that has not yet been fully resolved is that the particle concentration in the liquid is high, and it is not possible to dilute it from the outside. This increases the probability of multiple scattering, which can falsify the measurement results. In order to extend the concentration range, the researchers experimented with a completely new approach: 3D cross-correlation. This uses a modified immersion probe, which can carry out two DLS measurements at the same location and compare fluctuating signal intensities with each other using cross-correlation. This way, the concentration range can be extended because the interfering multiple scattering can be filtered out when the signals are compared. To ensure that both measurements capture exactly the same particles, the team has designed a special optics holder and manufactured it using selective laser etching (SLE). They aim to achieve high-precision focus superimposition by directing the light from two excitation lasers in two beam paths through one and the same aspherical lens at exactly the same particles and capturing the scattered light via two further beam paths. Through consistent miniaturization, they were able to integrate the optical system into the immersion probe. However, the approach proved to be very complex over the course of the project. "It is not yet robust enough, but the results with the SLE-manufactured holder are promising," says Janzen. This is also because two different wavelengths (785 nm and 795 nm) were used for excitation in order to separate the scattered light signals from the two DLS experiments. As the International Space Station (ISS) approaches the end of its operational life in 2030, NASA is preparing to destroy it in a safe and responsible manner. The agency announced that SpaceX had been selected for the task of developing a deorbit spacecraft to push the station out of orbit and back down to Earth without risk to populated areas. NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract worth up to $843 million to carry out the job. While the company will develop the deorbit spacecraft, it will go under NASA ownership once its completed. According to NASAs plans, the deorbit vehicle will pull the space station back to Earth. After entering the Earths atmosphere at a speed of over 17,000 miles per hour, the ISS and the deorbit vehicle are expected to break up before landing in a designated crash site in the ocean. The plan ensures that no one on Earth will be harmed by the debris. This decision also supports NASAs plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASAs headquarters in Washington, said. The first parts of the space station were launched in 1998. Since 2000, it has been occupied by astronauts from the U.S., Europe, Canada, Russia, and Japan. They have conducted more than 3,300 scientific experiments while floating in a close orbit above Earth. The orbital laboratory is getting up there in years, though. Crews have had to deal with issues such as technical faults and leaks. Additionally, the contracts between the five participating space agencies will expire by 2030. Russia has committed to continue operations of the station until at least 2028. Each agency is responsible for managing the station. Its operations rely on efforts from across the partnership. The partnership between these countries also marked an era of cooperation in space ventures after the end of the Cold War. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Back in her sophomore year of college, this 20-year-old girl made friends with about 7 people whom she says are pretty excellent. They have been thick as thieves ever since then, and they all attend a pretty pricey college that doesnt offer scholarships. Due to that, she knows its reasonable to believe that they all come from rich families. Back when she first started getting friendly with these people, they would grab drinks or meet up for brunch and split the bill all the time. However, Ive been brought up to never let others pay and would offer to cover the bill whenever I could, she explained. No one else offered to cover but I believe its just not common where theyre from. A few months ago, we were talking about our parents occupations, and I told them about my family. A quick Google search of my name brings up my fathers page; however, they had never connected the dots regarding our relationship. My father is well known in the real estate industry and makes quite a bit of money. Since then, Ive been labeled as the rich friend in our group. She only gave her friends tiny details about what her mom and dad do, but they were able to quickly piece together the bigger picture, and it wasnt possible for her to lie to them about it. From there, any time she would go shopping with her friends, they would make a spectacle of her if she purchased cheap items. They also would make snide remarks about her using public transit when she could clearly afford to ride around in Ubers or private jets or comment that she has so much money she should be able to buy a new outfit every single day. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Photo by Pixabay Norman Public Schools Superintendent Nick Migliorino has firmly stated that his district will not comply with Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters' directive to teach the Bible in public school classrooms. Migliorino made it clear that Norman Public Schools "is not going to have Bibles in our classrooms, and we are not going to require our teachers to teach from the Bible." This stance has drawn support from Democratic officials, including State Representative Annie Menz, who represents Norman. Menz praised the district for "putting kids first" and criticized Walters and his "out-of-state bosses" for wanting to "put the Bible in schools but take free lunches out. Similarly, Representative Jared Deck denounced Walters' directive as "big government overreach" and an attempt to "socialize Christian Nationalism." In response, the Oklahoma State Department of Education accused the lawmakers of being "anti-knowledge" and claimed that the "Bible is foundational to American history and culture, and it is academic malpractice not to include it in instructional materials." Walters has stated that the Bible's historical role in the country necessitates its prominent use in public school curricula. However, Migliorino maintained that Norman Public Schools' "standards are clear and our curriculum is very clear. And we're not going to deviate from that."State law allows local districts to choose their own curriculum and instructional materials, despite the state's ability to set academic standards. According to The Christian Post, Ryan Walters told that the specifics of his directive requiring the Bible to be taught in public schools would be released within weeks, responding to concerns from families. "The Bible was not being used prominently in its historical role in our schools. We heard that time and time again. This is not an ask," he said. "They will teach from the Bible, they will reference the Bible, they will make sure that that historical context is included when it's appropriate." He mentioned that state officials are revising curriculum standards to "include more direct application of the Bible in our history classes," with David Barton of Wallbuilders overseeing the rewrites. This initiative is being closely monitored by groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Illustration by Ibrahim Rayintakath In the 2000 movie Memento, protagonist Leonard Shelby has a specific brain injury that prevents him from forming new long-term memories. He can remember information for 30 seconds to a minute at most, but then he forgets everything. Leonards disconnect from his past leaves him in a perpetual state of bewilderment about how he got into his present predicament: What enemy am I running fromand why? Why am I holding a gun? His confusion is a consequence of amnesia, an inability to remember ones own history. If Leonard could just relearn and remember the salient parts of his past, he could finally return to a stable existence, with a sane understanding of himself and the people around him. Being an evangelical today is much like this. We too are disconnected from our past, albeit for more reversible reasons than a brain injury. As a result, evangelicals are more divided now than ever, with many of us combating enemies who were once friends. Sign up for Moore to the Point Join Russell Moore in thinking through the important questions of the day, along with book and music recommendations he has found formative. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. But what if we paused to remember our history? Not only would we recall who we are and how we got here, but we might even rediscover the best that evangelicalism has been, is, and can be once again. Of course, one of the biggest problems today is that there seems to be almost no consensus on what the word evangelical even means. If only evangelicals from around the world could agree upon the baseline parameters for evangelicalismsomething minimal enough to encourage healthy diversity but substantial enough to ensure doctrinal integrity. What if something like this already exists? Fifty years ago, in July 1974, around 2,700 Christian leaders from 150 countries traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland, at the behest of American evangelist Billy Graham and British theologian John Stott. The conference was officially titled the First International Congress of World Evangelization, but it came to be known as the first Lausanne gathering of 74. And although it included merely a portion of the global church, Time magazine famously reported at the time that the congress was possibly the widest-ranging meeting of Christians ever held. Courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Top: Participants arrive at the Palais de Beaulieu in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974. Bottom: Booths translate Lausanne plenary sessions into the six official languages of the congress. Perhaps the most important and lasting output of this gathering was the Lausanne Covenant, which in time would prove to be one of the most influential documents in modern evangelicalism. The purpose of the document was to answer a key question: How much must we agree with one another to partner together in the task of world missions? At the time, as now, evangelicalism was feeling the effects of the fundamentalist-modernist controversy, which caused ugly splits in almost every major Christian institution and denomination. The fundamentalist approach to differences involved rigorous litmus tests and doctrinal rigidity. The progressive outlook avoided setting any doctrinal boundaries, risking substantive departures from historical Christianity. But evangelicals took another tack. The evangelical approach to diversity exemplified at Lausanne is characterized both by (1) careful negotiation of unity across differences that is grounded in common confessions of historical Christianity and (2) celebration of diversity itself as an intrinsic good, and even evidence of an expression of Gods intended plan for the global, universal church of all believers. The Lausanne Covenant provided a theological definition of evangelical and quite intentionally avoided any sociopolitical elements associated with the movement. It also did not stake out positions on a host of important yet secondary issues related to theology, doctrine, and praxis. For instance, there is no discussion of baptism, gender roles in ministry, or the age of the earth and evolution. By steering clear of these sorts of issues, the Lausanne Covenant included Christians on both sides of disagreements who might otherwise be divided. Instead, the leaders of the congress sought to create a covenantal community across such differences and in service of a shared mission for the whole Church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. In one sense, the covenant is a corporate statement of belief composed of 15 articles, an introduction, and a conclusion. At just over 3,100 words, the document is short enough to be legibly typeset onto two sides of a single page. Stott, chair of the drafting committee, explained the reasoning behind each article in his expositiona must-read companion to the covenant. It would be a mistake to see this document merely as a statement of belief since it was intended as a covenant, Stott writesa binding contract that commits its signatories to a common purpose and partnership. After 10 days of debate, discussion, and negotiation, most of the attendees (2,300) signed the document together. As Stott explained, We did not want just to declare something, but to do somethingto commit ourselves to the task of world evangelization. Even now, the covenant is meant to be signed by those who read and agree with itand in doing so, we commit to cooperating with each other in the mission of God. Like most evangelicals, I had never heard of the Lausanne Covenant growing up, nor was I asked to sign it until I was an adult. Im a dark-skinned Indian, born in Southern California in 1978 to first-generation immigrants who were both Christiansincluding a father who studied at Biola University. And while those at Christian institutions sometimes engaged with the Lausanne Covenant, I attended a public high school and a secular state university. The churches I grew up attending were nondenominational, which came with strengths but also some amnesia about Christian history. I first learned of the covenant in late 2000, 24 years ago, when I was a graduate student studying to be a physician scientist. I applied and was accepted for the Harvey Fellowshipa scholarship offered to Christians entering underrepresented fieldsand all applicants were required to sign the Lausanne Covenant. The next summer, I headed to Washington, DC, for a weeklong event to meet up with a small group of other new Harvey fellows. This event substantially broadened my experience of evangelical diversity. Ben Sasse, a Yale historian and Reformed Presbyterian, was the first Christian I knew who made a plausible argument for infant baptism, even though he and I disagreed about it. Mac Alford, a plant biologist from Cornell, was the first Christian Id met who affirmed evolutionwhich I rejected at the time. And although these disagreements were uncomfortable, at least for me, we had all signed the Lausanne Covenant (which takes no stance on either of these issues) and so had already committed to cooperate. The Lausanne Covenant offers a theological account of our differencesbased on the underlying belief that these differences can be intrinsically valuable. The leaders of the congress were unsatisfied with a reduced community of agreement, seeking instead an expansive community across our differences. The covenant explains, using what Stott called a literal translation of Eph. 3:10, that our different views on Scripture are a mechanism by which Gods wisdom is disclosed to us: Gods revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of Gods people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes and thus discloses to the whole church ever more of the many-colored wisdom of God. Instead of retrenching doctrinal boundaries to achieve a counterfeit peace, the evangelical invitation is to read our Bibles together, to sort out our differences, and to negotiateand these instincts were clearly present in the way the Lausanne Covenant came to be. Though the conference itself lasted only 10 days, the process of drafting the covenant took months of dialogue and negotiation. But with 2,700 delegates at the conference, how much cooperation was possible? Quite a bit, as it turns out. In Stotts assessment, It may truly be said, then, that the Lausanne Covenant expresses a consensus of the mind and mood of the Lausanne Congress. The drafting of the document was assigned to a small committee including Stott; the then president of Wheaton College, Hudson Armerding; and Samuel Escobar, a Peruvian theologian from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Months prior to the July meeting, attendees were sent papers from all the meetings speakers and asked to provide written feedback. Written by J. D. Douglas, editor of Christianity Today at the time, the preliminary draft was based on the key themes and insights of these papers. In his exposition, Stott explains, Already this document may truly be said to have come out of the Congress (although the Congress had not yet assembled), because it reflected the contributions of the main speakers whose papers had been published in advance. Before the conference, an early draft was sent out to several advisers, whose comments were used to guide the first revision of the document. Then a second revision was overseen by the committee. But the drafters also wanted to engage with, listen to, and learn from the attendees themselves. So midway through the July meeting, each attendee was given a copy of the third draft of the covenant and asked to submit their responses and discuss in small groups that were organized each day. From this feedback, any objections and suggested amendments were submitted for the drafting committee to consider. According to Stott, the congress responded with great diligence. Many hundreds of submissions were received (in the official languages), translated into English, sorted and studied. Some proposed amendments cancelled each other out, but the drafting committee incorporated all they could. Ultimately, this negotiation substantially impacted the final document along three primary themes. First, a carefully negotiated statement on biblical inerrancy was added. Second, the covenants statement on social responsibility was bolstered. Third, several changes were made to reflect the concerns and wisdom of the global church outside the Western world. These three themes, I believe, summarize the lessons of Lausanne for our current moment. I. The article on the authority of Scripture was strengthened to include a carefully negotiated statement on inerrancy, influenced by input from Francis Schaeffer and others, which read that the Bible is without error in all that it affirms. This specific change was hotly disputed, creating a significant challenge for the drafting committee. On the one hand, the reasons for including a statement on inerrancy were strong. A different view of Scripture was the root cause of many deep disagreements between evangelicals and progressive Christians. The modernist claim, driven by higher criticism, was that the Bible was authoritative but that its message was always subject to change due to its many errors. Alongside this assertion, many liberal Christians rejected belief in the Resurrection, the Virgin Birth, and a historical Adam and Eve. And while these three classic claims of Christianity are not equally important, rejecting any one of them is a major revision with far-reaching consequences. Clarifying the nature of this disagreement about Scripture was on the forefront of conference organizers minds. For good reason, evangelicals could not easily partner in world missions with those whose understanding of the gospel did not include, for instance, the bodily resurrection of Jesusfor this would be another gospel entirely (Gal. 1:69). As the apostle Paul said, If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile (1 Cor. 15:17). But also, in the immediate context, the Lausanne conference was a response to the Bangkok Conference on Salvation Today, convened the year before (1973) by the World Council of Churches (WCC). Even the location was chosen in part because of Lausannes proximity to Geneva, where the WCC is headquartered. The Bangkok Conference included evangelical delegates as well as liberal and mainline Christians, many of whom had drifted from orthodoxy. And while its final report includes a concession to evangelicals, affirming with Acts 4:12 that there is no other name [but Jesus] given among men by which we must be saved, other requests to strengthen the theology of the gospelechoing the Frankfurt Declaration of 1970, in which German Christians pushed back against the humanistic turn of missions in the WCCwere rebuffed as Western contributions that did not speak for everyone. Moreover, the Bangkok report included statements labeling any release from societal oppression as a form of salvation, including the peace of the people in Vietnam, independence in Angola, justice and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and release from the captivity of power. In Christianity Today, Peter Beyerhaus wrote, Here, under a seemingly biblical cover, the concept of salvation has been so broadened and deprived of its Christian distinctiveness that any liberating experience can be called salvation. Accordingly, any participation in liberating efforts would be called mission. Beyerhaus added that the conference also presented Maoismthe communism of Chinaas an acceptable alternative to Christianity. Similarly, the church of prophet Simon Kimbanguwho claimed he was the incarnate coming of God the Father and that his son was the second incarnation of Jesuswas presented as a laudable example of an indigenous ministry. More than offhand comments, these were intentional appeals of the WCC leadership to Asian and African churches, and any theological objections were dismissed as unhelpful attempts to assimilate indigenous churches to Western thinking. While no one can dictate who is allowed to self-identify with the term Christian or even evangelical, the Lausanne Covenant grounds Christian unity in a shared mission of proclaiming the whole gospel to the whole world. This mission is why we join this often-uncomfortable community known as the church despite our differences. Serious disagreements about the nature of the gospel can often be traced back to two fundamentally different ways of understanding Scripture. Everyone in this debate could agree that the Scripture was authoritative, but were its teachings always changing and full of errors? On the other hand, even for many orthodox Christians, the term inerrancy was still the sticking point. Inerrancy was a loaded word, since it was already being used by some fundamentalists as a doctrinal litmus test. Compounding the problem, the term was poorly defined since it was still years before the Chicago statements on inerrancy and hermeneutics were written in 1978 and 1982, respectively. It should come as no surprise, then, that many attendees strongly objected to the covenants use of inerrancy in its statement on Scripture. Stotts solution to this impasse was forged in the negotiation process and was wise. Instead of demanding the word inerrancy, he replaced it with a concise and salient definition of the term by saying that Scripture is without error in all that it affirms. Evangelicals objecting to the term inerrancy could affirm this, but many progressives would not. II. The congress also bolstered the covenants article on social responsibility. Here again the drafters were distinguishing themselves from both the progressives at the WCC and the fundamentalists overreaction to liberalisms social gospel. Tracing Billy Grahams own path on the issue of social justice provides some instructive background. In 1953, breaking with his Southern upbringing, Graham began insisting that his audiences be integrated, with Blacks and whites seated next to each other. In 1960, Graham spoke at widely publicized revival meetings in several countries in Africapreaching the gospel to gigantic crowds at packed stadiumsbut he was unwilling to preach the gospel to crowds segregated by the South African apartheid. Grahams deliberate actions were clear sociopolitical statements on racial integration in the churchinfuriating many fundamentalists, including those in his own denomination, the Southern Baptists. A week after Grahams rebuff of South Africa, fundamentalist evangelist and broadcaster Bob Jones Sr. responded in an Easter radio message titled Is Segregation Scriptural? Arguing from a tortured reading of Acts 17:26, Jones taught that the answer was yes. Efforts to integrate the races and end segregation, he contended, worked against Gods created order and distracted from the task of sharing the gospel. In this, Jones echoed the views of many Christians in the South. Though apartheid continued until the 1990s, Graham finally preached in South Africa in 1973, just one year before Lausannein perhaps one of the first large gatherings in the country to seat black, white, and brown people together. To the integrated crowd of 100,000, the Southern preacher roared, Christianity is not a white mans religion. Christ belongs to all people. Courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Top left: A. Jack Dain and Billy Graham sign the Lausanne Covenant at the closing ceremony of Lausanne, 1974. Bottom left: Leaders of the Lausanne congress during a press conference, 1974. Right: Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham. Graham was a friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and sometimes a public ally to Kings cause, and he continued to grow in his desire to see racial justice over the course of his life. But Graham wondered if he had done enough, and in 2005, he expressed regret for not pushing for civil rights more forcefully, wishing he had protested with King in the streets. This context brings life to the final version of the covenants text, which distinguishes the work of proclaiming the gospelcentering on Gods message to us specifically in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the task of societal justice: Here too we express penitence both for our neglect and for having sometimes regarded evangelism and social concern as mutually exclusive. Although reconciliation with man is not reconciliation with God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is political liberation salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism and socio-political involvement are both part of our Christian duty. In response to the Bangkok Conference, the Lausanne Covenant makes it clear that liberation from oppression is not synonymous with the biblical concept of salvation. Yet the covenant also avoided the fundamentalist mistake of neglecting social justice and even called evangelicals to repent for dissociating Christianity from its rightful concern over the social order. These are critical lessons for us today. Our present difficulties in talking and thinking about race, diversity, and social justice are not new. The theological debate about the gospel and social justice is at least as old as the modernist-fundamentalist controversy. Evangelicals rightly rejected the social gospel and the particular forms of liberation theology that led to a departure from historical Christian teaching. Yet we have often been too complacentand too untroubled by our complacencein our pursuit of justice. Today, a contentious battle rages over critical race theory (CRT) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. There are many ways to define and implement CRT and DEI, some of which approximate secularized versions of liberation theology. But the motivating desire to include and encourage diversity in society is admirable and ultimately reflects a longing for Gods kingdom. This is why many Christian calls for racial justice are driven by the language and concerns of Scripture and even grounded in the person of Jesus Christ. At least at a high level, the stated goals of CRT and DEI are not the problem, even if we fear many common approaches to these ends are misguided or destructive. For those of us concerned about antibiblical versions of CRT, the best antidote might be to follow the Lausanne Covenants example. May we articulate a robust theology of justice and follow through in our actionsand may we be penitent for our past failures to pursue justice. III. In studying the Lausanne Movement, Im always struck by members pride, joy, and love for the diversity of the global, non-Western church and their desire to amplify its voice. The conference is structured to include people from the most remote, underrepresented, and underresourced countries. It offers sliding-scale fees to ensure participants with less means can attend. Even as organizers gather the most diverse and global group of Christians in history each meeting, they always express sadness for the corners of the church that cannot attend. That said, Lausannes commitment to global participation faced several obstacles early on in its historybeginning with its first gathering, where more than 1,000 of the 2,700 attendees came from developing countries. Before Lausanne, some African leaders called for a moratorium on Western missionaries and any money raised through their networks. This was in part because many objected to the paternalistic patterns they saw in missions, which were often fueled by large imbalances in wealth. Western missions, even when well intentioned, have at times been exploitative and failed to create healthy, collaborative relationships that serve non-Western countries well. And to be sure, the missionary movements association of Western culture with Christianity did distort the gospel and was often a stumbling block to the rest of the world. Lausanne organizers invited Christians from all sides of this debate to the congress, including Kenyan theologian John Gatu, the author of the moratorium. At the congress, the East Africa National Strategy group of about 60 Africans took up the question of this request. A robust and reasonable debate ensued between Gatu, who argued for the moratorium, and Festo Kivengere, an Anglican bishop from Uganda who argued against it. By the end of the week, both sides had sorted out their differences enough to offer a consensus statement to the congress: The idea behind moratorium is concerned about over-dependence upon foreign resources both personnel and finances, which sometimes hinders initiative and development of local responsibility. [Our] group felt that the application of the concept behind moratorium might be considered for specific situations rather than generally. With the moratorium writ large effectively withdrawn, the rest of the congressand the largely Western drafting committeecould have responded triumphantly by avoiding the issue altogether. But instead, the committee recognized the legitimacy of the African concerns and amended the draft to state, We also acknowledge that some of our missions have been too slow to equip and encourage national leaders to assume their rightful responsibilities. Elsewhere, in its article on Evangelism and Culture, the covenant also includes an acknowledgment that while the gospel does not presuppose the superiority of any culture to another, global missions have, all too frequently, exported with the gospel an alien culture. The covenant as distributed by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization in the 1970s. The covenant as distributed by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization in the 1970s. In these statements, the non-Western church rightly corrected the Western church, and the West responded with repentance. Once again, the many-colored wisdom of God, to recall the covenants phrase, arose not despite but because of disagreements that needed to be sorted out. At the root of this issue was the common desire of non-Western Christians to be welcomed as equals. And the Lausanne Covenant overtly salutes the beauty of this vision: We rejoice that a new missionary era has dawned. The dominant role of western missions is fast disappearing demonstrating that the responsibility to evangelize belongs to the whole body of Christ. Fifty years ago, evangelicals were becoming aware of how non-Western churches suffered when the gospel was too tightly linked with Western cultures and countries. And in our present day, we are seeing firsthand the dangers and damage this linkage has wrought on Western churches too. Whenever we identify Christianity with the West, America, or any other sociopolitical entity, our witness and our understanding of the gospel become distorted. And when we ignore the full diversity of voices in the global church, we neglect the many-colored wisdom of God. Courtesy of Wheaton Archives & Special Collections, Wheaton College, IL Top left: Festo Kivengere. Top right: John Stott. Bottom: Attendees at Lausanne II in 1989. The Lausanne Covenant created a strange sort of movementa network of Christians across the globe from several denominations and organizations. And although the congress itself was composed exclusively of Protestants, the covenant they adopted was intentionally in alignment with other branches of Christianity. At least among the Harvey fellows, many Catholics and Orthodox Christians have signed it too. A Christian from China once recounted to me his being asked to sign the covenant, which brought him real fear and concern. In China, signatures were physical evidence that the government used to identify Christians and persecute them, so he had been taught never to sign something that would so thoroughly implicate him. Still, after much deliberation, he decided to sign the covenantthe only belief statement he has ever signed. Many of us will never face persecution like his, but in signing the covenant, we are joining in solidarity with him and so many others like him. Particularly outside America, the Lausanne community has continued to grow, and although it remains full of disagreements, it has kept in clear view the mission of the one who is greater than all our differences. Courtesy of Wheaton Archives & Special Collections, Wheaton College, IL Top: Attendees discuss the program at Lausanne II, 1989. Bottom: A keynote session during Lausanne II. The Lausanne community continues to gather new generations of leaders. Fifteen years after the 1974 congress, in 1989, the Second International Conference for World Evangelism convened in Manila and came to be known as Lausanne II. This congress included 4,300 delegates from 173 countries, including the Soviet Union. And in 2010, 21 years later, the Third Lausanne Congress met in Cape Town, South Africa. This time, 4,000 delegates from 198 countries gathered in person, but many more participated virtually. This September, the fourth congress will convene in Seoul, where 5,000 delegatesmyself includedwill attend in person and 5,000 will attend virtually. Tens of thousands more will attend satellite meetings across the globe. Much has changed since the last gathering in 2010. New wars are raging around the world, and rumors of war loom even in Korea where we will meet. The United States is preparing for another contentious presidential election, along with many other countries, and several denominational conventions are continuing to divide over tensions between fundamentalism and progressivism. Still, my hope is that evangelicals will once again have an opportunity to remember who we are, where we came from, and why it is vital for us to work across our differences rather than ignore, stifle, or divide over them. And perhaps, as we reorient ourselves to the work of Gods global mission, we may recover the best version of what it has meant to be an evangelical. As we look toward Seoul this year, I urge all believersevangelical or notto read, discuss, and consider signing the Lausanne Covenant. May church leaders teach it from the pulpit so congregations can wrestle with what it demands of us. Let it remind us of the beautiful and beloved community of differences and disagreements to which we are called. Let us covenant together, once again, to take up the great task of world missions, that Gods whole church might bring the whole gospel to the whole world. S. Joshua Swamidass is a physician scientist, associate professor of laboratory and genomic medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, founder of Peaceful Science, and author of The Genealogical Adam and Eve. This week, Clarissa, Mike, and Russell welcome Pete Wehner (The Atlantic, New York Times, Trinity Forum) to talk about the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and the unlawful firing of their president, which leads to a discussion of populism in the church. Then, the three hosts engage in a review of the Secret Service directors resignation and what this means for the American people. Finally, Chris Seiple (a Comparative Religion Program fellow at the University of Washington) joins for a discussion of the events and implications surrounding Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus visit to Washington, DC. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. Follow the show in your podcast app of choice. the show in your podcast app of choice. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. Leave a comment in Spotify with your feedback on the discussionwe may even respond! TODAYS GUESTS: Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs. Chris Seiple is the Senior Fellow for Comparative Religion at the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is widely known and sought after for his decades of experience and expertise regarding issues at the intersection of geopolitics, US foreign policy, Asia, conflict resolution, human rights, and religion. He has pioneered innovative solutions in the US Marine Corps, at the US State Department, the Templeton Religion Trust, and as the president of the Institute for Global Engagement, where he developed a Track 1.5 theory of change rooted in relational diplomacy. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a weekly (and sometimes more!) current events show from Christianity Today hosted and moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Todays editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Ng Han Guan / AP Images Anyone wanting to bring together the more than 100 million Chinese-speaking Christians around the world must deal with the thorny issue of the church in China. There, Christians are split between unregistered house churches and the government-sanctioned Three-Self church. Additionally, heated differences in political views make it difficult for the global Chinese-speaking church to unify. Nevertheless, global evangelical leaders want to bring this community together. Last week, a delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) traveled to China to meet with the leaders of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the China Christian Council (CCC)which are both overseen by the Chinese Communist Partyand offered them an invitation to collaborate. The WEA launched the World Chinese Christianity Alliance (WCA) a year ago to serve the Chinese-speaking church with a think tank, publishing house, and media center, along with academic exchanges, resource sharing, and trainings. Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. Ezekiel Tan, general secretary of both the WCA and the Evangelical Alliance of Singapore, spoke with CT about the WCAs aims, its current progress, and the unique challenges it faces as it brings together ethnic Chinese from around the world. (In the article, the term Chinese refers to all ethnic Han people regardless of where they reside.) The WCA is the WEAs first language-based network, instead of its typical location-based network. Why was Mandarin Chinese chosen to pioneer this? Mandarin Chinese is our first endeavor because Chinese speakers are unique: They are overwhelmingly ethnically Han Chinese and share the same ancestry from China. Other international language groups, such as Arabic and Spanish, include people from different ethnicities. Because Chinese people are so spread out, by reaching the Chinese, you reach all corners of the world. The only difference is that some read simplified Chinese while others read traditional Chinese. When you produce something in Chinese, there are economies of scale. The elephant in the room is the geopolitical tensions around China. Oftentimes, there are mutual suspicions between China and its trade partners. We dont want other groups to misrepresent the Christian community and how we perceive our relationship with China. Chinese people also have a lot of financial resources. In many Asian countries, they are the minority, but they manage a disproportionate percentage of the wealth and resources. Reaching out to them helps us not only improve resource sharing among the community but also promotes greater philanthropy and charitable giving within the global movement. What are the WCAs aims? We want to create a global platform that is not plucked from thin air but built on existing global networks, like Haggai International, which trains Christian leaders in 189 nations, or national Bible societies. The WCA is a global platform for Chinese ministries and outreach. It will bring all Chinese Christians together to share Chinese-language resourcessuch as Sunday school materials, Chinese worship songs, and academic papers on subjects relevant to the global Chinese churchand improve efficacy in their respective work. At the end of the day, it will help us fulfill the Great Commission. What is it not aiming to do? Following the key ethos of the WEA, the WCA is not political, and we will not be taking sides. We want to be a neutral platform that provides a safe space for people to come together. We will abstain from anything political. Also, we do not aim to be a global governing body of all Chinese ministries. It is a platform for existing groups and organizations to interact with one another. We are not here to compete with any existing network. Instead, we hope to play a complementary role. Therefore, we invite any group that is already doing some aspect of Chinese ministry to get involved. The WCA is not geographically centric. While we are reaching out to ethnic Chinese, it doesnt mean that Asia is the key base. We seek to be global-centric rather than regional-centric. The WCA officially launched last July. What stage is it at right now? Currently, we are focused on building infrastructure for the WCA, which we expect will take another year. The media center is still getting started and we have been communicating about it with various parties. Some work has been done with resource sharing and we have published a few books. Right now, the training center is the most developed. We started holding trainings before the program was launched, and we have had 20,00030,000 people from 20 countries joining our training annually. We go to different countries and locate a well-known Chinese speaker on a topic that we think is helpful, like parenting, communication, or Bible exposition. We publicize the training through our networks and invite people to join. The second aspect is reaching out to the global Chinese Christians, including church leaders in Africa, Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific. There have been many discussions and visits, although our budget constrains us. The third aspect is the question of how we engage China. Its too obvious to say that the majority of Chinese people are in China. Before this recent trip, we had taken several visits to different stakeholders, including the authorities. However, in China, we need to do things formally, so last week, an official delegation of representatives of the WEAs international council and its regional leadership visited China to reestablish a relationship with the leaders of the Three-Self church. The last visit that the WEA made to China was many years ago. After that visit, there hadnt been any follow-up to engage in a more intentional working relationship. This time was groundbreaking because it marked the beginning of a long-term relationship. We hope to contribute to building up goodwill among all groups. Christianity is a movement of peace, so we hope the meeting provides greater understanding between the registered church and the larger global church. What are some of the sensitivities that the WCA has to take into consideration when working in a place like China? Many people in China have misconceptions and misunderstandings about the external world, especially the West, and the rest of the world has a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about what is happening in China. Many Chinese think that all Christians are like American evangelicalswho are seen as very anti-Chinaor believe that we might have subversive intentions to destabilize China. But I tell them, The great majority of the people just want to love you, as we do. If you approach Chinas registered church with misconceptions, you will go in there too guarded and can make a sensitive situation even worse. Also, China has its own rules and regulations, so we seek to approach the government-run church within a legal framework. When we visited China this time, we went to learn more about them, about what can be done and what cant be done. We learned to navigate the relationship with humility like some of the earliest missionaries to China, Hudson Taylor and Robert Morrison. They went to China, appreciated the culture, and worked with the Chinese people. What did you learn during this recent fact-finding trip to China? The WEAs International Council received a very warm welcome in China. We met with the top leadership in Chinas State Administration for Religious Affairs, the national TSPM and CCC, Nanjing Union Seminary, the Amity Foundation (a Christian charity in China), and Amity Printing, one of the worlds largest Bible producers. It was a chance for the international council to see Chinas Three-Self church for themselves and ask questions. Besides building friendships, we were also able to have authentic and robust conversations, raise issues, and invite partnership. For instance, two of the concerns we discussed were about the Sinicization of Christianity as well as Chinas attempt to create a new version of the Bible. We were able to ask the different leaders we met about this and hear their perspectives. In the first instance, they clarified that they were exploring what it means for someone in China, in a socialist country, to practice their faith. They are not addressing the core doctrines like the Incarnation or the deity of Jesus, but other aspects like how they worship or relate to Chinese society. We invited them to do this together with the rest of the global evangelical family. In the second instance, they noted that they were not coming out with a new translation of the Bible but revising the popular Chinese Union Version, which was first translated in 1919. They said they wanted to make as few changes as possible, with the goal of helping young people and non-Christians better understand the Bible. Again, we told them that we were interested in engaging with them in the revision in order to help defuse tensions and clarify miscommunications. Then they could produce a translation that those outside of China could use as well. At the end of the day, the international council members were very grateful to hear from the TSPM and CCC leaders and encouraged by this positive beginning of this new relationship. You mentioned earlier some misconceptions that the West has of China and vice versa, but what about the misconceptions within the Chinese-speaking community, such as between house churches and Three-Self churches? How do you plan to bring them together? When people ask me this, I always point to the United Nations as an example. The worlds enemies gather there because they trust in the UNs neutrality. Even today, some groups are trying to kill each other, but they go to the UN for dialogue. They work on joint projects like the World Health Organization or UNICEF. The WEA is not about individual preferences or inclinations but the global evangelical family. Our track record speaks for itselfwe work with the whole spectrum of evangelicalism. We want to include everyone and provide resources for everyone. How have diaspora Chinese groups responded to the idea of the WCA? There are some concerns, but I was pleasantly surprised to receive overwhelmingly positive responses. They said they had been looking for something like this for a long time. We were not prepared to see such an overwhelming response, which means we now have to work very hard with limited resources to get started. Many groups have asked, What can you give me now? What can you help me with? We are thankful but playing a bit of catch-up. Of course, there have been some collaborations between Chinese Christian groups in the past, but they have never been so global. This is especially true as many overseas ministries are keen to visit or do ministry in China but do not have the avenue to do so. Also, ethnic Chinese Christians want to do missions, but because they only speak Chinese, they are limited in where they can go. With the WCA, they can partner with churches in Africa and use Mandarin to relate to their fellow Chinese who live there. They are looking forward to greater opportunities and possibilities. Also, some pastors have good materials, but they dont know how to reach the world, they only use it in their congregation or their church. With this platform, their material can now go global. How would this alliance differ from the existing network of the Chinese Coordination Center of World Evangelization (CCCOWE)? The difference is that CCCOWE was built from the ground up, while the WCA is part of a global family. Diaspora Chinese Christian leaders inspired by the first Lausanne Congress started CCCOWE to connect the global Chinese church. The WCA, on the other hand, is an offshoot of the WEA, which represents 600 million Christians and represents all denominations and groups. At the same time, we want to reach the tens of millions of Christians in China who attend registered churches. As noted by our recent trip, the WEA is willing to go to the Chinese government and work with all parties, including the registered churches. This is what distinguishes us and demonstrates that we are complementing what CCCOWE is doing by reaching places that it cant. Currently, we are already collaborating with CCCOWE on several projects. What are your hopes for the future of WEAs partnership with China? We want to continue dialoguing with the TSPM and CCC and explore ways these groups can partner with the WEA and regional evangelical alliances, as well as working together on the WCA. If the WEA could be at the forefront of building goodwill and collaboration with the registered church, I think this would be really beautiful. I pray that there will be more ground-up collaborations with the registered church and with other groups that may be concerned, suspicious, or fearful of establishing relationships with them. We hope to be a bridge anchored by our faith in the region and beyond. Home News Judge upholds ban on Christian teacher who refused to use preferred pronouns of trans-identified student A High Court judge in England on Thursday upheld a ban on Christian Joshua Sutcliffe from teaching following his dismissal for refusing to use the preferred pronoun of a schoolgirl identifying as a boy. The indefinite ban in response to Sutcliffes appeal means the teacher, fired from Cherwell School in Oxford after the incident in 2017, cannot return to his profession. Sutcliffe had said, Well done, girls to a group of students, including a girl who identified as a boy. Sutcliffe, 34, launched legal action against the school and settled out of court but still received a minimum two-year ban from The Professional Conduct Panel Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA). The ban had been created in May 2013 for those bringing the profession into disrepute. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe His legal counsel argued the ban was an unjustified interference with Sutcliffes rights to freedom of speech and religion. Justice Pepperall ruled that regardless of a teachers faith and beliefs, compelled speech must be used for transgender pupils, according to a press statement by advocacy group Christian Concern. The judges direction reportedly included the requirement to respect and celebrate the pupils personal autonomy. Just because misgendering a transgender pupil might not be unlawful does not mean that it is appropriate conduct for a teacher, the judge said. The ruling came despite the previous Conservative U.K. government publishing draft transgender guidelines for schools in 2023 that stressed that teachers must not be forced into violating their consciences by using preferred pronouns contrary to biological sex. Pepperall, noting the guidelines, reportedly said that Sutcliffes conscience based on his Christian beliefs did not justify his referring to a girl identifying as a boy as a she. The draft guidance, which of course postdated these events and the panels decision, envisaged that schools would rarely agree to change a pupils pronouns but did not purport to suggest that such course would never be appropriate, the judge reportedly said. As the draft made plain, such decisions are complex and are made by schools and not individually by each member of staff according to their own assessment of the merits of the request. The judge also reportedly said the unnamed pupil credibly passed for a male and was only known by male pronouns at the school. He accused Sutcliffe of failing to treat the student with dignity and respect. After the ruling against his appeal, Sutcliffe issued a public statement saying he stood by his Christian convictions that it is harmful and detrimental to affirm gender confused children. This is the belief I am fighting for which is shared by not only Christians but many who do not believe in harmful transgender ideology, said Sutcliffe. I have been a marked man ever since I dared to express my Christian beliefs in a school and tell the media about how I was punished for doing so. He said no training and guidance was given to teachers on such issues in 2017. He pointed out that as a young teacher then, he was building my career in the profession at a time when schools took guidance about transgender issues from gay rights charity Stonewall, not the U.K. government or any experts. With this ruling, every teacher is at risk if they share their beliefs and views in the classroom, Sutcliffe said. I believe affirming children in a transgender identity in the classroom is psychologically damaging for them. I refused to go against my Christian faith and conscience and cause a child harm. Saying he refused to apologize for declining to go against his conscience, he asserted that it is not in any childs best interests to affirm them in something that is untrue. The Cass Review, the Policy Exchange report and the transgender guidance from the Conservative government vindicate me on this, he said. The TRA wanted me to capitulate and say that I was wrong. I have been severely punished for refusing to do so. Despite this setback, I will continue to fight for justice and to get my career back. British pediatrician Hilary Cass led the independent Cass Review of gender identity services for children and young people for the U.K.s National Health Service (NHS), with the final review released in April. NHS England commissioned the review to make recommendations on how to improve NHS gender identity services and ensure that children and young people questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care that meets their needs and is safe, holistic and effective. For the majority of young people, a medical pathway may not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress, the review concluded. For those young people for whom a medical pathway is clinically indicated, it is not enough to provide this without also addressing wider mental health and/or psychosocially challenging problems, Cass concluded. The controversy surrounding the use of medical treatments has taken focus away from what the individualized care and treatment is intended to achieve for individuals seeking support from NHS gender services. Clinicians are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity, her review noted. The rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or psychosocial health, the review stated. The effect on cognitive and psychosexual development remains unknown. The use of masculinizing/feminizing hormones in those under the age of 18 also presents many unknowns, despite their longstanding use in the adult transgender population. The review concluded that while a considerable amount of research has been published in this field, systematic evidence reviews demonstrated the poor quality of the published studies, meaning there is not a reliable evidence base upon which to make clinical decisions, or for children and their families to make informed choices. The strengths and weaknesses of the evidence base on the care of children and young people are often misrepresented and overstated, both in scientific publications and social debate, Cass stated. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre that supported the High Court appeal, said the description of Sutcliffe in Judge Pepperalls ruling reads like fiction. The picture Mr. Justice Pepperall paints of Joshua and his beliefs is a far cry from the caring, kind and brilliant maths teacher we know Joshua to be, Williams said. We create a turbulent environment in schools when facts are turned on their head against the teacher in a context where children are identifying as the opposite sex. Teachers are treading on eggshells for fear of saying the wrong thing. The teaching profession is not a safe place for Christian teachers, she said. Expressing long-held Christian beliefs on marriage and gender can get you suspended, investigated and barred, Williams said. We are looking at the judgment carefully. We will continue to support Joshua for as long as it takes to secure justice. This article was originally published by Christian Daily International. Home News Kamala Harris appears on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' to warn LGBT 'rights and freedoms under attack' Vice President Kamala Harris made an appearance on Friday's episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars" on Paramount+ to tell its largely LGBT audience that they should vote because their rights are endangered. "Each day we are seeing our rights and freedoms under attack, including the right of everyone to be who they are, love who they love, openly and with pride," said Harris, who became the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden announced he is suspending his reelection campaign earlier this week. "So as we fight back against these attacks, lets all remember no one is alone," Harris continued. "We are all in this together. And your vote is your power." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Kamala Harris opens her presidential campaign on RuPaul's Drag Race ???? pic.twitter.com/DUqucBrrUH RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 25, 2024 Among those surrounding Harris during the public service announcement were former *NSYNC member Lance Bass, former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Leslie Jones and Michelle Visage, who is a judge on "Drag Race." "So please make sure your voice is heard this November, and register to vote at vote.gov," Harris added, to which the others raised their hands and said, "Amen!" Other prominent Democrats have appeared on Ru Paul's drag-related reality shows, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. During an appearance in Season 12 of "Ru Paul's Drag Race" in 2020, Ocasio-Cortez joined the drag show judge panel. "People think Congress and government is all about leading people, but ultimately a lot of our politics is about following the public will, she said at the time. And the people who change what people think are artists and drag queens." Pelosi appeared on the show twice, first in 2018 and again in 2020. Like Harris, she urged viewers to vote. Biden has drawn scrutiny for staffing the administration and his campaign with men who dress like women, such as U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Richard "Rachel" Levine, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman. In 2022, Sam Brinton was fired from his role as deputy assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy after getting caught stealing a woman's luggage and wearing her clothing. Eric Lipka, who said he joined the Harris campaign as a deputy press secretary for Pennsylvania earlier this month, raised eyebrows on X when pictures of him emerged dressed and performing as a drag queen, according to Fox News Digital. On Thursday, the prominent X account Libs of TikTok tweeted a video of a young child performing on stage with drag queens during a RuPaul's "DragCon" while adults clapped. "This is what RuPaul's Drag Org promotes," the popular account wrote. "Kamala just launched her presidential campaign on RuPual's Drag Race. Kamala supports this." Home News Pro-abortion vandals plead guilty to federal charges for defacing pro-life pregnancy centers Four pro-abortion activists have pled guilty to vandalizing several pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida more than two years after damaging the centers. In a statement shared with The Christian Post on Thursday, First Liberty Institute announced that the vandals affiliated with the pro-abortion group Janes Revenge who defaced several pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida with graffiti two years ago plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and racketeering brought under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The federal law, passed by Congress three decades ago, subjects anyone who intentionally damages or destroys the property of a facility, or attempts to do so, because such facility provides reproductive health services to federal charges. The First Liberty Institute, along with Floridas Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody, brought civil lawsuits on behalf of the facilities vandalized by the defendants. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Moody cheered the development: We will not allow radicals to threaten and intimidate women seeking help from crisis pregnancy centers or the counselors and health care professionals serving these women and their babies. In Florida, illegal actions have consequences, and I am proud of the work our attorneys did in this case to make sure these extremists were held accountable. The entry of these felony plea agreements serves as a reminder that no one should suffer violence for simply providing faith-based counseling and baby supplies to women and their babies, said First Liberty Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys. Attorney General Moodys leadership, together with our lawsuit, sends a clear message: those who target life-affirming reproductive health facilities with violence will face the legal penalties Congress established for their crimes. Two of the defendants, Caleb Freestone and Amber Smith-Stewart, vandalized the Heartbeat of Miami Pregnancy Medical Help Clinic in Hialeah, Florida, on July 3, 2022. The defacing of the property with pro-abortion graffiti was one of several attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers to take place in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. Messages spray-painted onto the exterior walls of Heartbeat of Miami declared, If abortions arent safe [then] neither are you and vowed that our rage will not stop. Graffiti spray painted on the side of the building read Janes Revenge, referring to a group of pro-abortion activists who've claimed credit for multiple instances of pro-abortion vandalism. As alleged in the lawsuit First Liberty Institute filed on behalf of Heartbeat of Miami, defendants harassment of the pro-life pregnancy clinic continued two-and-a-half months later at its annual gala. First Liberty Institute noted Thursday that a third defendant, Annarella Rivera, joined Freestone in working to hack their way onto Heartbeats guest list for the event, where they shouted obscenities, disparaged Heartbeats staff, volunteers, and supporters, and leafletted the venue with propaganda hoping to dissuade women from using Heartbeats services. First Liberty Institute noted that the crimes committed by the three defendants as well as an unnamed fourth defendant extended to several Florida pregnancy resource centers but did not go into detail. A 2023 indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida identifies Gabriella Oropesa as the fourth defendant. Last month, the defendants pled guilty to charges of vandalizing pro-life pregnancy centers in connection with the indictment, which is separate from the lawsuit filed by First Liberty Institute. This indictment implicated the quartet of pro-abortion activists for the vandalism of the South Broward Pregnancy Health Center in Hollywood, Florida, in May 2022. Graffiti spray-painted on the exterior wall of the pro-life pregnancy center proclaimed: If abortions arent safe then neither are you. This act of vandalism took place before the Dobbs decision but after the publication of the leaked draft decision indicating that the justices were poised to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The indictment also charged Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera with the vandalism of the Winter Haven, Florida-based LifeChoice Pregnancy Center, which was carried out two days after the Dobbs decision and exactly one week before the attack on Heartbeat of Miami. LifeChoice Pregnancy Center was defaced with messages warning that YOUR TIME IS UP!! WERE COMING FOR U and We are everywhere. News of the four defendants guilty pleas comes a month after First Liberty Institute first revealed that Heartbeat of Miami had reached a settlement with the vandals that will require them to pay for their crimes. Although the law firm did not elaborate on the details of the settlement, First Liberty Institute expressed gratitude for the big win for Floridas pro-life community and maintained that the perpetrators of the vandalism will be held to account. Home News Robert Morris son exits Gateway Church; Max Lucado to serve as interim teaching pastor Bestselling Christian author Max Lucado will join Gateway Church as an interim teaching pastor while James Morris, the son of the church's embattled founder Robert Morris, stepped down Thursday, only weeks after he succeeded his father at the helm of the church in June amid a child sex abuse scandal. Staff at the Southlake, Texas, church were told that James Morris and his wife, Bridgette, stepped down, CBS News reported Thursday evening. "Earlier this week, the (church) elders met with Pastors James and Bridgette and they collectively made the decision that Pastors James and Bridgette would both step down from their current positions and from leading Gateway Church in the future," the church said in a statement Thursday. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Gateway elders said they sought the "advice of many well-respected pastors and ministry leaders" about the decision to cut ties with the Morrises while noting they are confident they will serve as senior leaders of a church in the future. "We as elders affirm and believe that God has placed a desire in both Pastors James and Bridgette's hearts to serve as senior pastors of a church at some point in the future," the elders said in their statement. "We love Pastors James and Bridgette and their children. We deeply care about them and sincerely thank them for investing their lives here at Gateway Church. They have faithfully and honorably served our congregation and this community through all the years that they have been part of Gateway Church." In addition to Lucado, who has served as teaching pastor at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, joining the staff at Gateway Church, the elders said Pastor Joakim Lundqvist from Sweden, will assume a more pastoral role with staff. Lundqvist has spoken frequently at the church. The elders promised to share more updates with the church this weekend in a statement on the church's Facebook page. On social media Friday, Lucado responded to reports suggesting that he was departing from Oak Hills. He clarified that he will serve as the teaching pastor at Gateway through the end of 2024 and plans to preach at both locations in the fall. "My desire is simply this love God's hurting people. I see this as an opportunity to do just that," he stated. Lucado's temporary role at Gateway Church comes as he disclosed in his recent book God Never Gives Up on Youhis past struggles with alcohol to manage stress as his ministry grew and cope with a world gone crazy. He said he confessed to church elders who he said designed a plan to help him cope with demands. Last month, Cindy Clemishire, 54, reported that Robert Morris began sexually abusing her on Christmas Day in 1982 when she was just 12 years old. She says the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years before others found out. But Morris was later allowed to return to ministry. When questioned about the allegations by The Christian Post, Morris only confessed to being involved in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" more than 35 years ago. He said he repented and was restored to ministry. Clemishire insisted to CP, however, that she was no young lady when Morris abused her. "I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult," she said. "It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation. I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior." Gateway Church is conducting an independent review of the allegations years after Clemishire said she had first contacted Morris via his Gateway email seeking restitution. Home News 5 potential running mates for Kamala Harris With Vice President Kamala Harris securing the support of enough delegates to likely become the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, there is much speculation about who she will choose as her vice presidential running mate. Whether Harris, 59, or former President Donald Trump, 78, wins the upcoming 2024 presidential election, a new person will take office as the 50th vice president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2025. Here are five potential running mates for Harris. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Home News 'We are enduring immense hatred': Hindu extremists storm church, beat Christians at worship service HYDERABAD, India Members of a house church in northern India can no longer meet for worship after a mob of about 150 Hindu extremists attacked them on July 14, sources said. In the Nawada area of Uttarakhand states Dehradun District, 15 church members were immersed in worship when Pastor Rajesh Bhomis mother-in-law notified them that she had seen the mob a few meters away on her way to the Sunday service. My mother-in-law suspected that it could be a mob of RSS [Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] activists, and alerted us that they must have gathered to attack us, Pastor Bhomi, 37, told Morning Star News. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The church was worshiping on the top floor of the house he and his wife, Deeksha Pal, own. His mother-in-law suggested they lock the main entrance gate and conduct the services quietly, without music or microphone, he said. We locked the gate and stayed indoors, not making any noise, Pastor Bhomi said. Soon we found the mob with women leading in the front banging on the gate trying to break open the lock. When the pastor asked what they were doing, they replied, 'Open the gate, lets talk!' Lets talk!" he said. They replied that if there was anything to talk about, only two or three of them needed to enter. Why did you come as a mob of over 100? we questioned them, but they kept repeating that we must open the lock, and they would only talk to us, he told Morning Star News. As they banged and pushed the gate, in that struggle the lock was let loose by us, and at once the mob of around 150 rushed inside the premises like flood waters. They went all around the house vandalizing every object in their sight, and some of them were carrying lathis. They beat wherever on the body badly. His wife, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and two other female members of the congregation were severely injured, he said. They received lathi blows in the stomach, neck and hands, Pastor Bhomi said. As they continued beating us, some from among the mob snatched away our mobile phones, laptop and damaged the music instrument. The beating continued until police arrived and dispersed the mob, he said. After taking their statements, officers told them to come to the police station at 7 p.m. to receive a copy of the First Information Report. Officers there kept them waiting for more than an hour, though they were aware that the couples 1-year-old and 7-year-old children had not eaten all day and had been crying after witnessing the violence, he said. Police delayed filing cases against the assailants, the pastor said. At first, the police said since the assailants are not known to us, cases would be registered against them as unknown, Pastor Bhomi said. But one of the members of our church who was formerly an RSS activist came forward to name 11 of the assailants who are quite famously known in the city as RSS leaders. Police in Nehru colony named assailants Devendra Dobal, Bijendra Thapa, Sudheer Thapa, Sanjeev Pal, Sudheer Pal, Dheerendra Dobal, Arman Dobal, Aryaman Dobal, Anil Hindu, Bhupesh Joshi and Bijendra in the FIR. The case was registered under laws against causing grievous hurt, rioting, wounding feelings and insulting a religion, committing mischief, making a false document or false electronic record, publishing or circulating false information through electronic means, and acts caused by inducing person to believe he will be rendered an object of the divine displeasure under the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the pastor said. Though they named the suspects, officers did not include the statements church members had given of the attack, he said. It seemed as if the police were also under pressure since the averments we made in the actual complaint went missing, Pastor Bhomi said. The police had written their own version in a subtle tone so that stringent sections of law are not attracted. The Christians had no need of gathering evidence since the mob had recorded video and posted it on social media platforms, he said. The faces of the assailants are so clearly seen in the video, yet police have not taken any action against them so far, Pastor Bhomi said. They only tell us that the investigation is underway. A church member who helped register the case by identifying the assailants lost a job at a factory that he had held for 16 years, as the owner is an ardent RSS supporter, he said. Owners of neighborhood shops now refuse to sell groceries and other essentials to church members, he added. We are enduring immense hatred from all corners; many are writing dirty comments about the videos that went viral, Pastor Bhomi said. They are writing in filthy language about my wife. It has been very disturbing mentally, but I thank God that she is spiritually stronger. The attack was the first one of such severity that he has experienced in 20 years of ministry, he said. Yet I believe God choses only few for this great mission of facing persecution. I am thankful to the Lord that he has chosen me, he said. Through this pain and trials, too, I want to serve the Lord. I want to serve the Lord until my last breath. He harbors no anger or hatred in his heart against those who attacked them, he said. They came with hatred in their hearts to attack us; tomorrow, if by Gods grace they knock on our gates again, seeking the Lord, I would gladly open the gates of my house for them, the pastor said. In a state of shock and panic since the attack, church members have begun participating in the churchs worship services online. We have been worshiping only virtually for the time being, Pastor Bhomi said. There is no other church for at least 20 kilometers [12 miles] in this area. The Gospel is yet to be preached in many areas of this small state. India ranked 11th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The country was 31st in 2013, but its position worsened after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. The hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), against non-Hindus, has emboldened Hindu extremists in several parts of the country to attack Christians since Modi took power in May 2014, religious rights advocates say. Originally published by Morning Star News Home News Jerry Falwell Jr. sues Liberty University over resignation comments, claims damage to reputation Jerry Falwell Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Liberty University, arguing that the evangelical Christian university engaged in defamation and breach of contract regarding his resignation. Falwell resigned as president of the Lynchburg, Virginia-based school in August following multiple controversies, including a highly publicized sex scandal that involved his wife, Rebecca. Filed in the Commonwealth of Virginia Circuit Court for the city of Lynchburg, the suit argues that Liberty harmed Falwell's reputation via multiple statements issued after he was forced to resign. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The suit alleges that Liberty officials accepted inaccurate claims against Falwells moral character without doing proper research and forced him to resign. In a statement released Thursday morning, Falwell said he was saddened that University officials, with whom I have shared so much success and enjoyed such positive relationships, jumped to conclusions about the claims made against my character, failed to properly investigate them, and then damaged my reputation following my forced resignation. While I have nothing but love and appreciation for the Liberty community, and I had hoped to avoid litigation, I must take the necessary steps to restore my reputation and hopefully help repair the damage to the Liberty University brand in the process, Falwell added. Falwell is being represented by Robert Raskopf of Quinn Emanuel, who said in the same press release that Liberty officials refused to meet with his client to address his concerns. We attempted to meet several times with the Liberty University Board of Trustees Executive Committee but were unsuccessful in doing so. Thus, we were forced to seek remedy for Mr. Falwell's ongoing injuries and damage to his reputation through the Court, stated Raskopf. In late August, the Board of Trustees of Liberty University announced that they had accepted the immediate resignation of Falwell from his positions as president, chancellor, and member of the board of directors. Falwell was already on a leave of absence after posting a photo on social media of himself at a costume party on a yacht showing him wearing unzipped jeans while his hand was around the waist of a pregnant woman wearing a tank top and unzipped shorts. Shes pregnant, so she couldnt get her pants zipped, Falwell explained in a radio interview. I had on a pair of jeans I havent worn in a long time, so I couldnt get mine zipped up, either. And so, I just put my belly out like hers. I should never have put it up and embarrassed her, he added, explaining that he has since apologized to everybody about the vacation photo taken during the costume party. The resignation came shortly after revelations surfaced that Falwells wife had had an affair with a 29-year-old man named Giancarlo Granda, which began eight years ago. Granda later attempted to blackmail the couple, telling Reuters at the time that Falwell himself was aware of the extramarital affair and enjoyed watching from the corner of the room. Falwell acknowledged in a statement at the time that his wife had an inappropriate personal relationship with Granda, but denied any involvement in the extramarital affair. Home News Liberty University sues Jerry Falwell Jr. for $10 million in damages Liberty University has filed a lawsuit against its former president and chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., seeking $10 million in damages over breach of contract and other allegations. The Virginia-based evangelical Christian school filed the suit against Falwell on Thursday in the Lynchburg Circuit Court, accusing the former school head of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and statutory conspiracy. The complaint alleges that Falwell created a well-resourced exit strategy from his role via a 2019 employment agreement while not telling Liberty officials about his personal scandals. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Of specific note was the revelations last year about Falwells wife having an extramarital affair with a former pool boy named Giancarlo Granda, which eventually led to Falwell's resignation. Despite his clear duties as an executive and officer at Liberty, Falwell Jr. chose personal protection, stated the lawsuit, as reported by The Associated Press. [Falwell had a] fiduciary duty to disclose Grandas extortive actions, and to disclose the potential for serious harm to Liberty. [Falwell] furthered the conspiracy of silence and negotiated a 2019 Employment Agreement that contained a higher salary from Liberty. Last August, Falwell resigned from his position as president and chancellor of Liberty University following the highly-publicized Granda scandal, and other controversies. After Falwell immediately resigned, Libertys Executive Committee announced that they were hiring a forensic firm to investigate all facets of Liberty University operations during Jerry Falwell Jr.s tenure as president, including but not limited to financial, real estate, and legal matters. Later in 2020, Falwell filed a lawsuit against Liberty, claiming that the school had harmed his reputation by jumping to conclusions about the claims made against my character. But last December, Falwell dropped the suit, stating that he was going to take a time out from my litigation against Liberty University," but assured he would continue to keep all options on the table for an appropriate resolution to the matter. News of Libertys legal complaint against Falwell comes not long after Falwells son, Trey, was removed from his position as vice president of support services at Liberty. Liberty spokesperson Scott Lamb told Politico earlier this week that Jerry Falwell III, also known as Trey, was no longer employed by the university. However, Lamb declined to tell Politico about the reasons for Treys removal and if Falwells son, Wesley, or his daughter-in-law were still employed with the university. Home News Obama endorses Kamala Harris after initial hesitation: 'A critical moment for our country' Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president of the United States after hesitating to publicly back the likely Democratic Party nominee. In a post to his official X account on early Friday morning, Obama said he and his wife, Michelle, had a phone call with Harris earlier this week in which they voiced their support. "We told her we think she'll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support," he tweeted. "At this critical moment for our country, we're going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you'll join us." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend @KamalaHarris. We told her we think shell make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support. At this critical moment for our country, were going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in pic.twitter.com/0UIS0doIbA Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 26, 2024 On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that he was ending his run for reelection, instead imploring the Democratic Party to make Harris, a former U.S. senator and attorney general of California, its new presidential nominee. Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president from 2009 to 2017, released a statement Sunday evening in which he commended the 81-year-old for his service but stopped shy of endorsing Harris. "We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges," stated Obama. "I believe that Joe Biden's vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August." Some questioned if Obama's omission of Harris in the statement meant he didn't support her presidential bid. But sources close to the former president told The New York Times that it was more about being "an impartial elder statesman above intraparty machinations" and that people should not "read too much into it." The Obama endorsement is expected to help Harris officially secure the nomination next month at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, as she has the backing of the last two Democratic presidents. Most Democratic Party delegates from across the nation have pledged to support Harris. While Obama and other party leaders have conveyed their support for Harris getting the presidential nomination, some progressive groups and others have expressed their dismay at the move. The Black Lives Matter organization released a statement denouncing the apparent fast-tracking of Harris to the nomination, arguing that "a 24-hour process of talking to party bosses is not democratic, nor is it a process Democrats should be proud of." "We do not live in a dictatorship," BLM added. "Installing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and an unknown vice president without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites." Home News Biden admin.'s refusal to acknowledge Christian persecution in Nigeria undermines foreign policy: watchdog The U.S. government continues to face pressure to classify Nigeria as one of the world's worst prosecutors of religious freedom as terror attacks against Christians and a lackluster government response to them continue to plague the West African nation. The U.S.-based religious freedom advocacy group International Christian Concern published a new 19-page report calling on the U.S. State Department to classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for "engaging in and tolerating severe violations of religious freedom, saying that its failure to acknowledge the religious elements of violence in Nigeria can undermine the effectiveness of foreign policy measures. The report by ICC's Advocacy Manager McKenna Wendt states that "it is in the best interest of U.S.-Nigerian foreign policy to designate Nigeria a CPC and appropriately hold it accountable for its failure to protect the human right of religious freedom." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The U.S. State Department designated Nigeria a CPC in 2020 during the last year of the Trump administration. But every year since the election of President Joe Biden, the African nation has been excluded from the federal government's annual lists of CPCs and the Special Watch List reserved for countries that do not meet the criteria for labeling as CPCs but still "engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom" despite recommendations for doing so by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. "The United States' failure to hold Nigeria accountable for its religious freedom violations has allowed the Nigerian government to operate with impunity, perpetuating the violence caused by non-state actors and allowing state-level persecution to continue," the report laments. The report highlights the presence of many Islamic terror organizations in the country that directly target Christians. Attributing the kidnapping of more than 22,000 Christians between 2009 and 2014 and the burning of 13,000 churches and 1,500 Christian schools by the insurgent group Boko Haram in the same period, Wendt cites the Nigeria civil society group International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law to state that "the group was accountable for the deaths of roughly 500 Nigerian Christians" in 2023. Another terrorist group, Islamic State West Africa Province, was identified as "the deadliest terrorist organization in Nigeria" responsible for a bombing at a Catholic Church that killed 40 people in July 2022. The report also charts incidents of torture directed at Christians that happened in 2023. Examples include a January 2023 arson attack on the home of a Catholic priest that resulted in the religious leader burning alive inside, the May 2023 slaughter of 43 Christians by Fulani herdsmen, the August 2023 shooting of a Christian pastor as he worked on his farm, the October 2023 kidnapping and flogging of three Benedictine monks and the use of a machete to kill a Christian doctor that same month. The most recent examples of torture directed at Christians were the sexual assaults and rapes of at least 13 women in a majority-Christian village and the beheading of "a Christian man who instructed children in the Church of Christ of All Nations." Wendt notes that in northeast Nigeria, where Islamic extremist groups operate, civilians report that Nigerian security forces "deliberately avoid responding to warnings of violence until after attacks have taken place." "If they do respond, Christians observe officials responding with more urgency to Muslim communities," the report adds. "In September 2023, Fulani extremists set the St. Raphael Fadan Kamantan Parish ablaze in a botched kidnapping attempt, where Catholic seminarian Na'aman Danlami was burned alive. Although a government checkpoint was a kilometer away, there was no reaction or support from military forces." International Christian Concern cites the blasphemy laws in 12 states as an example of a violation of religious freedom encouraged by the Nigerian government, identifying this situation as at odds with the guarantee of religious pluralism in the Nigerian Constitution. The laws are allowed, she said, since "the constitution grants sharia courts jurisdiction solely over matters of personal law." In addition to requesting the redesignation of Nigeria as a CPC, the report calls on the appointment of a U.S. ambassador to Nigeria as well as a "special envoy to Nigeria to report on the escalating violence taking place in Nigeria." "When pressed on the exclusion of Nigeria from the CPC list, the State Department, under the Biden administration, maintains that Nigeria 'does not meet the statutory definition of a CPC designation,'" Wendt wrote. "While the State Department has recognized religious tensions in the region, the violence is often attributed to issues of climate change, farmer-herders conflicts, and ethnic divides," Wendt wrote. "Although these factors are certainly at play, it is a grave misjudgment to downplay the religious components of these conflicts and solely attribute them to secondary issues." In Nigeria's Middle Belt states, thousands in predominantly Christian farming communities have been killed in recent years during attacks from radicalized nomadic Fulani herders. Fulanis are the world's largest nomadic group, comprised of roughly 20 million dispersed throughout West Africa. "Their early acceptance of Islam from Arab and Berber traders and subsequent propagation of the religion has made Fulanis foundational in the spread of Islam across West Africa. In the 16th century, the Fulani participated in jihads, or holy wars, which established them as a dominant social and economic force in the region," the report adds. "Today, the group remains the most populous and politically influential among the 250+ ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Fulani are comprised of an extensive network of lineages, not all of whom subscribe to extremist views. Some Fulani, however, adhere to a radical Islamist ideology. These Fulani are fueled by an extremist notion that they are superior to those whom they consider 'infidels' anyone who does not follow their Islamic agenda." Last Friday, at least 18 Christians were killed by suspected Fulani during an overnight attack on Mbacher village, a predominantly Christian community in Benue state's Katsina-Ala County. In January, after the State Department released its annual list of CPCs as mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released a statement saying "there is no justification as to why the State Department did not designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, despite its own reporting and statements." USCIRF, tasked by the 1998 law with making recommendations to the State Department as to which countries to include on the list of CPCs, called for a congressional hearing over the agency's decision not to label India and Nigeria as CPCs despite evidence of religious freedom violations. "Finally, the U.S. needs to understand and broadcast the true nature of the violence in Nigeria," Wendt concluded. "Diminishing the violence to secondary issues of 'farmers-herders conflict' or 'climate change' prevents the U.S. from sufficiently addressing the source of the violence. It also significantly undermines the effectiveness of our foreign policy measures, like the CPC designation list." Home Opinion Biden, AOC and the Left still wants to gut the Supreme Court Bad ideas can often get accepted long after they were initially rejected. One generation recoils at a proposal. The next generation might cozy up to it. And the one after that might accept it. Some on the left, including President Joe Biden and AOC, want to gut the Supreme Court. They havent gotten their way with the Court in recent years, so they want to try and term limit justices out. Of course, there are three basic branches of the federal government the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Now, not pleased with some decisions from the Supreme Court, members of the first two branches are trying to seize and reshape the judicial branch. They want to propose what Senator Mike Lee, an expert on the U.S. Constitution, calls nakedly authoritarian unconstitutional proposals against the High Court. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe They want to impeach justices like Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito because of their conservative opinions. The left wants to impose term limits on justices. This could undermine the independence of the judges and cause them to base their decisions purely on the shifting winds of politics not what the Constitution says or the founders intent. For decades, conservatives rightfully complained about decisions from liberal justices that seemed to have no basis in the Constitution. Heres an example. Roe v. Wade (1973), the now-defunct holy grail of the left, only cites two parts of the Constitution: the 9th amendment and the 14th amendment. But neither provide any direct or indirect statement along the lines of the right to abortion or even the right of privacy. The irony of using the 14th amendment to justify killing preborn babies, which is Roe v. Wade (up to three months) and its companion decision issued the same day, Doe v. Bolton(up to the moment of birth), is that that particular addition to the Constitution actually mentions the right to life as an inherent right. The 1973 Court obviously didnt see that right applying to the unborn. Since 1973, conservatives have spoken against Roe v. Wade as the quintessential example of judicial activism judges coming up with desired results by twisting the Constitution to their desired end. I once interviewed the late Henry Hyde, author of the pro-life Hyde Amendment. He spoke of the problem of the justices using the Constitution like silly putty to achieve their fore-ordained aim. But through all the gnashing of teeth against judicial tyranny, conservatives did not advocate changing the court itself just its occupants. Conservative scholars are pushing back at these recent proposals to gut the court. Kelly Shackelford is the founder and director of First Liberty, a group that fights on behalf of religious liberty in the courts of the land, including the courts of public opinion. Shackelford wrote, Transforming the Supreme Court into another partisan body would destroy the independence of the judiciary and threaten the civil liberties of all Americans. Joe Biden once said that changing the structure of the Court was a bonehead idea that would put in question the independence of the Supreme Court. He was right. The last thing we need in this country right now is a Supreme Court coup that would threaten judicial independence and our democratic republic. This is a radical attempt by a desperate politician. Shackelford adds, Ending life tenure is just the Lefts way to purge conservative justices on the Court. Its simply court-packing by a different name. And a majority of Americans agree, he says: Polling has revealed that 72% of Americans believe that the politicization of the Supreme Court threatens judicial independence and 69% do not want Congress taking over and setting rules for judicial ethics. One of the brilliant aspects of the founders and the Constitution is the division of power so that no one person or small group of persons could lord it over others. The framers knew the Bible. They knew world history. They knew man is basically sinful. Therefore, power must be divided. James Madison, a key architect of the Constitution, warned us in Federalist #47: The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. [emphasis added] And Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist #78: If, then, the courts of justice are to be considered as the bulwarks of a limited Constitution against legislative encroachments, this consideration will afford a strong argument for the permanent tenure of judicial offices, since nothing will contribute so much as this to that independent spirit in the judges which must be essential to the faithful performance of so arduous a duty. [emphasis added] In effect, the judicial branch could say to the other branches, Hey, stay in your own lane! Home Opinion First Baptist Church Dallas fire: The most loving local church I've been part of Exactly one week ago, fire engulfed the historic sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Dallas. Constructed in 1890, the beautiful, majestic Victorian edifice had hosted worship services for several generations of devoted church members until the church moved into a new, larger worship center in 2013. In fact, there are scores of families that have been attending First Baptist Church, Dallas for three, four or even five generations. First Baptist Church, Dallas has been the most influential and prestigious church in the Southern Baptist Convention, the nations largest Protestant denomination. It has often been referred to as either the Southern Baptist Notre Dame or the Southern Baptist Vatican. My instant reaction to the shocking news of the fire was a flood of personal memories of my 13 years of service there (1975-1988) as a professor in their college, associate pastor at the church and Sunday school teacher. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Hundreds of faces and names from my years there immediately started flooding back into my memory. I had the privilege of teaching a 300-member Sunday school class called the Sheafor Bible Class for my entire 13 years there. These class members were vibrant Christians who loved Gods Word and each other. It was a privilege to teach them and fellowship with them every Sunday. When my wife had a temporary health crisis while coping with three children (5, 2 and 2 months old), the blessed members of this class spontaneously organized and delivered evening meals for our family for approximately six weeks. I have never been part of a more loving and giving local church. And on top of it all, my family and I had the rare privilege of sitting under the nonpareil pulpit ministry every Sunday of Dr. W.A. Criswell as he expounded Gods Word peerlessly and expositionally every Sunday morning and every Sunday night. He loved his church members and they loved and cherished him. My wife and I had the great blessing of seeing all three of our children come to know Jesus as their personal Savior and subsequently be baptized while we were members at First Dallas. As I basked in these great memories, I realized once again that however beautiful and majestic the grand old sanctuary was, it did not encapsulate or explain the greatness of First Baptist Dallas. This experience reinforced for me the great spiritual truth that the church consists of the Christians who gather to worship and to fellowship in a particular place, not the buildings where they congregate. The church is made up of its members, not its buildings. I knew nothing as merely temporal as a fire would keep Gods church from continuing to flourish for His kingdom purposes. The Apostle Peter informed us in his first epistle that Christians are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. (I Pet. 2:9) The New Testament reveals that a local church consists of born-again Christians and the Apostle Paul explains that such Christians are a new kind of human being, having been born-again from above (Eph. 2), having been made the children of God. (John 1:12) In covenanting together to worship and to fellowship, they are simultaneously ministering to each other. The New Testament teaches Christians that it is only together, as part of a redeemed local fellowship that each of us will fully plumb the depths, scale the heights, and embrace the breadth of all that our Heavenly Father has desired for each of us in His will. (I Cor. 12-14) Each local church is intended to be a colony of Heaven, a living spiritual organism centered in and sustained by Christ, seeking to fulfill His Great Commission: And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matt. 28:18-20) As I was borne along by these pleasing remembrances and heart-stirring reminiscences, I was reminded of my deep (and surprisingly unexpected) spiritual experience upon returning to corporate worship in my local church after COVID restrictions were lifted. As I was overwhelmed by the experience of simultaneously communing vertically with Jesus and horizontally with my fellow church members in collective worship, I realized how much I had taken such a divine blessing for granted before COVID. If you are in a spiritually alive colony of heaven, express your gratitude to God, love and support your fellow church members, and relish the blessing. If you are not in such a church, please ask God to help you find such a fellowship, and join it with alacrity. This life is too short to miss the particular blessing God has intended and planned for each of us. Home Opinion Higher ed is reaping what has been sown Last school year, college and university campuses across the nation descended into a petulant kind of anarchy as students protested Israels war in Gaza. Demonstrations broke out all over with Gaza solidarity encampments, Jewish students being threatened and assaulted, and protestors demanding that their schools divest from companies linked to Israel. Some Jewish students were told to go back to Poland, in a reference to death camps, and signs demanded to Stop funding genocide, as if Israel carried out the atrocities of October 7. Others said From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, without knowing which river and which sea. The protesters claimed the uprisings were about ending Israels war in Gaza, which was waged in response to the October 7 attacks. However, many were calling for something far more radical, like so-called decolonization, or an end to Israel as a nation altogether. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Left-wing students do have a long history of jumping on protest bandwagons, including those not-so-subtly associated with Islamic terrorism. Part of this reality is the cult of youth that has pervaded American society, at least since the 1960s. The idea that young people are the conscience of our nation and that youth-led movements are always morally right was plainly articulated by a Democratic Socialists of America activist, who wrote: A good law of history is that if you ever find yourself opposing a student movement while siding with the ruling class, you are wrong. Every single time. In every era. No matter the issue. This revisionist view of history forgets, among other things, that the Nazi movement in Germany and Maos Cultural Revolution were popular with students who mobilized against the ruling classes. In the case of these campus protests, its not even clear who the ruling class are. While there has been some pushback by school administrators against protestors, Noah Rothman correctly pointed out in a National Review piece that encampments of privileged, trust-fund kids at elite universities dont exactly pass for an uprising of the oppressed. A more adequate explanation is that young people are often easily manipulated, not always aware of the ironies in their activism or demands. Todays youthful naivete and this thirst for attention is supercharged by social media. After all, no generation has been able to virtue-signal to the whole world before. The powerful desire, not only to speak truth to power, but to be seen doing it, is intoxicating. Hans Fiene once called this Selma envy. Ultimately, these students, who are essentially flirting with support of terrorism, are a product of universities in which the goal of education is activism rather than wisdom. According to Al Mohler, it became clear decades ago that, [H]igher education was turning into a laboratory for social engineering and intellectual revolution. Specialties such as post-colonial studies percolated with promises of liberation, often translated into nationalist movements and identity politics. In other words, the universities created these monsters. Now, they are forced to deal with them. The idea that education is for training activists to change the world is a progressive vision and is why activism typically leans left. Christian campuses often offer the opposite view. Recently, the president of a private, Christian college explained to parents why their students would not be talking that much about contemporary politics. Young people, he said, simply dont know enough to have opinions that are worth listening to. To know anything about politics, he continued, students need to know first what the soul is, what it means to be human, where truth comes from, and the best ideas of history about the role, purpose, and function of the polis. So, thats what they would be studying instead. Ironically, this same college is often accused, even by presuming Christian academics, of being too political. Any philosophy of education, T.S. Eliot wrote, assumes a definition of what it means to be human. Much of higher education has lost the central purpose of education because it has lost sight of who we are as human beings. Education should be about training the intellect and cultivating a virtuous life, as understood and received from the great minds who have gone before us. Ultimately, that vision of education is grounded in the One who is Truth, and whose commands and character never change. What we saw on campuses is an inevitable result when activism replaces education. But this means there is a real opportunity this fall, when schools start again, for Christians, who understand the truth about who we are, to reclaim what education truly is. Originally published at BreakPoint. Elon Musk says he's a 'cultural Christian' Tesla billionaire Elon Musk has opened up about his beliefs and his mission to combat what he calls the "woke mind virus". Talking to Jordan Peterson in an interview for The Daily Wire, Musk called himself a "cultural Christian" and expressed admiration for the teachings of Jesus. "While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise, and that there's tremendous wisdom in turning the other cheek," he said. Even though some people might deserve "a punch in the nose", he suggested it was not worth chasing after vengeance. "I'm actually a big believer in the principles of Christianity. I think they're very good," he said. Elaborating, he said that Christian beliefs "result in the greatest happiness for humanity, considering not just the present, but all future humans". Taking a leaf out of the book of committed atheist Richard Dawkins, who recently called himself a "cultural Christian", Musk said in the interview, "I would say I'm probably a cultural Christian." He added, "I was brought up as an Anglican, and I was baptised." The two-hour interview delved into Musk's views on transgenderism and his transgender child who was born male but now identifies as a female called Vivian Jenna Wilson. Musk said that the "people that have been promoting this should go to prison" and claimed that "it wasn't explained to me that puberty blockers are actually just sterilisation drugs". "It happened to one of my older boys, where I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys, Xavier. This is before I had any understanding of what was going on," the father-of-12 said. He said he has been committed to destroying "the woke mind virus" ever since. IHOPKC's board says 24/7 Prayer Room will no longer be connected to a church (CP) After months of deliberation, the board of the embattled International House of Prayer Kansas City has decided that the vaunted 24/7 Prayer Room will not be operated under the umbrella of any church. This decision follows the shuttering of several arms of the ministry, including the Forerunner Church, in the aftermath of a sexual misconduct scandal involving founder Mike Bickle. The board announced the decision Wednesday in an email update on the restructuring of the ministry sent to members of the IHOPKC community. A copy of the email was shared by The Roys Report. "Another source of confusion has been the process of evaluating whether to move the governance of the Prayer Room under a church structure, and if it should be relocated to our Grandview Plaza facility," the board said in the email. "It is the decision of the Board of Trustees that the Prayer Room will remain independent of any external church and continue to be the heart of IHOPKC. Further, the Prayer Room will remain in its present location at the Red Bride Center." While the 24/7 Prayer Room won't function under the governance of a church, the board noted that it will still require governance. The board is working on a plan to operate it independently of a church. "We realize that the long term health and wellbeing of the prayer room requires a formal governance structure for oversight, accountability, and spiritual strength," the email said. "We are exploring the best fit moving forward and are committed to ensuring systems are in place for solid decision making and responsible leadership." In April, IHOPKC announced that the ministry would be restructured, including the shuttering of some aspects of operations this year, including the IHOPKC school of ministry and Forerunner Church, led by Isaac Bennett. "In April, we announced that, after much prayer and deliberation, we would wind down many of IHOPKC's ministry and training expressions, including IHOPU, Forerunner Church, CEC, and internships, a process which concluded May 24th. Since that time, our focus as a ministry has been the 24/7 Prayer Room and Intercession for Israel," the board's email reads. "During the process of planning and carrying out these changes, incorrect statements were made about IHOPKC's future and reasons for shutting down various ministry expressions. As we said earlier, IHOPKC is not shutting down." The Roys Report, citing a leaked recording from leaders at an internal IHOP University staff meeting as well as an email from IHOP University President Matt Candler, reported earlier this year that IHOPKC was in the process of shuttering for good due to the financial impact of Bickle's sexual abuse scandal. IHOPKC permanently cut ties with Bickle last December. In February, a third woman alleged she was groomed and sexually abused by Bickle in the 1980s when she was 14. Using her maiden name, Tammy Woods, who is now a 57-year-old mother and grandmother, told The Kansas City Star that Bickle abused her in St. Louis where he pastored a church before moving to Kansas City and starting IHOPKC in 1999. Woods said Bickle abused her in his car, at her home, in the church and his office. She said the abuse, which began when she started babysitting his two sons, involved sexual contact but not intercourse. She revealed that the IHOPKC founder also told her several times that his wife, Diane, would die young and suggested that she could be the mother to his sons. Last year, a woman identified as Jane Doe by The Roys Report alleged that Bickle paid for her apartment and gave her a key to his office, and that she engaged in sexual acts with him from 1996 to 1999 before he founded IHOPKC. She claimed Bickle wooed her with Scripture at age 19 when he was 42. Bickle initially agreed to step away from the ministry last October when allegations of sexual abuse involving mutliple women were brought to light by an advocate group. Bickle confessed to engaging in "consensual sexual contact" with a woman connected to the 24/7 prayer ministry in addition to a previously confessed relationship with the Jane Doe, who alleged she was his kept woman for several years, according to an independent investigation report released in February. In December, he admitted on Facebook to engaging in "inappropriate behaviour" but not "the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting." The ministry perminantly cut ties with Bickle two weeks later, saying its investigation confirmed "a level of inappropriate behaviour." The Christian Post We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form ServiceNow is an enterprise software and workplace management orchestration vendor based in Santa Clara, Calif. Its cloud-based enterprise service management (ESM) platform, Now, helps companies automate workflows across the enterprise, including those involved in IT service management (ITSM), IT operations management, IT asset management, and HR service delivery, among other domains. AI generative AI in particular has increasingly become a focus of late for ServiceNow, which has a market cap of $183 billion, making it the 23rd largest technology vendor in the world. Here is the latest ServiceNow news and analysis: Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. The Charity Commission has removed the Mahfouz Foundation from its register as it continues to investigate allegations around a donation intended for the Kings Foundation. It opened a statutory inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation in 2021 over allegations that it received donations intended for the then-named Princes Foundation, set up by King Charles. While this inquiry is ongoing, the Mahfouz Foundation was removed from the register on 6 October, according to the Official Custodian for Charities recently-filed annual accounts . The accounts show that the Custodian held 7,500 from the Mahfouz Foundation on 31 March this year under an order that required these funds to be paid to it. A police investigation into cash-for-honours claims involving the then-named Princes Foundation closed last year . Allegations investigated The Mahfouz Foundation, whose charitable aims included the promotion of the history and culture of the Middle East, was linked to allegations first published in the Sunday Times about attempts to use donations to influence the then heir to the throne. It alleged that the Russian businessman Dmitry Leus had tried to donate 200,000 to the Princes Foundation, after being put in touch with Michael Fawcett (its CEO at the time). His gift was subsequently rejected. Leus had been convicted of money laundering in Russia before the conviction was overturned. The donation is alleged to have then been sent via the Mahfouz Foundation, without Leuss knowledge and obscuring the origins of the money. Inquiry ongoing The Commission announced in November 2021 that it has opened an inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation and donations it received that were intended for another charity. It also revealed that it had been engaging with trustees at the Mahfouz Foundation since the Sunday Times first published claims that it had received donations intended for the Princes Foundation. At the time, it said its inquiry would examine whether the Mahfouz Foundation received these donations as alleged, how the money had been used, and whether or not it should be returned to the donor or another charity. The Commission added it would look at financial controls at the charity and whether the trustees have worked in line with charity law. The Mahfouz Foundation was founded by Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz. Its website is no long accessible, and Civil Society was unable to contact anyone formerly at the organisation. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed that its minister Stephanie Peacock will hold the civil society brief. Umbrella bodies NCVO and ACEVO, who both met culture secretary Lisa Nandy this week, welcomed Peacock to the role. Peacock has also been handed responsibility for sport, media, youth, ceremonials, legislation and corporate. She will also be responsible for the gambling brief in the House of Commons as peer Baroness Twycross has been made minister for gambling. Her predecessor as civil society minister in the last Conservative government, Stuart Andrew, was also the ministerial disability champion and responsible for major events including Eurovision. Peacock, MP for Barnsley South, was Labours shadow sport, gambling and media minister before the election. Prior to becoming an MP, Peacock worked as a history teacher and for trade union GMB. Peacock is a patron of the charity Barnsley Independent Alzheimers And Dementia Support and was parliamentary chair of anti-fascist campaign organisation Hope not Hate. Great to be part of @DCMS team as Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth. Looking forward to the challenge ahead https://t.co/kxzjkBapox Stephanie Peacock MP (@Steph_Peacock) July 26, 2024 Sector bodies look forward to collaboration Sarah Elliott, chief executive of NCVO, said: Were delighted that Stephanie Peacock has been appointed as Minister for Civil Society, and we look forward to working closely with her to build a collaborative partnership between government and the voluntary sector in the future. Charities aren't just a force for good, they're also a force for change. The new government has set out an ambitious plan for a decade of renewal, and we believe charities and voluntary organisations will be a critical partner for them to achieve their missions. Weve already had some incredibly productive meetings with the new team at DCMS to make sure the needs of charities are heard and that the limitless opportunities for charities to make an impact are understood. We look forward to more opportunities to work with Stephanie and the team to unlock the experience and understanding charities have to help solve some of society's biggest issues. Shareen Patel, policy and influencing officer at ACEVO, said: ACEVO is delighted that the new minister for civil society has been announced. We welcome Stephanie Peacock to this role, who given her experience of the charity sector will be aware of the context in which our sector has been working in for so long. As someone who has already highlighted the need to work with us in the delivery of the new governments missions, we look forward to having an open and genuine partnership and together championing the vital role our sector plays. Nicole Sykes, director of policy and communications at Pro Bono Economics, said: A flourishing civil society is crucial if the new government is to achieve its ambitious mission, from building a robust economy to providing opportunities to all. The new government has already shown positive signs that it is keen to leverage the hands-on experience and practical solutions offered by charities, in order to develop better-informed and more effective policies that address local challenges and enhance the wellbeing of all UK citizens. The new prime minister set out his vision for a thriving civil society at the summit we hosted in January, and now its time to start turning that vision into reality. We're looking forward to working closely with the new minister and the entire government to secure the change that is needed to strengthen civil society. Its encouraging to see how much of that work is already underway. Dan Corry, chief executive of NPC, said: We warmly welcome Stephanie Peacock to the very important role of minister for civil society. We look forward to working with her so we can put civil society at the heart of delivering the new government's missions. Charities have been providing critical services over what have been challenging years. This opportunity for a renewed partnership between government and civil society is one both sides should take. A spokesperson for NGO umbrella body Bond said: We look forward to working with her in her new role to improve government relations with civil society and strengthen the political and operating environment for charities. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Monsanto will pay $160 million to settle a lawsuit by the city of Seattle that accused the unit of Germanys Bayer of polluting the citys drainage system and the local Lower Duwamish River with toxic chemicals known as PCBs. City Attorney Ann Davison announced the settlement on Thursday, calling it the largest for a single city over PCB pollution. In a statement, Monsanto said it will pay $35 million for PCB remediation, and $125 million to address other Seattle claims. The company did not admit liability or wrongdoing. Seattle accused Monsanto of creating a public nuisance by selling polychlorinated biphenyls for commercial use from 1935 to 1977 despite knowing they polluted the environment, harming people and wildlife. The city said PCBs remained over the years in exterior paint and caulk on buildings, and resulted in contaminated stormwater flowing into the river. Seattle sued Monsanto in January 2016. The settlement averts a scheduled Sept. 23 trial in that citys federal court. Monsanto said in an August 2022 filing that Seattle had been seeking nearly $750 million. The company reached a separate $95 million settlement with Washington state in June 2020 over PCB contamination. PCBs were outlawed by the U.S. government in 1979, and have been linked to cancer, immune system and other health problems. Monsanto was the only U.S. maker of PCBs. It has said it stopped making them because they were not readily biodegradable. In November 2022, Monsanto won court approval for a $650 million settlement with a class of 2,500 local governments over PCB contamination in various waters. Other governments chose to sue Monsanto individually. Monsanto said nine cases remain pending, and that it is committed to defending itself at trial unless it settles. Bayer bought Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018. It has also faced extensive and costly litigation over whether Monsantos Roundup weed killer causes cancer. The case is Seattle v. Monsanto Co et al, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No. 16-00107. (Reporting by Stempel in New York; editing by Diane Craft) Johnson & Johnson lost its bid in a federal appeals court to revive a plan to settle tens of thousands of talc cancer lawsuits by placing a subsidiary into bankruptcy. The ruling Thursday upheld a bankruptcy judges dismissal last year of the Chapter 11 case of J&J subsidiary LTL Management LLC. J&J created LTL to carry into bankruptcy all health claims related to baby powder and other J&J products made with talc allegedly tainted with toxic substances. Last year, the Philadelphia-based appeals court rejected a similar bankruptcy plan. The decision came on the eve of a Friday deadline for women with ovarian cancer and other gynecological cancers to vote on whether to support a third LTL Management bankruptcy. The company seeks to set aside $6.5 billion to resolve ovarian cancer claims as part of a total $11 billion settlement of J&Js current and future baby powder suits. Related: The Battle Over J&Js Bankruptcy Plan to End Talc Lawsuits In their opinion, the appellate panel rejected J&Js claim that the bankruptcy judge erred in ruling that the companys liability was not greater than $21 billion. The judges also rejected J&Js arguments that it faced insolvency and cash-flow difficulties. No doubt that solvent companies, confronted by mass-tort litigation, can encounter significant financial distress that warrants bankruptcy, Judge Thomas Ambro wrote for the panel. When future insolvency is a realistic possibility based on meaningful evidence not just the result of a highly speculative worst-case scenario a mass-tort defendant has a viable case for bankruptcy. J&J will seek US Supreme Court review of Thursdays decision, said Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation. The company has denied liability in the lawsuits and has maintained that its talc-based products are safe. The ruling doesnt impact J&Js plan to resolve all current and future ovarian claims through a third LTL Management bankruptcy, Haas said. Related: J&J Talc Users Want Cancer Checks Even if it Cost Billions The appeals court also rejected an argument that the second bankruptcy was legitimate because a significant number of talc victims support the effort. That case had divided talc victims, with some backing J&Js offer to set up a trust fund as part of an insolvency case, and others opposing it. Some victims argued the second bankruptcy was in the best interest of creditors. The appeals court rejected that view. J&J has said it is trying to round up a super-majority of plaintiffs for the third bankruptcy attempt. Last year, the same appeals court threw out the first LTL Management bankruptcy, ruling the subsidiary essentially had a blank check from J&J. Soon after that, J&J increased its settlement offer to cancer victims to $8.9 billion. But a federal bankruptcy judge in New Jersey dismissed the case, prompting the latest appeal. I hope the message is loud and clear, plaintiffs lawyer Andy Birchfield, who opposes the bankruptcy plan, said in a statement. Now is the time for J&J to change course and act as a responsible company by offering truly reasonable compensation to its customers who have suffered serious injuries. Top photo: Johnson & Johnson baby powder for sale at a pharmacy in New York, US, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Johnson & Johnson is scheduled to release earnings figures on April 16. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. ATHENS, Ohio -- The widely published, iconic photos of a bloodied, fist-pumping Donald Trump after the recent assassination attempt remind us of the enduring power of single images and the unique skills of professionals behind the cameras. The Trump photo thats now on TIME Magazines cover was taken by Evan Vucci, a 21-year veteran of The Associated Press who won a 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography with AP colleagues who documented Americas response to the death of George Floyd. WASHINGTON The U.S. State Department, in response to rising crime and health care issues, has reissued a warning about traveling to Jamaica, urging travelers to think carefully about going there. The warning, issued Thursday, cautions travelers that some areas of Jamaica have increased risks related to violent crime and a lack of quality health care. Previously: US warns travelers about high crime at 2 popular cruise destinations, urges extreme caution Prevously: Is Jamaica safe? State Department advisory raises concerns; heres what to know The State Department issued an initial advisory in January. Thursdays new advisory was made to reflect additional troubles since then, the State Department said. The U.S. Embassy routinely receives reports of sexual assaults, including from U.S. citizen tourists at resorts, the State Department said. U.S. citizens report slow or unsatisfactory response to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a final verdict and sentence. The homicide rate reported by the Jamaican government is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Armed robberies and sexual assaults are common. The State Department did note that while violent crime occurs throughout Jamaica, tourist areas generally see lower rates of violent crime than other parts of the country. Jamaica, south of Cuba and west of Hispanola, is an island nation smaller than the state of Connecticut with an estimated population of more than 2.8 million people. The islands pristine beaches and other natural wonders have long made it popular for tourism, which is a major industry. People who do travel to Jamaica should expect to find available health care will not be at the same level of that available in the United States. Response times are generally lower for emergency services or routine care for illness or injury. Private hospitals often require payment up front before they will admit patients. Those hospitals may not be able to provide specialized care. Ambulance services are not always staffed with EMTs or always readily available, especially in rural areas. Travelers are advised to bring extra prescription medication as common medications such as insulin can be difficult to obtain. The State Department cautions that travelers should obtain travelers insurance, including medical evacuation insurance, before visiting Jamaica. The Department of State does not pay medical bills, and Medicare and Medicaid programs do not apply for treatment in Jamaica. For travelers who do go to Jamaica, the State Department recommends these tips: Do not attempt to bring firearms or ammunition. This includes stray rounds, shells, or empty casings. The penalties for carrying firearms and/or ammunition, even inadvertently, are severe, and can include lengthy prison sentences. Be aware of your surroundings and keep a low profile, avoiding public buses, secluded places or situations and walking or driving at night. Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and X/Twitter The State Department notes that U.S. embassy staff are forbidden from traveling in nearly a dozen areas of the country due to crime. They also are prohibited from using public buses and from driving outside of prescribed areas of Kingston, the capital, at night. Vivian Jenna Wilson, the transgender daughter of Elon Musk, said Thursday in her first public interview that he was an absent father who was cruel to her as a child for being queer and feminine. Wilson, 20, in an exclusive interview with NBC News, responded to comments that Musk made Monday about her and her transgender identity. On social media and in an interview posted online, Musk said she was "not a girl" and was figuratively "dead," and he alleged that he had been "tricked" into authorizing trans-related medical treatment for Wilson when she was 16. Wilson said that Musk had not been tricked and that, after initially hesitating, he knew what he was doing when he agreed to her treatment, which required consent from her parents. Musk's recent statements crossed a line, she said. "I think he was under the assumption that I wasn't going to say anything and I would just let this go, unchallenged," Wilson said in a phone interview. "Which I'm not going to do because if you're going to lie about me, like, blatantly to an audience of millions, I'm not just gonna let that slide." Wilson said that, for as long as she could remember, Musk has not been a supportive father. She said he was rarely present in her life, leaving Wilson and her siblings to be cared for by their mother or by nannies even though Musk had joint custody, and she said Musk berated her when he was present. "He was cold," she said. "He's very quick to anger. He is uncaring and narcissistic." Wilson said that, when she was a child, Musk would harass her for exhibiting feminine traits and would pressure her to appear more masculine, including by pushing her to deepen her voice as early as elementary school. "I was in fourth grade. We went on this road trip that I didn't know was actually just an advertisement for one of the cars I don't remember which one and he was constantly yelling at me viciously because my voice was too high," she said. "It was cruel." Musk did not respond to a request for comment. Wilson and her twin brother were born to Musk's first wife, author Justine Musk. The couple divorced in 2008, and Wilson said her parents shared custody between their homes in the Los Angeles area. Musk, 53, is among the wealthiest people in the world through his stakes in Tesla, where he's CEO, and in SpaceX, which he founded. He's also become a significant political figure, having endorsed former President Donald Trump this month for another term in the White House. Musk has 12 children, including Wilson. Now a college student studying languages, Wilson has never granted an interview before and has largely stayed out of public view. She did, however, attract attention in 2022 when she sought court approval in California to change her name and, in the process, denounced her father. "I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form," she said in the court filing. She told NBC News that at the time, she was surprised by the media attention to the court filing, which she submitted when she was 18. She said in the interview that she stands by what she wrote, though she said she might have tried to be more eloquent if she had known the coverage it would receive. Wilson said that she hadn't spoken to Musk in about four years, and that she refused to be defined by him. "I would like to emphasize one thing: I am an adult. I am 20 years old. I am not a child," she said. "My life should be defined by my own choices." Musk threw a spotlight on Wilson on Monday by speaking about their relationship in a video interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson streamed live on X, saying that he did not support Wilson's gender identity. "I lost my son, essentially," Musk said. He used Wilson's birth name, also known as a deadname for transgender people, and said that she was "dead, killed by the woke mind virus." And in a post on X Monday, Musk said that Wilson was "born gay and slightly autistic" and that, at age 4, she fit certain gay stereotypes such as loving musicals and using the exclamation "fabulous!" to describe certain clothing. Wilson told NBC News that those anecdotes are not true, though she said she did act stereotypically feminine in other ways as a child. Wilson also addressed Musk's recent comments in a series of posts Thursday on the social media app Threads. "He doesn't know what I was like as a child because he quite simply wasn't there," she wrote. "And in the little time that he was I was relentlessly harassed for my femininity and queerness." "I've been reduced to a happy little stereotype," she continued. "I think that says alot about how he views queer people and children in general." In recent years, Musk has taken a hard-right turn into conservative politics and has been waging a campaign against transgender people and policies designed to support them. This month, he said he was pulling his businesses out of California to protest a new state law that bars schools from requiring that trans kids be outed to their parents. On the social media app X, Musk has for years criticized transgender rights, including medical treatments for trans-identifying minors, and the use of pronouns if different from what would be used at birth. He has promoted anti-trans content and called for arresting people who provide trans care to minors. After Musk bought X, then known as Twitter, in 2022, he rolled back the app's protections for trans people including a ban on using deadnames. Musk told Peterson that Wilson's gender transition has been the motivation for his push into conservative politics. "I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that, and we're making some progress," he said. Wilson was also mentioned in a biography of Musk by author Walter Isaacson a book that she told NBC News was inaccurate and unfair to her. The book refers to her politics as "radical Marxism," quoting Musk's sister-in-law Christiana Musk, but Wilson said she's not a Marxist, though she said she does oppose wealth inequality. The book also calls her by her middle name, Jenna. Wilson said that Isaacson never reached out to her directly ahead of publication. In a phone interview Thursday, Isaacson said that he had reached out to Wilson through family members. Christiana Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. Wilson told NBC News that for years she had considered speaking out about Musk's behavior as a parent and as a person, but that she could no longer remain silent after his comments Monday. She said she had never received an explanation for why her father spent so little time with her and her siblings behavior by him that she now views as strange. "He was there, I want to say, maybe 10% of the time. That's generous," she said. "He had half custody, and he fully was not there." "It was just a fact of life at the time, so I don't think I realized just how abnormal of an experience it was," she added. Wilson said she came out twice in life: once as gay in eighth grade, and a second time as transgender when she was 16. She said she doesn't recall Musk's response the first time, and she wasn't present when Musk heard from others that she was transgender because by then the pandemic had started and she was living full-time with her mother. "She's very supportive. I love her a lot," Wilson said of her mom. The pandemic was a chance to escape Musk's cruelty, she said. "When Covid hit, I was like, 'I'm not going over there,'" she said. "It was basically very lucky timing." Musk told Peterson in the interview that he had been "tricked" into signing documents authorizing transgender-related medical treatment for Wilson an allegation that Wilson said isn't true. "I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys," Musk said, using her birth name. "This was before I had really any understanding of what was going on, and we had Covid going on," he said, adding that he was told that she might commit suicide. Wilson said that, in 2020, when she was still a minor at 16, she wanted to start treatment for severe gender dysphoria but needed the consent of both parents under California law. She said her mother was supportive, but that Musk was initially not. She said she texted him about it for a while. "I was trying to do this for months, but he said I had to go meet with him in person," she said. "At that point, it was very clear that we both had a very distinct disdain for each other." When she eventually went and gave him the medical forms, she said, he read them at least twice, once with her and then again on his own, before signing them. "He was not by any means tricked. He knew the full side effects," she said. She said she took puberty blockers before switching to hormone-replacement therapy treatments that she said were life-saving for her and other transgender people. "They save lives. Let's not get that twisted," she said. "They definitely allowed me to thrive." She said she believed that the requirements to obtain such treatments remain onerous, with teenagers pressured to say they're at extreme risk of self-harm before they'll be approved. She said she felt judged by Musk and Peterson, in the Monday interview, for not being at a high enough risk in their eyes. "I have been basically put into a point where, to a group of people, I have to basically prove whether or not I was suicidal or not to warrant medically transitioning," she said. "It's absolutely mind boggling." CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this story U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers' 88th national convention in Houston, Texas, U.S. July 25, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris debuted an official TikTok account on Thursday, underscoring the social broadcasting app's importance to the 2024 presidential campaign as a way to reach voters. In her first short TikTok video, Harris described why she joined the popular app, saying that she's "heard that recently I've been on the For You Page, so I thought I'd get on here myself." The vice president was referring to the widespread attention her recently announced presidential campaign garnered on social media platforms like TikTok. Numerous TikTok users, for instance, created a swarm of humorous videos including fusing clips from Charli XCX's 'Brat' summer trend featuring Harris as a way to celebrate her rise as the Democratic Party's leading presidential nominee in the aftermath of President Joe Biden's recent announcement that he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Harris's quick adoption of TikTok contrasts with President Joe Biden, who personally appeared with Harris on the campaign's @BidenHQ (now @KamalaHQ) page. U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern over TikTok's ownership by a Chinese tech company. TikTok's immense popularity with the youth of America and the broader public has made the app an important campaigning tool by politicians, even though the company does not allow political advertising. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump debuted an official TikTok account in June. Earlier this year, Trump told CNBC that while he shares national security and privacy concerns about TikTok, he believed that banning the app would only "make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people." Watch: "There is no rebranding Kamala Harris," former Trump aide. In a Thursday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stressed the importance of domestic chip production and said the country is on track to meet its end-of-decade goal. "My boss, President Biden, has been crystal clear on this topic, and I think there's no place to be reckless here or play politics with this," Raimondo said. "It's time to get serious and have serious solutions to these issues, which is exactly why we passed the CHIPS act, and exactly what we're doing in implementing it." The Biden Administration's CHIPS act allocated billions to encourage semiconductor companies to manufacture their products in the U.S., with recipients including Intel , Micron , Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor . Raimondo said more than 90% of the U.S.'s graphics chips which are vital for electronics, including phones, cars, military equipment are manufactured in Taiwan. She called this situation "untenable" and "unsafe," saying it makes the U.S. vulnerable. And while Raimondo said there will always be chips manufactured in Taiwan, she said the U.S. "needs to get out of this place of extreme vulnerability." According to Raimondo, the country is "right on the path" to meet its goal of having 20% of chips made domestically by 2030, even though she characterized the feat as "audacious." She also pushed back against the notion that foreign countries like Taiwan took manufacturing jobs away from the U.S., saying these decisions had been made by American corporations. "American businesses were in search of cheap capital and cheap labor and profits, so everything went overseasChina, Taiwan, etcetera," Raimondo said. "Except, we wake up now, and we find that whether it's chips or critical minerals or components, we're vulnerable. Not everything's about short term profits. You have to also have national security in your lens primarily." (This is CNBC Pro's live coverage of Friday's analyst calls and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to view the latest posts.) Apple and a food delivery stock were among the names being talked about by analysts on Friday. Raymond James hiked its price target on Apple to $250. Meanwhile, Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage of DoorDash with a buy rating and a price target implying upside of more than 60%. Check out the latest calls and chatter below. All times ET. 7:35 a.m.: Barclays cuts price target on Crowdstrike after outage Things "could get worse before better" for Crowdstrike , which is dealing with the fallout from the world's largest IT outage , according to Barclays. Analyst Saket Kalia reduced his price target on the stock by 30% to $285 from $400. The new target forecasts 12.1% upside potential from where shares closed on Thursday. However, he kept his overweight rating on the stock. The company's IT outage struck on July 19, disrupting hospitals, airlines, broadcasters and more across and more. As a result, shares have sharply dropped more than 30% for the month and Kalia believes the "stock could get worse before better." To be sure, Kalia still "ultimately think[s] CRWD remains a LT leader." "We are staying OW because ultimately we think customers continue to rely on CRWD's leading endpoint tools, and increasingly opt for their non-endpoint tools, which lengthen the runway for growth," Kalia wrote in a note on Friday. Hakyung Kim 7:12 a.m.: Duolingo is a buy, according to Bank of America Bank of America says Duolingo is a growth leader in its internet sector coverage. The firm raised his rating on the stock to buy from neutral while maintaining its $245 price target on shares, which suggests 45.5% upside potential from Thursday's close price. The stock has tumbled 31% on the back of its first quarter earnings in early May. Ahead of Duolingo's second quarter earnings announcement on Aug. 7, analyst Curtis Nagle expects the company to post revenue in-line with expectations and a slight EBITDA beat. DUOL YTD line Duolingo shares "Duolingo boasts the highest growth in our internet coverage, above average margins and in our view ample opportunity for user/revenue/EBITDA upside. We also see share buybacks as increasingly likely given high cash on the balance sheet (~10% of mkt. cap), growing cash flow, no debt and no obvious M & A beyond small 'bolt-on' deals," Nagle said in a note Friday. He forecasts vast user growth opportunities for Duolingo given low penetration across all markets. Asia, particularly China, could be the company's biggest near-to-medium user growth opportunity market, he added. "While Duolingo trades at a premium valuation, it is now below the historic average (7x '25E EV/Sales vs. 8x) and on an EV/EBITDA basis Duolingo trades inline with other high growth subscription companies despite higher growth/margins and estimate revisions," Nagle said. Hakyung Kim 7:05 a.m.: Deutsche lowers rating on Southwest Airlines Deutsche Bank is stepping to the sidelines on Southwest Airlines after its disappointing second-quarter results. Analyst Michael Linenberg lowered his rating on the carrier to hold from buy. He also notched down his price target to $29 from $32, indicating 9.4% downside potential from Thursday's close. "Despite reporting record revenues driven by record passenger volumes, Southwest continues to experience margin pressure as its revenue generation continues to lag its elevated cost structure (of which the latter is an industry-wide phenomenon)," Linenberg wrote in a note on Thursday. Southwest's profits fell 46% in the second quarter from the same period in the prior year. Revenue per available seat mile, a gauge of airline pricing power, also dropped nearly 4%. The company made headlines Thursday when it announced sweeping changes including the elimination of open seating and adding overnight flights and seats with extra legroom. "While we are encouraged by Southwest's plans to add assigned seats, a premium onboard product, and the launch of red-eye flights, these initiatives will take time to roll out and are not without execution risk," he added. The U.S. market will likely stay over supplied through most of August, Linenberg said. This will put further downward pressure Southwest, which derives around 95% of its revenue from the domestic market, he added. Shares of Southwest Airlines are down 2.7% year to date but rose 0.7% in premarket trading Friday. Hakyung Kim 6:43 a.m.: NXP Semiconductors still a buy, BofA says Bank of America is staying bullish on NXP Semiconductors even after its second-quarter earnings miss and disappointing forward outlook. Analyst Vivek Arya reiterated his buy rating on the Dutch-based chipmaker in a client note on Thursday. NXP is his top pick for its pipeline across various auto segments, such as EV battery management and auto processors. "The stock has recently come under pressure on Q3 outlook miss, but NXPI stressed the delta was to maintain a clean channel, which we believe positions the company well for the next upcycle," Arya wrote. NXPI YTD line NXP share performance Although NXP lowered its full-year outlook, performance in the second half is forecast to improve from the first half of the year, the analyst said. Its autos segment will also likely rebound starting the third quarter on China strength, he added. The next catalyst for the stock is its analyst day on Nov. 7, where it is expected to provide its targets from 2024 to 2027, according to Arya. He has a $320 price target on shares, indicating 30% upside from Thursday's close. Hakyung Kim 6:15 a.m.: Bank of America reiterates buy call on Harley-Davidson after earnings Harley-Davidson is an outperformer in a difficult environment, according to Bank of America. The motorcycle company's second quarter earnings per share and shipment topped analyst Alexander Perry's estimates. He forecasts inventory levels to decline and for its stable retail trends to continue, particularly in the U.S. with the success of its new touring lineup. With this in mind, Perry reiterated his buy rating on shares. He also kept $50 price target on shares, which indicates 37% upside potential from Thursday's close. "HOG continues to outperform other powersports peers in a difficult macro environment. We expect HOG's new touring innovation to [potentially] drive a multi-year upgrade cycle from its addressable market of ~1.5mm Harley touring riders. We also see the potential cascading of new innovation into other segments including Cruisers (Softail)," Perry wrote in a Thursday note. Shares rallied more than 7% Thursday. Hakyung Kim Correction: Harley Davidson shares were unchanged in premarket trading Friday. An earlier version misstated their status . 5:55 a.m.: Morgan Stanley slashes outlook on WW International Morgan Stanley is losing confidence in Weight Watchers parent company WW International . The rise of obesity medication such as Ozempic and Mounjaro presents a long-term headwind on WW's core business, according to analyst Nathan Feather. Although the company has managed to offset the threat to its core business with the growth in its clinical segment, even this has now flatlined calling into question the company's outlook, Feather said. The analyst downgraded shares to equal weight from overweight. He also cut his price target to $1.25 from $6.25, which was 7 cents below Thursday's close price. "With both segments seemingly backtracking, we no longer have conviction [that] Clinic will be able to ramp fast enough to offset the headwinds on the core and move to EW as we wait for greater clarity," Feather wrote in a Friday note. Feather also highlighted concerns in the company's liquidity profile. WW has $1.4 million in debt, but negative free cash flow in 2024 and less than $100 million in cash, he added. Shares have plunged nearly 85% in 2024. WW YTD mountain WW year to date Hakyung Kim 5:33 a.m.: Redburn Atlantic initiates DoorDash as a buy DoorDash is a stand-out name in the food delivery sector, according to Redburn Atlantic. Analyst James Cordwell initiated coverage on Doordash with a buy rating. His price target of $170 indicates 68% upside from Thursday's close. Out of the four food delivery stocks in his coverage, DoorDash is the only stock he named a buy. "While consensus essentially reflects a mean reversion in trends at the different platforms, we believe the sector is more likely to be characterized by winner-takes-most dynamics, leaving our estimates for DoorDash substantially ahead of consensus," Cordwell wrote in a Friday note. To be sure, he noted that DoorDash's first-quarter adjusted EBITDA came in just in-line with consensus estimates, even as gross order value topped expectations. "As an immediate reaction to the results, the stock was punished given market assumptions that adjusted EBITDA margin expansion would remain the priority. However, in our view, the company is pursuing the right strategy and will, in time, be rewarded accordingly," the analyst added. Shares are up just 1.9% in 2024. DASH YTD mountain AAPL year to date Hakyung Kim 5:33 a.m.: Raymond James raises Apple price target Raymond James is getting more bullish on Apple ahead of earnings. Analysts Srini Pajjuri raised his price target on the iPhone maker to $250 from $200, implying upside of 15% from Thursday's close. He also reiterated his outperform rating on shares. Pajjuri called Apple, which reports earnings next week, a "more stable AI play for volatile times." "We do not expect near-term results to change the AI narrative ... and remain optimistic that upcoming AI features will drive a multi-year iPhone upgrade cycle," he said. "Early signs are already emerging as our conversations in the supply chain point to upward revision to iPhone 16 builds (by 5-10%) in 2H24. Supply chain data also points to material changes to iPhone 17 internals, suggesting that Apple is looking to do more AI on the device." Apple shares are up nearly 13% for the year. In the past week, though, they are down 3% amid a broad tech sell-off. AAPL YTD mountain AAPL year to date Fred Imbert Twice a week, Elizabeth Morosani gets up before 7 a.m., puts on her sun sleeves and spends the next three hours atop a John Deere lawn mower. Her side hustle requires it: She's converted 11 acres of her land, split between three properties around Asheville, North Carolina, into private dog parks. She rents out the spaces to local pet owners on an Airbnb-style platform called Sniffspot. Many Sniffspot hosts rent out their backyards. Morosani rents out parts of her 108-acre farm, where she lives and makes a majority of her personal income boarding horses. She has four dogs, and initially launched her side hustle just to connect with other nearby pet owners in November 2020, she says. Then, the side hustle started bringing in money: a monthly average of $7,100 in revenue for the first half of 2024, including $8,400 in May alone. Roughly half of those earnings are profit, Morosani says. Sniffspot takes nearly a quarter in commissions and fees, and the remainder goes toward maintaining her dog parks. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online Morosani, who dedicates six to eight hours per week to the platform, has used her profits to hire an assistant, buy her $6,500 lawn mower and pay for supplies for additional dogs she fosters up to 14 at a time, she says. "I didn't think it'd be this popular, this successful," Morosani, 50, tells CNBC Make It. "It's allowed me to bank some money, [and to] be more aggressive with helping my local humane societies ... If you have space and the ability to give a private experience to individual dog owners, there's definitely room for everyone to do this." Here's how she built and maintains her side hustle, and how she wants to grow it next. China's homegrown large UAVs rush to support flood-season rescue Xinhua) 13:29, July 26, 2024 BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's homegrown large civil unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are moving swiftly to support the fight against torrential rains, typhoons and other natural disasters in the critical flood season this summer. The independently-developed large civil UAVs, including the Wing Loong-2H and Haiyan-1, have been dispatched to support disaster relief, disaster prevention and mitigation, and other emergency rescue missions, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The country has entered the annual critical flood season, which normally runs from late July to early August. Large UAVs are performing unique roles in serving disaster monitoring, meteorological monitoring, communication support, post-disaster recovery efforts and more. The Wing Loong-2H large UAV flew for a total of 45 hours over three consecutive days, from July 20 to 22, over the flood-stricken Hanyuan County under the city of Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province, said AVIC. Responding to the task from the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Wing Loong-2H carried out comprehensive disaster monitoring over the affected areas. It supported searches for missing personnel and provided long-term and stable communications support, said AVIC. This large UAV provided rescue-command authorities with real-time information in the form of high-definition images, voice and data from the disaster-hit areas, supporting them in confirming risk points, monitoring disaster conditions, as well as efficient and precise on-site command and rescuer dispatch, said the developer. With its ability to remain in flight for long periods, the Wing Loong-2H also served as an airborne communication base to ensure communication services. It provided stable and continuous communication signals covering a total area of about 2,700 square km during missions over three days, and sent 42,000 rescue-related messages, serving as a lifeline for both people and rescue forces in disaster areas. As a meteorological monitoring-specialized model, the Haiyan-1 large UAV is playing its part in the typhoon season this summer. In responding to the task from the Meteorological Observation Center under the China Meteorological Administration, the Haiyan-1 flew into the interior of Typhoon Prapiroon, the fourth typhoon of the year, said AVIC. It carried out typhoon detection work in cooperation with an aircraft sent by the Hong Kong Observatory. They precisely captured the outer cloud system structure of Typhoon Prapiroon, supporting meteorological disaster prevention and reduction efforts. In this mission lasting about two hours, Haiyan-1 sent more than 4,200 valid items of data to a meteorological big-data cloud platform and provided them to meteorological authorities and related institutions for further study. It also obtained data on the temperature, humidity, wind direction, wind speed and air pressure at different altitudes, allowing meteorological forecasters to clearly observe the three-dimensional structure of the typhoon. The Haiyan-1 large UAV enabled the forecasters to clearly "see" the inner structure of the typhoon cloud system, helping them to grasp the typhoon's development and make forecasts in a more scientific manner, said AVIC. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The World Bank on Friday released the seventh edition of its Economic Update for Mauritania, which highlights a slowdown in economic growth in 2023, despite strengthened macroeconomic stability Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is delaying the highly scrutinized listing of Pershing Square's U.S. closed-end fund, according to a notice on the New York Stock Exchange's website. The initial public offering of Pershing Square USA Ltd., with the ticker PSUS, is pending on a date to be announced, according to the website. The deal is likely to price next week, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ackman is now looking to raise $2.5 billion to $4 billion for the fund, well short of the $25 billion target from a few weeks ago, according to a regulatory filing dated Thursday. Closed-end funds sell a set number of shares during their IPO, and they trade on market exchanges after their debut. The price of the fund does not necessarily match the shares' net asset value, so the fund may trade at a premium or a discount. "There is enormous sensitivity to the size of the transaction," Ackman said in a July 24 letter to investors that was included in the filing. "Particularly in light of the novelty of the structure and closed end funds' very negative trading history, it requires a significant leap of faith and ultimately careful analysis and judgment for investors to recognize that this closed end company will trade at a premium after the IPO when very few in history have done so." Pershing Square had $18.7 billion in assets under management at the end of June. Most of its capital is in Pershing Square Holdings, a $15 billion closed-end fund that trades in Europe. Ackman is seeking to offer a similar closed-end fund listed on the New York Stock Exchange, a move that could pave the way for an IPO of his management company. The public listing of Ackman's fund is seen as a move to leverage his following among Main Street investors after he accumulated more than one million followers on social media platform X, commenting on issues ranging from antisemitism to the presidential election. The publicly traded closed-end fund is expected to invest in 12 to 24 large-cap, investment-grade, "durable growth" companies in North America. In the roadshow presentation that he made public, Ackman highlighted the challenge in managing traditional hedge funds that investors can yank their money out of any time, which can result in constant fundraising and soothing of investors. The advantage of managing permanent capital is that it makes him more focused on the portfolio and gives him the ability to take a long-term approach in investments. "If you want to be a long-term investor in businesses, the challenge of managing a portfolio where money can come and might go is significant. Action can have a significant negative impact on one's returns," Ackman said. European drug regulators on Friday rejected the Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi from Biogen and Eisai , creating another hurdle for the companies as they scramble to boost uptake of the therapy in the U.S. The European Commission, the European Union's executive body, has a final say in Leqembi's approval. But it almost always follows the drug regulator's recommendations. In a statement, Eisai said, it is "extremely disappointed" by the regulator's negative recommendation. The company added that it will seek a reexamination of the decision. Shares of Biogen fell more than 6% on Friday. Japanese drugmaker Eisai's stock was essentially flat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year approved Leqembi, which has seen a sluggish rollout due to bottlenecks related to diagnostic test requirements and regular brain scans, among other issues. Leqembi has also won regulatory approvals in other countries such as Japan, South Korea, China and Israel. The drug was considered a breakthrough for a progressive disease that has proven notoriously hard to treat. It is a monoclonal antibody that slows the progression of the disease in patients at the early stages of it. Boxes of Ozempic and Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy. Novo Nordisk's blockbuster Wegovy weight loss drug has received backing from the European Union's medical regulator to expand the medicine's use to include reducing the rise of serious heart events in overweight and obese adults. The Danish pharmaceutical giant on Thursday said that the European Medical Agency had adopted a "positive opinion" on the label expansion after reviewing the outcomes of a closely watched SELECT trial, opening the door to further applications for the drug. Results from the Novo Nordisk-funded SELECT trial, published in August 2023, found that semaglutide the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic cut the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20% compared with a placebo. "We believe that the recommendation to update the EMA label for Wegovy is a significant milestone for people living with cardiovascular disease and obesity," Novo Nordisk's executive vice president and head of development, Martin Holst Lange, said in a statement. "The SELECT data demonstrated that in addition to helping people manage their weight, Wegovy has the potential to protect lives by reducing the risks of major adverse cardiovascular events." The label update also includes data from the SELECT trial showing a risk reduction in cardiovascular death by 15% and a risk reduction of death from any cause by 19%, compared to instances when a placebo was used, the company said. Novo Nordisk said it expects to implement the label update within a month. It follows similar moves by the UK's medical regulator, which on Tuesday approved the use of Wegovy to reduce the risk of overweight and obese adults suffering from serious heart problems or strokes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March also approved the drug for such applications, expanding the use cases of the highly popular medicine as competition heats up in the sector. Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche on Thursday said that its Wegovy rival weight loss drugs will be part of a suite of medicines aimed at combating the effects of obesity. The company's CEO Thomas Schinecker welcomed positive early stage trial results from the firm's two weight loss drug candidates as showing "best in disease potential." He added that they will form part of a wider portfolio aimed at differentiating the Swiss company from other competitors in the growing obesity medication market. SK Hynix logo displayed on a phone screen as seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 30, 2023. This will be SK Hynix's first manufacturing plant in the cluster, with construction slated to begin in March next year and to complete the project in May 2027. The fabrication plant or fab will be built in South Korea's Yongin Semiconductor Cluster just south of the country's capital of Seoul, where the government is looking to build a massive complex of chip operations. Memory chip giant SK Hynix on Friday said it plans to invest 9.4 trillion Korean won ($6.8 billion) to build a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in an emerging chip hub in South Korea. South Korea's SK Hynix is one of the world's top three makers of memory chips, which go into everything from laptops to servers. More recently, the company has had success with its high-bandwidth memory, which it supplies to Nvidia. Earlier this year, SK Hynix committed 120 trillion won to build 4 fabs in the Yongin cluster. The remaining three will be set up at a later date. The aggressive investment underscores both SK Hynix and the South Korean government's push to maintain the country's lead in the area of memory, which is important to artificial intelligence applications. Seoul has committed billions of dollars in support of its forays in semiconductors a technology that has increasingly been seen as strategic to governments. South Korea is also home to Samsung, the world's biggest memory chip maker. SK Hynix has been riding the AI wave and its partnership with Nvidia, this week reporting that second-quarter profit came in at its highest level in six years. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading: 3M The stock skyrocketed 23% to hit a 52-week high after the maker of office supplies and adhesives reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results. 3M posted second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.93 per share, exceeding an LSEG estimate of $1.68 per share. Its revenue also came in above expectations. Dexcom Shares plummeted 40.7% after the medical device maker missed expectations for second-quarter revenue and offered weak full-year guidance for the measure. Dexcom said it earned $1 billion in revenue during the three-month period, under the consensus forecast of $1.04 billion from analysts polled by LSEG. Coursera The online course provider soared 44.7% after reporting $170 million in second-quarter revenue, above the consensus estimate of $164 million from analysts surveyed by LSEG. On the other hand, the company said it lost 15 cents a share, while analysts anticipated earnings of 1 cent per share. Newell Brands The Rubbermaid and Yankee Candle parent surged 40.5% after announcing adjusted earnings of 36 cents per share for the second quarter, well above the consensus estimate of 21 cents a share, according to LSEG. However, Newell saw just $2.03 billion in revenue, slightly under the $2.05 billion figure expected by Wall Street. Deckers Outdoor Shares of the footwear company advanced 6.3% on its better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings report. Deckers, which saw its sales boosted by brands Uggs and Hoka, posted earnings of $4.52 per share on revenue of $825 million. That exceeded analysts' expectations for earnings of $3.48 per share on revenue of $808 million, per LSEG. Boston Beer The alcoholic beverages producer popped 7.5% after reaffirming its outlook for full-year earnings per share despite a weak second quarter. Boston Beer earned $4.39 per share on $579 million in revenue, while analysts surveyed by LSEG penciled in earnings of $5.02 a share and revenue at $597 million. Mohawk Industries The flooring company rallied 19.5% on a stronger-than-expected adjusted earnings in the second quarter. Mohawk also said it would be able to generate annualized savings of $100 million through cost-cutting initiatives. Bristol Myers Squibb The pharmaceutical stock surged almost 11.4% after beating estimates on the top and bottom lines in its second-quarter report. Bristol Myers Squibb posted adjusted earnings of $2.07 per share on $12.20 billion of revenue. Analysts surveyed by LSEG were looking for $1.63 in earnings per share on $11.55 billion of revenue. Revenue rose 9% year over year, fueled in part by the blood clot prevention drug Eliquis. Norfolk Southern Shares of the railroad operator gained 10.9% after a second-quarter earnings beat. Norfolk Southern's adjusted earnings came in at $3.06 per share, exceeding the $2.86 per share analysts polled by LSEG had predicted. Revenue was in line with expectations. WW International The Weight Watchers parent tumbled 12.5% following a Morgan Stanley downgrade to equal weight from overweight. Morgan Stanley said medications used for treating obesity are a long-term headwind on the company's main business. Charter Communications The telecommunications company popped 16.6% after posting $13.69 billion in revenue for the second quarter, above the $13.59 billion analysts polled by FactSet had predicted. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization came in at $5.67 billion, also topping the Street's forecast for $5.48 billion Coinbase The crypto exchange's stock added 4.9%, following the digital currency's move higher. Bitcoin was last up more than 4%. Southwest Airlines The air carrier's stock slipped 3% on the back of a Deutsche Bank downgrade to hold from buy after its profit slid in the second quarter. In addition to reporting earnings this week, Southwest also announced major changes to its business, including the elimination of open seating. DoorDash The food delivery stock advanced 4% after Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage as a buy. The firm gave a price target that indicates upside of approximately 68% from Thursday's closing level. Alexander & Baldwin Shares of the real estate investment trust surged 6.3%, hitting a new 52-week high, after reporting second-quarter results that beat expectations. Alexander & Baldwin posted revenue of $51 million, above the consensus estimate of $48.3 million, according to analysts polled by FactSet. Piper Sandler upgraded its rating on the stock to overweight from neutral, seeing further upside. First Solar Shares gained 4.9% after Guggenheim reiterated its buy rating on the provider of solar solutions ahead of its second-quarter results next week. The firm thinks the market has "significantly overreacted" to potential political risks surrounding the upcoming election and sees the company as positioned to benefit from accommodative policy regardless of which party wins the White House. Sweetgreen Shares rallied 5.2% after Oppenheimer reiterated the salad chain as a top pick. The stock has more than doubled in 2024. FTAI Aviation The engine materials company popped 6.9% following Stifel's upgrade to buy from hold. Stifel said the stock is worth buying given industry dynamics, even if considered expensive. Texas Roadhouse The restaurant chain climbed 2% after second-quarter earnings topped expectations. Texas Roadhouse earned $1.79 per share, above the $1.64 per share estimate from analysts surveyed by LSEG. Revenue came in line with expectations at $1.34 billion. Colgate-Palmolive The consumer packaged goods maker rose 3% on better-than-forecast earnings in the second quarter. Colgate-Palmolive reported adjusted earnings of 91 cents per share on $5.06 billion in revenue, while analysts polled by LSEG anticipated 87 cents a share and revenue of $5.01 billion. CNBC's Yun Li, Pia Singh, Sean Conlon, Jesse Pound, Hakyung Kim and Lisa Kailai Han contributed reporting. Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and the son of his former partner, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, were arrested in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said. Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and the son of his former partner, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, were arrested in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said. "The Justice Department has taken into custody two additional alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world," the department said in a statement. Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of El Chapo, face multiple charges in the U.S. "for heading the Cartel's criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks," the statement said. The arrest of Guzman Lopez was first reported by Reuters, ahead of the Justice Department statement. Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Zambada and Guzman Lopez were detained after landing in a private plane. We Are | Digitalvision | Getty Images Federal student loan payments are on pause for millions of borrowers while the Biden administration defends its new relief program in court. Here's what to know. Who doesn't have to make payments? The U.S. Department of Education is placing federal student loan borrowers enrolled in the Biden administration's new income-driven repayment plan, known as SAVE, into an administrative forbearance. They will remain in forbearance while the legal battle involving SAVE plays out. What that means: Eligible borrowers in that repayment plan will not have to make any payments on their debt while the break lasts, and interest will not accrue on their loans in the meantime. More from Personal Finance: How to find out how big your Social Security benefits may be IRS issues final rules for inherited IRAs How kids from rich families learn about money The White House says roughly eight million people are enrolled in SAVE, or the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan. Borrowers eligible for the relief should receive notification from their servicer, according to the Education Department. Why is the SAVE plan under fire? The SAVE Plan has been a magnet for controversy ever since the Biden administration rolled out the program in the summer of 2023, describing it as "the most affordable student loan plan ever." Indeed, the terms of the new income-driven repayment plan are the most generous to date. SAVE comes with two key provisions that legal challenges have targeted: It has lower monthly payments than any other federal student loan repayment plan, and it leads to quicker debt erasure for those with small balances. Republican-led states that have sued the Education Department over SAVE argue that the agency overstepped its authority and essentially is trying to find a roundabout way to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court blocked its sweeping plan in June 2023. Before the legal challenges, the Education Department had already forgiven $5.5 billion in student debt for 414,000 borrowers through the SAVE Plan. Those who have already received the relief should be in the clear, experts say. What is the current status of SAVE? A federal appeals court in Missouri issued a ruling on July 18 blocking the entire plan. Education Department officials have vowed to fight to protect the plan, but its future is uncertain. How does the forbearance work? Unlike during other payment pauses on student loans, months during this forbearance will not count toward borrowers' progress toward loan forgiveness. That means those enrolled in SAVE who are hoping to eventually get their debt cleared under either the income-driven repayment plan's terms or Public Service Loan Forgiveness are not getting credit on their timeline to loan cancellation. The PSLF program allows certain non-for-profit and government employees to get their debt cleared after 10 years of payments. "Borrowers cannot opt out of this forbearance because the SAVE repayment plan is temporarily blocked," said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. Borrowers can explore their other repayment plan options, "but that would lead to a higher monthly loan payment," Kantrowitz said. "By staying in the SAVE plan, the borrower doesn't lose anything other than time," he added. Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) Fifteen South African Police Service (SAPS) officers from the Public Order Police (POPs) unit have arrived in Paris to assist in performing security functions during the Olympics Games Open AI CEO Sam Altman has written an attention-grabbing column in The Washington Post about the risks of artificial intelligence (AI), warning that authoritarian countries such as Russia and China want to control the development of AI systems something that could eventually threaten humanity. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that whoever wins the AI battle will be the ruler of the world, while China has a stated goal of becoming the leader in AI by 2030. To prevent that from happening, the United States and its allies should work together to ensure that AI is used as a tool for freedom and democracy, Altman wrote. To achieve that goal, substantial investment in security, infrastructure, diplomacy and dialogue will be required, he argued. Googles AI unit Deepmind has demonstrated two new AI systems, AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2, which can successfully solve complex mathematical problems, representing a significant milestone in AI development, Reuters reports . Todays AI models work by being able to recognize patterns and statistically predict, for example, the next word that should be generated. However, this is not enough to handle abstract mathematics, which instead requires a system that can reason in a way that more closely resembles human intelligence. AlpaProof and AlphaGeometry 2 succeeded in solving four out of six questions in this years edition of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). One question was solved in just a few minutes; others took up to three days to solve, which is longer than the competition allows. AlpaProof also managed to solve the competitions most difficult problem, which only five of 600 human participants managed to do. As the situation comedy disappears from broadcast television, we might be losing more than simply 23 minutes of laughs surrounded by Progressive commercials. Over the past 50 years, the sitcom has been a surefire cannon from which to launch unknown comic actors onto the A-list. Here are 7 sitcoms that turned anonymous comedians into the biggest stars in the world 1 Mork & Mindy Robin Williams was a 1970s club comic with a growing reputation as an improvisational genius. A guest turn on Happy Days producer Garry Marshalls kid was into Star Wars so Marshall ordered writers to invent a funny alien launched a spin-off series that turned Williams into a star practically overnight. Also up for the Happy Days alien cameo? A young Richard Lewis. 2 Bosom Buddies Want a idiotic premise for a sitcom? How about two guys who decide to pose as women so they can get a permanent room in an affordable women-only hotel. This dumbed-down Some Like It Hot for the 1980s wasnt that popular, but the show did introduce America to its future favorite citizen: Mr. Tom Hanks. Bosom Buddies (Get it? BOSOM?) didnt last long, but when Hanks hit it big with Splash and Bachelor Party, NBC threw it back into rerun rotation. Advertisement Advertisement 3 Family Ties Was America really hungry for a Young Republican hero, or was Michael J. Fox just that charismatic? No one had heard of the guy when he landed the role of Alex P. Keaton, a job he got only because Matthew Broderick wasnt available. Soon he was pulling double shifts, filming Family Ties by day and Back to the Future by night. Advertisement Advertisement 4 Friends Friends turned out to be a starmaker for all six of its unknown leads, but no performer benefitted more than Jennifer Aniston. While other cast members careers faded, Aniston landed leading roles in feature films and continues to score high-profile gigs like The Morning Show. Friends turned out to be a big step up from young Aniston appearing in a bit part alongside Ronald McDonald in Mac and Me. Advertisement Advertisement 5 The Office Play Viewers may have recognized Steve Carell from his correspondent turn on The Daily Show, but he didnt become a household name until The Office. The show, debuting months before The 40-Year-Old Virgin hit theaters, turned Carell into one of the biggest comedy stars of the 2000s. Advertisement Advertisement 6 Community Likely the only place youd seen Donald Glover prior to his turn as Troy Barnes in Community was on YouTube performing with his online funny group Derrick Comedy. The show turned him into a young Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars universe and the inspiration for the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man. While Ken Jeong and Joel McHale judged reality shows, Glover won two Emmy Awards for Atlanta. Advertisement Advertisement When will we get to see The Day the Earth Blew Up? Its no secret that Warner Bros. Discovery has treated some of the companys most iconic characters with as much care and respect as Sylvester the Cat gives to Tweety Bird. After shelving a completed Batgirl spin-off and a new Scooby-Doo movie, just so that they could be used as tax write-offs, the corporation made headlines for similarly scrapping the release of the promising, and 100 percent complete, Looney Tunes feature Coyote vs. Acme. Man, this company would sell off Humphrey Bogarts bones if they thought it would save them a few bucks. Don't Miss One silver lining to this depressing turn of events: Warners still had another feature length Looney Tunes project in the pipeline: The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, a sci-fi parody in which Daffy Duck and Porky Pig battle mind-controlling aliens. The Day the Earth Blew Up made its world premiere last month at The Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, where it received rave reviews. IGN called it one of the funniest movies of the year. Variety claimed that the entire project is crafted with love and a genuine respect for the franchise. And Screen Daily hailed the movie as a high-intensity onslaught of manic hilarity that combines knowing gags which should delight older Looney Tunes fans and a frantic silliness that will likely electrify younger audiences. So when will we get to see it? That remains to be seen. Directed by Peter Browngardt, who helmed the recent batch of streaming Looney Tunes shorts and created the Cartoon Networks Uncle Grandpa, The Day the Earth Blew Up currently has no U.S. release scheduled. It was originally set to be released directly to HBO Max, aka Max, but was one of a number of projects that was shopped around due to corporate restructuring. Last year it was reported that Warner Bros. Animation had tapped GFM Animation to sell the worldwide distribution rights to The Day the Earth Blew Up, but as a theatrical release, making it the first-ever fully animated Looney Tunes feature-length movie created for a movie theater audience. At the time, Cartoon Brew noted that farming out global theatrical sales of the film to a third-party like GFM was an unusual approach for the company. Advertisement While the film has secured a release date in Germany, on August 1st, with several other international markets to follow, the movie is reportedly still looking for U.S. distribution, which is more than a little frustrating considering that this project originated with one of the oldest and most famous film distribution companies in the world. Advertisement I guess we should just be happy that The Day the Earth Blew Up hasnt been given the Coyote vs. Acme treatment, which was tantamount to being unceremoniously buried in an unmarked cartoon grave. But if Warner Bros. Discovery cant find a way to release a movie starring some of Americas most enduring and beloved pop-culture characters in America, what is even the point of this company? Advertisement You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this). Spade will post a selfie with anyone he damn well pleases even Kid Rock Friends of David Spade are worried about what it means to be friends with David Spade. On this weeks Fly on the Wall podcast, Spade confessed that people in his sphere have encouraged him to cut ties with his pal and Joe Dirt co-star Kid Rock. People are like, You should never talk to him again, sighed Spade. And I go, Well, you cant start with someone, have a good beginning of a friendship and then (ditch him for) the way he thinks now and talks. Spades podcast partner-in-crime, Dana Carvey, professed ignorance: Whats the problem? You know what it is, replied an exasperated Spade. Don't Miss Carvey, whos proven himself oblivious to current events several times on Fly on the Wall, denied any such knowledge. Im not aware of it, he protested. Maybe he has a different point-of-view on America. Kid Rock does have a different point-of-view on lots of things, but that doesnt stop Spade from waxing nostalgic with Joe Dirt stories. In the movies script, Kid Rocks character Robbie drives an old, beat-up muscle car, but instead, producers provided a Trans Am that had 87 miles on it, Spade said. For some reason, they got us the best, newest Trans Am. Movie cars are a big deal. Advertisement But it wouldnt be in pristine condition for long, not with Kid Rock on the scene. The stupid story is that we have this car thats immaculate for some reason instead of just the old Trans Am we wrote in. They brought us a great one, Spade said. And then, of course, (Kid Rock) ripped the fucking seat fabric with his shoe while he was climbing up. And they had a conniption fit. Theyre like, Oh, you damaged this perfect car! That was a big story that day. The desecrated Trans Am upholstery represents the kind of bonding experience that cements showbiz friendships. Kid Rock did a great job. Hes fun, Spade insisted. Every time I go to Nashville, I see him. I see him sometimes in L.A. Advertisement If you have to see him, people tell Spade, dont post a picture with him! Its as if they expect that Kid Rock-ness can rub off on a comics reputation. I go, Just relax, Spade explained. Ill get a picture with whoever. Comedian Dusty Slay, this weeks podcast guest and a Joe Dirt superfan, agreed that Kid Rock is a superior hang. I did the Kid Rock Comedy Jam, he said. I had a hot set. It was great. If nothing else, Spade said, Kid Rock likes to have fun. If I were still drinking, it would be a blast, agreed Slade. I mean, I wouldve never made it to where Im at in comedy if I had kept drinking. But if I were still drinking, Id be all about a Kid Rock party. Jordan Peele has proven himself to be the master of two genres. Theres comedy, as evidenced by his hilarious sketches on Key & Peele. Then theres horror, with his Oscar-winning work on movies such as Get Out. So I guess its a natural that Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions are producing a reboot of Scare Tactics, a hidden-camera horror comedy show that ran for five anonymous (at least to me) seasons on SyFy. The show was first hosted by the late Shannen Doherty, then Stephen Baldwin and then Tracy Morgan, or three members of what would be the weirdest dinner party of all time. The reboots premise, which picks up where the original left off, turns unsuspecting individuals into the main characters of their very own horror movies. Set up by their friends and family, these unwitting participants are put in twisted scenarios with fully immersive stories that blur the lines of reality, horror and comedy as they navigate one unreal decision after another. Don't Miss Am I the only one who thinks terrifying people for fun sounds like a terrible idea? Prank shows in general are pretty cruel, tricking unsuspecting people by putting them in ridiculous situations. The results are usually embarrassing, confusing or infuriating, but at least theyre (probably) not going to require years of therapy in the aftermath. But what happens when you put a skilled horror master like Peele in charge of the psychologically twisted scenarios? As one of the most visionary creators of the day, there is nothing Jordan Peele cant do, says an NBCUniversal executive with a longwinded title. And thats the problem based on his film work, I believe Peele is capable of real damage! Its one thing to pay money to see a Peele horror movie when you know exactly what youre getting into. But being inserted into a Peele horror movie without your knowledge or your consent? Jump scare is the best-case scenario. The shows producers seem to get the inherent dangers in its concept, soft-peddling the possible consequences. All the italics in this press release quote are mine: Its cathartic and hilarious to watch people get a little scared, and the scenarios we cooked up for this season are really wild. We cant wait to share a little light-hearted schadenfreude with audiences soon. Advertisement A little scared. Light-hearted schadenfreude. Sure, sure, its all a romp in the park while being chased by a serial killer. As long as youre not the one set up by friends and family to be plunged into a living nightmare, its knee-slapping hilarity. Advertisement Okay, deep breath here. Peele likely will have little to do with Scare Tactics beyond a producer credit and a paycheck. But still, why would a guy with his pedigree be the creative force behind a rebooted reality show on the USA Network (a cable channel I wasnt aware still existed)? So lets hope that Im right, and that Peele will be pretty tangential to a show airing between Race to Survive: New Zealand and Mud, Sweat & Beards. Advertisement Either way, Ill wait for Peeles untitled fourth film instead. If Im going to get scared out of my pants, I want to know about it ahead of time. At the risk of making myself the most hated man in this animal-loving kingdom, I cant help feeling a sharp twinge of sympathy for Charlotte Dujardin. It seems to me that the multiple world and Olympic dressage champion has been punished with disproportionate severity for a sin she committed several years ago, of which as she herself admits she is deeply ashamed. This was when she was caught on video whipping a horse 24 times during training, treating it like a circus elephant, according to the Dutch lawyer who represents her anonymous accuser. It seems to me that the Olympic dressage champion has been punished with disproportionate severity She admits she is deeply ashamed of having whipped a horse 24 times during training Not only has she pulled out of the Paris Olympics, where she was set to become Britains most-decorated female Olympian of all time, but her Damehood which would have been all but guaranteed had she won another medal has now been taken off the table. On top of that, she has been handed a six-month provisional ban, three of her sponsors have dumped her, UK Sport has suspended her Lottery funding and Brooke, the horse welfare charity, has sacked her as its ambassador. There is even talk that the CBE she won in the 2017 could be confiscated. Thus, at a stroke, this 39-year-old new mother, who has always come across to me as immensely likeable and down-to-earth and, yes, completely devoted to horses has lost her reputation, her livelihood and everything she has given her life to since she was three, when she won second place at her first Pony Club showjumping competition. Heaven knows, I dont condone inflicting pain on animals. But I simply cant shake off the feeling that Dujardin has been offered up as a scapegoat to protect a sport in which I suspect she has been among the least serious of offenders. Indeed, her plight reminds me a little of the recent ITV drama Douglas Is Cancelled, in which (spoiler alert) the eponymous character, played by Hugh Bonneville, is a much-loved and well-meaning man who is utterly destroyed for cracking a sexist joke at a wedding, having provoked the vengeance of a young female colleague by failing to intervene when a sleazy colleague attempted to seduce her. Since all TV drama has to carry a woke message these days, the writers intention was clearly to make us side with his ambitious and vengeful young tormentor. I dont know about you, but as a man who has himself cracked the odd sexist joke in his time (although Im a great deal more careful nowadays), all my sympathies lay with the unfortunate Douglas, as they do with Dujardin today. As a result of the clip, Dujardin has pulled out of the Paris Olympics and her Damehood has been shelved. She is pictured at the Tokyo Games in 2020 Before I go any further, I must admit that, like most townies in this age of the motor car, I know disgracefully little about horses. Indeed, in the course of my 70 years, Ive ridden one for a grand total of no more than 20 minutes. That was on a family holiday in Ireland, when I was about 12. After I dismounted, my backside was so sore that I could barely walk for days afterwards. I decided there and then that riding was not for me and apart from a very occasional flutter at the races, Ive had nothing to do with horses since. I should also say that, like so many of my fellow countrymen and women, I have an absolute horror of cruelty to animals and though I greedily tuck into meat six out of seven days a week (Mrs U is an observant Catholic, who insists we eat fish on Fridays), the sight of a dumb creature in pain fills me with anger and grief. Indeed, Ill never forget a visit to the Chepstow races many years ago, when the horse that was leading the field fell at the last, breaking its leg, allowing the one I was backing through to win. When a shot rang out from behind a hastily erected screen, I had to turn my face away from my companions to hide my tears. I would gladly have sacrificed my winnings a thousand times over for a happier outcome. As for dressage, its one of the few Olympic events I actually look forward to watching: the beauty of those immaculately groomed animals, the breathtaking elegance of the riders in their smart attire and the sheer, astonishing feat of horsemanship required to get those noble beasts to perform their intricate steps in time with the music. When its done brilliantly, as Dujardin has so often done it, it strikes me as the ultimate display of man and beast in perfect harmony. In the past, Ive often wondered how such perfection could possibly be achieved. How do you get an animal as mighty as a horse to lift its legs in a high-stepping trot, or to cross them and move sideways, like Fred Astaire in Easter Parade? Well, I suppose that those of us who have seen that awful video this week now have an inkling of the answer. When I first saw it, I winced at what looked like wanton cruelty. But the more Ive replayed it since, the less Im sure. Yes, Im still convinced that Dujardin crossed the ill-defined line between using a whip for guidance and encouragement, as horse trainers have always done, and inflicting an unacceptable degree of suffering. But though the sharp crack of the whip is downright chilling, the horse in the video doesnt seem to be in great distress at least, not to my untrained eye. Nor does Dujardin herself appear to have lost control of her temper, as I suspected she might have done when I first heard her confession. Indeed, if my suspicion is correct and I know that those who follow dressage more closely will put me right if I am wrong other competitors at the Olympics will have used the whip in training, in ways pretty similar to Dujardins. If my suspicion is correct, other competitors at the Olympics will have used the whip in training, in ways pretty similar to Dujardins Why else would dressages governing body have received a letter just two months ago, warning: Our sport is in serious danger. The current scandals [note the plural] and the bad reputation threaten its existence and could mean the end of dressage and para-dressage as Olympic disciplines. What is certain is that Dujardin showed none of the savagery that emerged in the case of Andreas Helgstrand, a Danish billionaire who was banned from his national dressage team in November after footage showed, among other horrors, horses at one of his riding schools bleeding from their mouths and flanks in training. Meanwhile, isnt there an unpleasant smell about the timing of this weeks video? If that unnamed whistleblower is to be believed, she was concerned only for the welfare of horses and the good name of dressage. Why, then, did she wait years until the very eve of the Paris Olympics before releasing it? Why, too, did she hire a Dutch lawyer to represent her (a man who has himself been pictured with a whip in his hand, when he was involved in training mules though he swears he always found it enough to show it to the creatures and never used it)? Of course, I fully accept the word of the Netherlands team that they had nothing to do with the video, having seen it for the first time after it was released. But is the complainant Dutch herself, from a nation that rivals Britain in the sport? I find it all very fishy. Nor do I like the way some of Dujardins former admirers in the sport, including her greatest mentor Carl Hester, have rushed to condemn her. I cant stress too often that I abhor cruelty to animals. But Im none too keen, either, on seeing a consummate horsewoman offered up as a sacrificial lamb to animal rights fanatics who seek to ban her sublime sport altogether. How very convenient of Prince Harry to blame the rift with his family on his one-sided, obsessive, eternal battle with the tabloid and popular Press. He made the claim on last night's documentary Tabloids On Trial (ITV), telling sympathetic Health Correspondent Rebecca Barry it was his 'mission' against newspapers that destroyed the relationship with his family. Was it really? 'Yeah, that's certainly a central piece to it,' he said, nodding from deep within the ruff of hair that now encircles his entire face, like a giant, ginger dandelion. 'But, you know, that's a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the Press.' Prince Harry during last night's Tabloids On Trial documentary with Rebecca Barry Harry said it was his 'mission' against newspapers that destroyed the relationship with his family Torrent of abuse? Tsk. Clearly, three years in California have done little to halt the growth of Harry's giant beanstalk of a martyr complex. He's one of those pampered sensitivos whose elite status makes him believe that any mild disagreement with his views is a vicious personal attack. So, listen Harry. I'm not an abuser, torrential or otherwise. I'm just a lowly Scottish serf offering a cheep of dissent, someone who is dumbfounded by your most sanctimonious claim to date. Which seems to be that you fell out with the Windsors because of your checks notes war on newspapers? Have I got that right? 'It would be nice,' he added, 'if we could do it as a family.' It would be nice! Do it as a family! Why am I shouting? Just at the utter audacity of it all. Prince Harry has been so rude about his family for so long, painting them as ribbon-cutting dolts while he and only he, armed with his A-level in art and his grim wife, is guided by a higher moral purpose. And this new pet theory of his neatly absolves the Prince of any responsibility for deserting not only his royal duty, but his duty as a brother and a son. It excuses him for the cruel things he wrote in his autobiography Spare about his family, including his stepmother ('dangerous'), his sister-in-law (imperious demands, wife who fitted the royal mould, utter witch who made darling Megs cry) and damning passages depicting his father as a damaged, dithering adult who loves his teddy bear and fears emotional intimacy. It ignores the fact that it was Prince William whose Chief of Staff first went to the police with his suspicions of illegal phone hacking. Let's not forget it also exempts Harry from any accountability over that nasty business of globally smearing the entire Royal Family as racists fretting over the colour of baby Archie's skin. Then vowing never to reveal the true identities of the two individuals allegedly involved before it somehow became public whoopsadaisy, thanks Omid that it was CH*RL*S and K*TE all along. Harry (with Meghan at his side) has broken the blood bond by repeatedly invading the Royals' collective and individual privacy on television, in documentary projects, in print, on film, via Oprah, Anderson Cooper, Netflix, Apple, and Tom Bradby perhaps even on a podcast near you right now. Indeed, I've never understood why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to ostracise poor old Thomas Markle for his silly but minor transgression with newspapers, when what they've done together is a thousand times worse on an industrial scale. For the truth is that Prince Harry and the Royal Family fell out about a lot of things a long time ago. And to blame the rift on his Press crusade is not just disingenuous, it also provides him with the perfect excuse and a freshly minted get-out-of-jail-free card. I suspect it's not what King Charles or Prince William would say, it's not what the Princess of Wales would say, it's not what all the scolded courtiers and former palace staff members would say about what really caused the royal rift. However, it is what Prince Harry says and in Harry's world, what Harry says goes because who is going to argue with him? Up there in his gilded Californian mansion, with his polo pals and his grandiose Archewell website a total iron dome of dumb he lives in a confected orbit of celebrity by proxy; he is a fish out of water, a prince in a republic, a rebel on pause. Today, the Sussexes exist as an abstract construct built on stunts and showbiz buzz, measuring out their existence by embarking on crusades and accepting embarrassing awards such as the Ripple of Hope or the Living Legend of Aviation. Against the wishes of the late soldier's mother, who along with ex-military chiefs, urged him to turn it down, Prince Harry accepted the Pat Tillman Award for Service at a recent star-studded event in Los Angeles. It was the action of a man so desperate to be seen in a heroic light that he'd risk ridicule and controversy just to add another medal to his trophy cupboard. Prince Harry's life now is propped up by such awards, along with honorary accolades and his assorted pet projects. Some of them, like the Invictus Games, are indeed noble. Yet blaming his grievances against the Press as the reason for his ongoing isolation from the rest of his family is fooling absolutely no one. Except himself. A tourist desperate for a photo with the King's Guard fainted after being bitten on the arm by an unsettled horse. She should have won an Oscar for Best Delayed Reaction in a Post Equine Trauma Incident. It was a sensational performance. The confrontation took place outside the Household Cavalry Museum in London, despite the warning signs advising onlookers not to approach. Perhaps, as a tourist, the young woman could not read English? Or perhaps she knew best and could not be told anyway, which seems more likely. It seems obvious that these are working horses and soldiers. Both are on duty. They are part of the rich military pageantry of our capital, but they are not part of Disneyland or to be used for a photo opportunity. I'm sorry she was hurt, but let's hope others learn from her mistake and show more respect. Some don't know how to behave around dumb animals but the horses usually have the right instincts. Jailed eco-fanatics don't deserve our sympathy The mother of a Just Stop Oil activist jailed for scaling the M25 gantry in 2022 has complained that her daughter 'will not be present at her brother's wedding' next year. Pass me a handkerchief, please. I need something to mop these tears of mirth. What about all the thousands of people whose lives were disrupted; who didn't make it to sit their exams, keep business meetings or hospital appointments? Those who missed flights or holding the hand of a dying relative? Cressida Gethin was given a four-year sentence for scaling the M25 gantry in 2022 Just Stop Oil didn't stop to think about them. And now in their time of crisis we are supposed to show sympathy for them? Speaking outside court after her 22-year-old Cambridge-educated daughter Cressida (of course) was given a four-year sentence, Cathy Gethin said she was proud of 'what Cressida stands for' but that 'our politicians, our media and our judiciary and yes our energy companies should be shocked and deeply embarrassed at how the court has dispensed its version of justice today'. I'm only shocked by how lenient the courts have been in the past and applaud them for getting it right at last. For if you are going to hold others to ransom because of your beliefs, then you must be prepared to accept the consequences of your criminal actions. This was a huge protest, aimed at causing maximum disruption. It cost an estimated 765,000, caused 50,000 hours of vehicle delays affecting more than 700,000 vehicles, left the M25 'compromised' for more than 120 hours and cost the Metropolitan Police more than 1.1 million. The country cannot be expected to change its laws relating to public order just to make sure darling Cressy doesn't go to prison and her mummy doesn't get upset as the seating plan for her son's wedding has been ruined. These people only care about themselves. They think they are morally superior. I have scant sympathy for either of them. And even less for idiots like Chris Packham and Coldplay's Chris Martin, demanding to see the Attorney General and protesting at the sentences of all five activists, including JSO's chief Roger Hallam, who got five years. Fanatic eco-activists who appoint themselves as the judges of what should be done about climate change and then do their worst with a wilful disregard for democracy, the law, and the rights of their fellow citizens should expect no clemency. From any of us. Trumps veep knows how to lose Friends... Friends star Jennifer Aniston clashed with Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance has managed to turn Hollywood against him in Week One: Quite an achievement, even for a Republican. Friends star Jennifer Aniston (pictured) who generally stays out of politics, was appalled by his comments about childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives. She replied by hoping that Vances own daughter was fortunate enough to bear children of her own and would not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too. Aniston has not been blessed with children of her own. Vance has not been blessed with brains or tact. Good job, as Melania would say. Here at Westminster, where flag-waving children line the boulevards to celebrate socialism's triumph and civil servants dance at maypoles to the bark of Garrison Sergeant Major Sue Gray, English has been replaced as the official language. Its successor: Mandarin-Esperanto. It is an elusive tongue. At first you think you understand but soon you realise it might as well be Swahili, or a Cecil Sharp recording of Silbo Gomero shepherds whistling across Canary Isle ravines. Questions to the Cabinet Office brought Pat McFadden to the despatch box. Mr McFadden, grindingly mirthless, bald as a walnut, is the Andrei Gromyko of the British Left. Aged 58, he could be almost twice that. Audiences soon look older, slumped in their seats, mouths agape, dribbling. A couple of new MPs asked about official usage of technology. Mr McFadden talked of 'the government digital service's incubator for artificial intelligence'. The MPs blinked a bit. They had no more idea than the rest of us what an incubator for intelligence might be. Georgia Gould, under-minister, was asked to stop the public being ripped off in state contracts. She replied that 'public procurement is a key lever for enabling the delivery of missions. The digital centre of government will ensure procurement drives uptake of new digital technologies.' At which she beamed and returned to her place alongside Comrade Gromyko. Under-minister Georgia Gould (pictured) was asked to stop the public being ripped off in state contracts. She replied that 'public procurement is a key lever for enabling the delivery of missions' Sir Keir Starmer (left) laughs with Georgia Gould (right) whose late father was Tony Blair's pollster Joe Powell (Lab, Kensington & Bayswater): 'I thank the minister for her answer.' Ha! If he's not careful, young Powell who could be Chris Grayling's less suave twin will be up before the Whips for impertinence. Miss Gould said her 'key lever' could 'make huge strides in delivering social value'. My Mandarin-Esperanto phrasebook suggests this meant 'we'll only give contracts to firms that bend to our politically-correct demands never mind the cost'. Mandarin-Esperanto, like Homeric verse, is threaded by figurative epithets. You may talk of being 'determined to learn lessons' even though no such determination exists. You 'set out commitments to drive down fraud and drive up standards' prepositions are dotted like raisins in a spotted dick. You 'deliver' abstracts such as 'social value', 'change' and 'standards'. All these were coughed up by Miss Gould, 38, who became an MP three weeks ago and, like a few other favourites, has been catapulted straight into a ministerial job, to the fury of more experienced parliamentarians. Her late father was Tony Blair's pollster and her mum is a bigshot publisher and Labour peer. Orderlies removed linguistic debris from the field of play, an umpire said 'new balls please' and Abena Oppong-Asare stepped to the despatch box. Ms Oppong-Asare is another Cabinet Office minister. Corker. She didn't seem to have put her teeth in quite right and several words came out mangled. Like McFadden and Gould she read the replies prepared for her by her civil servants. Then, disaster. She dropped her file! She snatched the nearest piece of paper and read something that did not appear remotely linked to the question. Not that many noticed. The chap from Harlow couldn't read the question he (or someone else) had typed on a piece of trembling paper. The MP for Stourbridge, covered in tattoos, wittered on so long, even kindly Speaker Hoyle snapped at her. She nearly burst into tears. The other night a chap called Baggy Shanker (Lab, Derby S) addressed the deputy speaker as 'Madam Deputy Mayor'. Joe Powell (pictured) - MP for Kensington and Bayswater - thanked Ms Gould for her answer Pat McFadden (left), Abena Oppong-Asare (centre) and Rachel Reeves (right) attend the Labour Party Conderence in Liverpool in 2022 As for Cabinet Office ministers, they are supposed to control the civil service. Really it works the other way round. The one minister to extemporise yesterday was Nick Thomas-Symonds, informative and capable. Sue Gray won't like that. His other colleague, Ellie Reeves, said 'er' a lot. But her husband and late father-in-law were Labour MPs and her sister is the Chancellor. It fell to Rupa Huq (Lab, Ealing C) to demand that the Starmer government get rid of 'cronyism and nepotism'. Rupa, for whom I actually have a soft spot, is a daft old brush and probably did not realise how disloyal her question was. Sir Keir Starmer's big idea for government has been to promise a green revolution. This, he insists, will decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030, cut household bills, boost the economy with many thousands of eco-jobs and protect our energy security. And yesterday, the Prime Minister and his eco-fanatic Energy Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled how they hope to make this a reality: A giant, publicly owned quango called Great British Energy. Yet the more you interrogate exactly how the Government's goals will be achieved, the more fanciful they become. Their claims would make a self-respecting snake-oil salesman blush with embarrassment. Seeing green: Sir Keir Starmer 's big idea for government has been to promise an eco revolution Eco-fanatic Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and the Prime Minister unveiled how they hope to make their idea a reality: A giant, publicly owned quango called Great British Energy It is extraordinary that self-professed socialist politicians believe they can swoop in and run a highly specialised energy business better than the professionals. GB Energy's raison d'etre is to build more wind and solar farms by encouraging and subsidising new investment. But there are two insurmountable problems. First, expecting our power-hungry nation to be reliant on renewables for all our electricity within six years is simply unfeasible. And the quango's 8.3 billion budget over five years is a drop in the ocean compared to the colossal sums needed to achieve Net Zero. This is green dream turned delusion. Within hours, Labour's pledges were fraying. Mr Miliband was forced to confess that GB Energy might not cut family fuel bills by the promised 300. He also admitted Britain would need fossil fuels for years to come. So why is he ending new North Sea oil and gas production before renewables are ready to take over (if they ever do)? By pursuing Net Zero with religious zeal, Labour will raise costs for households and business, make home heating a luxury and leave the UK vulnerable to costly imports from volatile countries, if not blackouts. The Mail fiercely believes in the duty to safeguard the planet for our children. We are proud Britain leads the way in tackling the potential threat of climate change. GB Energy's raison d'etre is to build more wind and solar farms by encouraging and subsidising new investment - but having the nation reliant on renewable energy in six years is unlikely But this headlong dash to clean power is nothing short of a disaster in the making. Sir Keir has promised to lead a government 'unburdened by doctrine'. With this exhibition of eco-zealotry and virtue-signalling, how hollow that now rings. Mob rule can't win The video footage of an armed policeman kicking and stamping on a suspect's head while making an arrest at Manchester Airport is deeply shocking. We demand the highest standards from officers and expect them to show restraint even under enormous provocation. The video footage of an armed policeman kicking and stamping on a suspect's head while making an arrest at Manchester Airport is deeply shocking The officer, who struck the Asian man as he lay on the ground, has rightly been suspended while the police watchdog investigates. Yet it is important not to rush to judgment. The images, disturbing as they are, represent only one side of the story. Three of the PC's colleagues had just been attacked and hospitalised by a group of violent thugs. Some will argue that given the risk of terrorism, airport police are trained to be aggressive. Others will say this is fresh evidence of police brutality and racism. Whatever the truth, it does not justify the ugly sectarian protests outside Rochdale police station, with some of the crowd seemingly chanting 'Allahu Akbar'. Such troubling mob behaviour has, however, been on the rise recently. Only last week anarchy was unleashed in Leeds after Romanian children were taken into care. The aim is to force the authorities to cave in to their demands. This can't happen. No group is above the law and that includes the police. Whatever happened at Manchester Airport on Wednesday, none of which is clear, the ease with which mobs increasingly take to the streets demanding justice - with the implied threat of public disorder - is deeply concerning. Yesterday, protesters marched through Manchester holding aloft placards threatening: No justice, no peace. Some wore Palestinian keffiyehs, others called for the police to be defunded, while many brandished Black Lives Matter signs. Meanwhile, outside Rochdale Police Station, masked youths pelted its glass facade with eggs and blocked an entrance with a roadworks barrier and traffic cones. The flames of public outrage have hardly been dampened by Akhmed Yakoob, the Lamborghini-driving lawyer and friend of George Galloway seen as an ultra-Leftist firebrand who is representing the family of the young man at the centre of the Manchester Airport incident, 19-year-old Fahir Khan. This morning, Yakoob made the preposterous claim that the incident was a joint enterprise assassination of the young boys by the police officers. A masked protester throws eggs at the police headquarters building in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, yesterday A crowd of demonstrators gathers outside the police station after an officer appeared to kick a man in the head Video footage shows a police officer appearing to kick a man on the floor at Manchester Airport on Wednesday. The officer has been suspended The solicitor said yesterday that his client has a cyst on the brain, though this could have existed before the incident. Whatever the truth, in Britain its the job of the police and the courts to ensure justice is done. When crowds display naked contempt for the rule of law - however justified they believe their case to be - anarchy is the result. Feelings are undoubtedly running high after a 43-second video of a police officer appearing to stamp on a mans head was circulated on social media on Thursday. The incident is shocking, and the alleged behaviour of the officer, who has since been suspended, appears to be excessive and wrong - assuming the suspect was already fully compliant and posed no further threat. Fahir Khan was prone but not restrained. We dont know what his behaviour had been previously, or whether he was likely to get up and potentially commit a serious offence. Amid the chaos, its impossible to get a clear picture. So, although the footage looks terrible, it is important to reserve our full condemnation until all the facts are revealed. Selected footage like this, uploaded in isolation to social media, can be deeply misleading, incendiary and dangerous. Crowds of protesters with placards gather in the streets of Manchester yesterday after the video footage emerged Lawyer Akhmed Yakoob posing next to a gleaming Lamborghini as he wears shades and a sharp suit Bodycam footage and witness statements covering the whole incident could offer a very different version of events from the video. We must also remember that, with three of his colleagues already injured - one of them a female officer whose nose had been broken - the officer was in a volatile situation. Police are human beings and, however good their training, will sometimes act on instinct. They are of course held accountable for their actions. The suspended officer will now face an independent investigation, which will rule on whether his use of force was proportionate. In the course of my 31 years in the police, I have made many arrests that might have looked unnervingly aggressive, if seen out of context. I have detained people brandishing knives and come within a hairs breadth of being killed on two occasions including once being stabbed in the chest by a burglar. Believe me, in those situations, youre not worrying about how your actions look to bystanders. Youre too intent on protecting those bystanders, colleagues and yourself, from harm. What most people reacting to the video havent understood is that in this era of terrorist attacks, police at Britains airports are forced into split-second decisions where not only their own lives may be at risk but, potentially, the lives of hundreds of staff and members of the public. All armed officers have two paramount objectives: control and containment. That means a tougher, more proactive style of policing than that of a normal bobby on the beat - and one that can look very heavy-handed to outsiders. They must prevent any disorder before it starts. By shouting and swearing, an officer uses intimidation to impose compliance and control. Yes, it can be ugly - but its effective and often necessary. And if violence does erupt, they are trained to quell it as rapidly as possible, using their knees and boots on a suspect if required - especially given that the officers hands are often holding a weapon. Indeed, a weapon can be a dangerous disadvantage in these situations. Firearms officers are aware that, if a violent suspect wrestles a weapon away from them, the result could be carnage. So, whatever provoked the initial incident at Manchester Airport, the police had to be prepared for the very worst. Only a decade or two ago, I would not have had to explain this. Most British people respected the police and supported in their role keeping our streets safe. But after a string of high-profile cases - not least that of murderer PC Wayne Couzens - public trust in the force has plummeted. Armed with smartphones, members of the public prefer to video their interactions with an officer rather than submit to his or her orders, resulting in conflicts that can quickly escalate. The demonstrations held yesterday are entirely symptomatic of this. But before people rush to the streets in angry indignation, let them remember that three officers were injured in this incident, suggesting an altercation more complicated than that shown in a 43-second film. Norman Brennan is the founder of the police campaign group Protect The Protectors. Emma Willis reaches out to rub the back of her husband Matts neck and says, I loved working together, but you found it a bit weird. I was really nervous, he admits, frowning behind sunglasses. This is Emmas thing, shes very good at it. I didnt want to let her down. Matt plays bass in pop band Busted while Emma is known for hosting Big Brother and The Voice. She has this ability to walk into a room and put people at ease even though they havent been on telly before, Matt says. Everyone is like, Oh cool, were in safe hands. Emma has seen her man through some tough struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, but now theyre settled and happy with three kids, and this visibly loved-up pair have been chosen to front Love Is Blind UK, a new British version of the American dating series thats one of Netflixs biggest hits ever. The closer we get to broadcast the more nervous I get, because its a very loved show and you dont want to be the one to drop the ball, says Emma, 48. There have already been successful remakes in Brazil, Japan and Sweden. Weve got to live up to all the expectation. But weve just watched the whole series in a day, so we know it does. Matt and Emma Willis (pictured) are hosting the UK version of Love Is Blind, which will be available on Netflix from August 7. While Emma has hosted shows including Big Brother and The Voice, this will be Matt's first time presenting Love Is Blind places single young men and women in pods separated by frosted glass, and they date from there, so all they have to go on is the way the other person sounds and what they say. They choose potential partners and go deep quickly, telling their life stories, sharing laughter and sorrow. Those who like each other get engaged before meeting face to face. They then retreat to a luxury resort, followed by some time living together and meeting the others friends and family. After just one month, theres a legally binding wedding day, when the bride and groom have the chance to say I do. Or, indeed, I dont. We thought, Thats a crazy concept! says Emma. Then we watched episode after episode and said, When can we meet? Its easy to see why Netflix bosses warmed to these two, with their obvious chemistry. They sit close together, and Emma seems protective of her man. Hes too hard on himself, she says of his nerves on their first day on set. He was really professional and prepared. He approached it like an actor, because thats one of the things he does. The 41-year-old with a cheeky air has appeared in EastEnders and the revived Birds Of A Feather, as well as winning Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! back in 2006. Matt learned the script from top to bottom, Emma adds. I was like, Oh no, Im going to look like a real amateur because I havent learned anything! But I absorb the script as we go along and make tweaks so things are as I would say them. So why do we need a new version of Love Is Blind? The American one is loved across the world and ours is the same, just very British, says Emma. Its the sense of humour. Theyre very self-deprecating and theres a slight awkwardness about it all, which is endearing. For example, a contestant called Freddie is shy of telling someone he fancies that he works as a funeral director, so tries to smooth things with a little joke: Calm down, Im not gonna embalm ya! Luckily, his date laughs. Things move fast for some couples, but theres an endearing hesitation to say too much too soon. Its very hard to tell someone you love them after two weeks when youve never met them face to face, says Emma. You know they want to, and youre willing them on, but theres this British reserve going, I do feel it but should I say it? Emma and Matt, who was in noughties band Busted, have been together for 20 years and married for 16. Their relationship has survived Matt's alcohol and drug addictions and produced three children Its nice to watch British men being vulnerable, says Matt, who opened up about his struggles with substance abuse in BBC documentary Fighting Addiction last year. I think thats a beautiful thing to see. The women say its liberating to be assessed on what they say rather than how they look. Emma agrees. Ive been judged on my looks since I was 17 because of the jobs Ive done. I was a model first, then I worked for television [starting with MTV] and a lot of the things you get complimented for or criticised about are to do with the way you look. 'Its always bugged me. People might say, Oh my God, you looked great! And Im thinking, But did I do a good job? Thats all that matters at the end of the day, so I love that this show is not about looks. Would Matt and Emma have been attracted to each other if theyd met behind screens? No, I would feel so pressured to say the right thing that I would say something stupid and regret it massively, Matt says. Emmas having none of it. Matt is the most charismatic person Ive ever met. I have no doubt that would come across, even through a screen. They first met when Busted were on a show Emma was presenting, but nothing happened until she saw him on Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway in 2004, remembered their rapport and called a friend who knew a friend of his. So I got passed her number but I waited a couple of days, reveals Matt. What? He didnt call her straight away? Everyone said, Dont be too keen. Terrible advice! I made a bad move but then I called her and I wasnt holding back. I didnt have major expectations, Emma says. I just thought maybe we could hang out and have fun. Twenty years later The day we chat is their 16th wedding anniversary, and to mark the occasion Matt has just had a tattoo of Emma on his calf. Shes not super-keen, he admits, rolling up his jeans to show me. Its a biggie. Still a bit scabby, I need to put moisturiser on it. Emma frowns. Its such an old picture of me. Busted pictured in July 2003. Matt (left) played bass alongside bandmates Charlie Simpson (centre) and James Bourne (right) Contestants on Love Is Blind have to decide quickly whether to get serious, so when did that happen for them? It was a funny time, Emma says. He was in a band and I was in a job Id not expected and didnt know how to navigate, but I realised I couldnt keep away from him. Matt smiles at her. Thats so nice to hear. God, I put her through it. I put her through the wringer for a number of years. Matt was just 19 when Busted hit the big time, and when he met Emma he was in his early 20s, drinking heavily and using drugs. We started dating and the band broke up and I thought, What am I doing? Where am I going? Who am I? All those kind of questions, but she was there with me, he says. The big crisis came a month before their wedding in 2008. Absolutely there was a pressure point, says Matt. I was a mess. Something changes for an addict when you realise you want sobriety and you just cant get it. Now every time you drink or use youre not doing it unconsciously, its because you cant stop. Theres a self-hatred that comes with that. I was in a really dark place. I knew we were getting married His voice cracks. Sorry. Emma grabs his hand and he recovers. I was scared the wedding wasnt going to happen, because I couldnt be that man for her. Id always been sent to rehab in the past, but this time I begged for help. I was scared the wedding wasnt going to happen, because I couldnt be that man for her. I begged for help - Matt I came out of that rehab centre three days before we got married. I was sober on my wedding day. It was challenging but I was really proud that I was there. She had not said, Im not going to marry you. But I knew that was on the cards. He had to make a choice, Emma says. I didnt want to leave. When you love someone and know how much theyre struggling that its not selfishness or greed, its an illness its really hard to walk away from them. I didnt want to do that, but I also couldnt let it be my life, or the life of any kids we might have. Thank f*** he sorted himself out. I relapsed a few times, Matt says, but we knew how to get through it. Ive been clean for quite a while now and thats a daily thing for me. Emma gave birth to Isabelle in 2009, Ace in 2011 and Trixie in 2014. Do they talk to them about it? They have to know, because of the way we live, says Emma. We told the older ones. Trixie is too young. She knows Daddy doesnt drink, but were not a drinking house so its not a big issue. Once kids are old enough theres a conversation to be had about addiction, says Matt. My son asked me, Why dont you have any any more? I said, I cant. And I never will, a day at a time, for the rest of my life. What will happen if their kids do drink or take drugs? I want them to live their lives, but if they ever want to talk to me they can, says Matt. Theyre aware of their genetics, Emma adds. They will make their choices. I would rather know what theyre doing and have them feel like they can chat about it. How do they feel about being seen as dating experts? Dont ask us, we havent got a clue, laughs Emma. We like people-watching. I love matchmaking. Ive done it for friends, but still not got a wedding out of it. Emma hosting Celebrity Big Brother in 2015. Matt praises the way his wife can out people at ease even if they haven't been on TV before Do they have date nights? Yeah, we go out for dinner. If we can blag a night away, well do that. Were lucky because my sister lives with us, says Emma. Home is in Hertfordshire. My parents help, theyre in Birmingham but theyre down all the time. How about the attention they get from other people? Im very publicly married, says Matt. There are lots of girls at band shows but I never get a number thrown on stage. I put a ring on it. Stay back. How about Emma? Oh, I couldnt give a f*** about other people, she says forcefully. They both laugh. The testing times have brought them closer together. Thats the thing, right? says Matt. What makes a relationship is what you do in s*** times. Do you cut and run, or do you support each other? Despite his early nerves, Matt has come to love working with Emma. I dont want it to end. We get to spend all this time together. Its nice. Less time on a sweaty tour bus with boys. Im hoping people absolutely love the show, Emma concludes. I cant see how they cant. People love watching love, dont they? You'd think if someone was caught having an affair they'd make a full confession. You'd think they would know if they wanted to stay or leave. You'd think they would be able to explain why they were unfaithful. You'd think that if they promised to 'fight' for their marriage that their actions would match their words. However, for lots of people recovery is not so straightforward and takes far longer than they would have imagined on discovery day. Sometimes the person who has been unfaithful vows to do 'anything' to make it better, but the next day sabotages everything. Andrew G. Marshall, above, has spent more than 30 years working with couples in crisis, especially through cheating Sometimes the discoverer of the infidelity is besieged by horrible images or overcome with anxiety - even though they want to move forward. Sometimes the betrayal has been so great - multiple affairs, illicit dating sites, prostitutes or cheating with a friend - that recovery is much harder. If you can't get over your partner's affair, it is easy to think the pain is too great and you need to split up. However, I've spent more than 30 years working with couples in crisis and have a message of hope. It's not that there's something fundamentally wrong with your marriage, but you have been so profoundly hurt that you need extra help and to learn special skills to find a way through. Trust me, I've witnessed how bad a marriage can get. Take the wife who came to me when she discovered at eight months' pregnant that her husband was addicted to internet porn and was having countless one-night stands with women he met online. Or the man who overheard his wife having graphic phone sex. I've also helped a woman who realised her successful businessman husband was having flings in every country he visited for work. He even missed one son's graduation and another's 21st birthday party to be with his Thai lover. And these aren't Jeremy Kyle types. These are the kind of couples you'd meet at a dinner party or your child's parents' evening. They seem, to all intents and purposes, just like you and me. He claims couples who've struggled with cheating have a ray of hope in reconciliation - if they follow his advice I think we're living in an age when infidelity has never been easier to commit or harder to deal with. I believe this phenomenon, which I will be exploring in this first part of an exclusive new series, has three basic causes. First, is the role of the internet. There are countless websites and apps that exist solely to facilitate 'easy' sex. While it was previously unusual for someone to be cheating with multiple partners, for example, I'm afraid today it is only too common. And the services of prostitutes are often just a click away, thanks to widely used pornography websites that carry adverts for sex workers. It's also true to say that the most unlikely of people are able to use the internet to explore their secret sexual peccadilloes in a way they never could before. There's no fantasy too sordid for the online world. And it's only getting worse. We're living in an age when infidelity has never been easier to commit or harder to deal with But there are deeper causes for extreme betrayal than the mere easy access that the internet offers. All too often, I find that many of the clients who come to me on the brink of splitting up have had troubled childhoods and come from fractured families. Chaos breeds chaos - and my clients or their partners are often merely replicating the same break-ups and betrayals that characterised their childhood. Another simple phenomenon making modern infidelity harder to deal with is this: men and women are much more likely to be friends today. This was something that was much rarer 30 years ago when I started out as a marital therapist. Many of my clients tell me their husband or wife thinks it's acceptable to stay in touch with a lover when their fling is over. They're 'friends' after all. In my experience, this only leads to yet more heartbreak, as the affair constantly reignites or threatens to, causing a great deal of anguish. Being betrayed is bad enough, but being betrayed twice in exactly the same way with the same person is twisting the knife in the most brutal way. Here, I set out the most painful forms of betrayal I've encountered - and reveal the underlying reasons behind them... HE'S CHEATED WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND This is one of the most hurtful acts of infidelity. After all, the two people you trust the most are your partner and your best friend. The sense of violation can be overwhelming. This was the case for Julia, who sought my help after discovering her husband had a two-year affair with her friend. To make matters worse, during this time, the couple were also trying to adopt a child. Julia's friend was privy to the most private details of her marriage - for example, when she rowed with her husband or when things became tough because of the adoption. And Julia was so close to her friend that, when the adoption was finally successful, the woman joined her and her husband and new daughter on a celebratory family holiday. Unsurprisingly, Julia was devastated when she eventually discovered this extreme betrayal. Andrew says that many men fall out of love and in most cases, it's because they don't feel loved themselves Another woman, Allison, told me how she discovered her husband was cheating with a close friend of hers. Listening to a little voice inside her head, she checked his most recent phone bill and found that he had been in touch with her friend. When she tracked back through his bills, she saw their flirtations had started two years before. In the previous month alone, there were more than 1,700 texts to the friend and numerous calls. Such extreme betrayal can make your husband or wife seem like a stranger. So let's start by asking, what kind of people have affairs? Well, they're often people pleasers, who want to be liked and make other people happy. Eventually, though, their needs and desires clash with that of their partners. Normally people pleasers quash these desires, telling themselves 'my needs don't matter'. But then they snap. 'What about me?' they ask. 'Don't I deserve this?' It's at this point people pleasers turn 180 degrees and become selfish. And it's then that the temptation to have an affair creeps in. The warning sign for couples then is to spot when your needs and desires are diverging. When there is a clash, talk. It could save heartbreak. The warning sign for couples is to spot when your needs and desires are diverging. When there is a clash, talk. It could save heartbreak It's not always possible to spot the signs, though, especially if communication is poor. Unfortunately, lots of couples imagine they 'know' their partner inside out. Instead, genuine interchange is reduced to giving or receiving instructions from each other. It's easy, then, to dismiss someone's feelings when all you do is give each other orders. Into this crevice comes temptation. And unfortunately, people tend to fall in love with someone with whom they have repeated exposure - often from work or a circle of friends. You'd think lovers would realise they were crossing a boundary and step back, but there are so many unhelpful myths that facilitate affairs. For example, 'love will find a way' (and no one will really be hurt) and 'this is bigger than both of us' (so we don't have to take responsibility). So if you discover your husband or wife has cheated with your best friend, bear in mind the potency of these myths. Don't be too self-critical. However, what you mustn't do is descend into dramatics, either. When the infidelity involves someone you know well, the tragedy moves up a couple of notches. Instead of telling other friends or family about the infidelity, venting your emotion, why not pour your feelings into a diary? That way events are less likely to descend into a drama. Keep talking - and decide whether you can restore your love for each other. As for your friend, I would cut her out instantly, especially if she is a single mum. It might sound horrible to say, but nine times out of ten, single mothers just want your husband. WHY HE HAS SEX FANTASIES Judith sought my help when her partner of many years begged her to try swinging. She was disgusted - and wondered why this desire had suddenly bubbled to the surface after so many years. Yes, he'd always had a higher sex drive, but why the sudden need to involve other people? So why are so many men obsessed with fantasy sex? You're going to be surprised at what I'm going to write next, but it's probably got nothing to do with sex at all. Andrew also claims that a woman who embarks on an affair does so not out of lust or desire, but because she has a problem with her marriage. He encourages worried men to look at their own behaviour towards their wife The reason so many men entertain such fantasies is relatively simple: boys are not encouraged to express their feelings, but to suppress them. Obviously, these feelings don't just disappear. They pop up somewhere else. Where? The bedroom. It's because society has told us that the only time it's acceptable for men to express their feelings is when they're having sex. This is the real reason men's emotional problems are so closely linked with their libido. I told Judith her partner could try swinging with 400 women and an elephant and I still think he would feel dissatisfied because he wasn't addressing his emotional problems. She needed to encourage him to discover what these were, rather than obsess over his libidinous urges. HAVING CHILDREN MADE HIM CHEAT The story of one of my clients, Jill, perhaps shows the most common cause for men straying. In a word: children. Jill told me her husband had cheated on her. And the first thing she told me that illustrate what kind of relationship they had was the following: 'We have four beautiful daughters.' I told Jill she needed to realise why men fall out of love. In most cases, it's because they don't feel loved themselves. When men cheat during their partner's pregnancy or just after she's given birth, it is a clear signal they are uncomfortable about becoming a father Yes, yes, Jill said, but I did love him and everything was fine. Really? Because all too often, I can see that men like Jill's husband feel their wives 'leave' the relationship first. This was a shock for the blamelessly monogamous Jill. But as I explained, lots of women become so wrapped up in their children that they neglect their husbands. I've lost count of the men who tell me 'she was too good a mother and not a good wife'. And so, every time someone talks about their 'beautiful' children, my alarm bells go off because it sounds like the children have been put centre stage, and not just adored but idolised. Not even the most doting dad will be able to cope with being a bit part in his own marriage for long. Many men just want to please their partner and so don't rock the boat even when they're unhappy with the attention they receive from their wives. But these are the men who will use affairs to jolt themselves out of their numbness. It is a warning to devoted mothers. HE STRAYS WHEN SHE'S PREGNANT Cheating on a wife who is pregnant or has recently given birth is one of the last remaining sexual taboos. But there are good psychological reasons behind such a destructive act. When men cheat during their partner's pregnancy or just after she's given birth, it is a clear signal they are uncomfortable about becoming a father. Sometimes it triggers a crisis about their own father, especially if they are frightened of becoming like him. It can also lead to feelings of entrapment and claustrophobia. Many men tell me they become frozen with fear by their new responsibilities. 'How on earth am I going to support all these people?' they wonder. This can be a huge issue if you hate your job and dream of escaping. Some men aren't tempted to cheat during their wife's first pregnancy - but the second can tip them over the edge. Why? Many men find fatherhood and the reality of childcare such a shock that they fear the second baby will only make matters worse - only this time they'll be pushed further down the list of their wife's priorities. I Can't Get Over My Partner's Affair by Andrew G. Marshall, Marshall Method Publishing Sex, already an infrequent event because of the pressures of baby number one, will surely only become even rarer when baby number two arrives. It's a biological fact that young children kill a couple's sex life. For the first 18 months after a baby is born, all the oxytocin - the bonding hormone - goes into the relationship between mother and child. And, let's not forget, as we've already discussed, men need sex because it is the one way it is socially acceptable for them to get close to someone. Into this mix, it's hardly surprising that the escapism of a fling is so tempting to many new fathers. A word of reassurance, however: couples with children are more likely to survive an affair than those without. Children force us to find a balance between satisfying individual short-term goals and considering others and the greater good. WIVES WHO TEASE OTHER MEN Craig was another of my clients who sought my help. While his wife hadn't yet had an affair, she was in contact with her ex after a turbulent time in their marriage. Craig was convinced this was dangerous. His frustration bubbled to the surface and he asked why she was deliberately contacting her ex when, as he put: 'We have so many other problems to solve.' Well, I had bad news for Craig. Women normally only allow other men to chat them up if they're feeling lonely, desperate and sad. Did he really listen to his wife, I asked. Did he find himself pushing her away rather than truly interacting with her? Too often, a woman embarks on an affair not out of lust or desire, but because she has a problem with her marriage. The men she seeks are just a symptom of the problem and the problem is usually something her husband has been doing wrong. Names have been changed. A version of this article, part of the Femail Classics series, was originally published on November 18, 2015. What's the worst chocolate bar of all time? Have your say in our poll below You'll find them in every supermarket aisle and in their dozens in selection boxes at Christmas time. But Brits have been left divided over which UK chocolate bar is the best of all time and, equally, which is the worst. Nearly everyone appreciates a good chocolate binge, whether it's as part of a meal deal or the luxurious share-sized bars (which usually end up being eaten in one sitting). But the debate over the worst and best option was ignited this week by discount comparison website LatestDeals.co.uk. Asking on Facebook: 'What is the WORST chocolate bar?, the poll quickly received more than 1,000 responses, with people quick to express their very strong opinions. Brits have been left divided over the worst chocolate bar of all time - with even some popular favourites making the list The chocolates included were Bounty, Turkish Delight, Snickers, Milky Bar, Twix, Crunchie, Cadbury Fruit and Nut, Picnic and Boost. Poll What is the worst chocolate bar in the UK? Bounty Fry's Turkish Delight Snickers Milky Bar Twix Crunchie Cadbury Fruit and Nut Boost Mars bar Caramac Milky Way Picnic Double Decker What is the worst chocolate bar in the UK? Bounty 2266 votes Fry's Turkish Delight 7981 votes Snickers 674 votes Milky Bar 1212 votes Twix 417 votes Crunchie 565 votes Cadbury Fruit and Nut 640 votes Boost 1268 votes Mars bar 502 votes Caramac 2794 votes Milky Way 1315 votes Picnic 1177 votes Double Decker 1280 votes Now share your opinion Mars, Caramac, Milky Way, Double Decker and Picnic also made the list. In tubs of Celebrations, Bounty famously gets a bad name and the coconut-filled treat is often the last remaining in the box. But the British public mainly took issue with Fry's Turkish Delight, with one person branding it 'absolutely disgusting' and others saying it bares no comparison with the real thing. Turkish Delight (Fry's) was crowned the most hated chocolate bar, receiving almost half the votes with 47 per cent. One person said: 'Fry's Turkish delight is absolutely disgusting and it shouldn't be called that.' They added that they 'couldn't find an emoji' bad enough to express their thoughts on the classic chocolate. Others said: 'The fresh stuff with no chocolate is delicious.' One person came to its defence, saying they 'love' the treat, but still added that they 'prefer real Turkish Delight'. Coming in second was Bounty, with 16 per cent of the vote, proving its polarising nature. Even well-known brands weren't immune to criticism. Milky Bar and Snickers each received 7 per cent of the vote, with the latter making the list as one person doesn't 'like peanuts'. The British public mainly took issue with Fry's Turkish Delight, with one person branding it 'absolutely disgusting' Similarly, another voter chose Picnic as their least favourite because of the raisins. Elsewhere, one person said: 'I don't dislike any but Milky Way is bland.' Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk said: 'It's fascinating to see how preferences vary so much when it comes to chocolate. 'While some flavours are cherished, others clearly don't hit the sweet spot for everyone. The results certainly spark a debate about the nation's taste buds!' Previously, MailOnline revealed Britain's most hated biscuit, with readers naming the variety they want banned from supermarket shelves. Good designs often go unnoticed but when something is badly designed it sticks out like a sore thumb - as these photographs prove. People from around the world have shared the epic design fails they've spotted online - and Bored Panda collated the very worst into a hilarious gallery. The bizarre examples include a Belgian hospital which oddly opted for a red, blood like, swirl design for their hallway floors. Meanwhile, university students in the US complained they had no privacy over the gap in the toilet doors and the school installed glass instead. Elsewhere, a gym installed circus mirrors in the weight room so people would stop checking themselves out during workouts. Making the situation worse: University students in the US complained they had no privacy over the gap in the toilet doors and the school installed glass instead Meanwhile, an audience member was pretty annoyed in a Portsmouth theatre when they sat in their seat only to find a pole directly in front of their view. If that wasn't all enough, a restaurant in the UK put a 'mind your step' sign on the door of an accessible toilet. Here FEMAIL takes a look at some for the worst design fails spotted around the world... What are we watching? An audience member was pretty annoyed in a Portsmouth theatre when they sat in their seat only to find a pole directly in front of their view If that wasn't all enough, a restaurant in the UK put a 'mind your step' sign on the door of an accessible toilet The bizarre examples include a Belgian hospital which oddly opted for a red, blood like, swirl design for their hallway floors This gym installed circus mirrors in the weight room so people would stop checking themselves out during workouts Ouch! A children's play area decided to put the kids slide directly in front of a structural beam Duh! Meanwhile the door in this restaurant said 'pull' but the handle was on the opposite side of the door Really! Someone clearly didn't test out the projector before they installed it with an obstacle in the way Creepy! Elsewhere someone spotted this random door at the top of a stairway in their hotel while they were on holiday The first thing I did upon waking, heart pounding, was look for my phone. To my enormous relief it was there on my bedside table. So far so good. I was naked and, mercifully, alone. I could make out last night's outfit lying in a discarded heap on the floor by my bed, along with my handbag. My head was throbbing, my mouth dry and foul yes, it had been quite a night. How had I even got home? The first stab of shame struck as I realised I had absolutely no idea. I started scrolling through my phone for clues, my sense of unease and self-disgust increasing as messages appeared from numbers I didn't recognise. Olivia had been out for dinner in London with friends. Later, they joined a group of friendly strangers at a bar Was I OK? Did I get home all right? Did I find my wallet? I didn't even know I'd lost my wallet. Frantically, I flung aside the bed covers and upended my bag. There it was, safe and sound, together with all my cards. I breathed in and out to steady my growing panic. But then, as I crawled back under the sheets, I noticed the strange bruises on my legs. I'd been in pain last night, hadn't I? Something had happened to me. And then, like ash from a smouldering fire caught in a sudden gust of wind, images started fluttering back. Horrible, frightening, incomplete ones, like fragments from a horror film. The evening had started well. I'd been out for dinner in London with a couple of friends and, afterwards, we'd gone to a bar. After finding no available seats, a group of friendly strangers invited us to join them. I was already quite drunk when we left the restaurant. We'd got through quite a bit of wine with our meal, and I'd been drinking much more heavily than usual. I'd broken up with my boyfriend of two years just two months earlier and I wasn't in a good place emotionally. I needed to have a good time. So, for whatever reason, when my friends got up to leave, I insisted on staying and ended up chatting to one of the men I'd just met. He seemed harmless. The next thing I remembered was being in a taxi with him on the way to another stranger's party. I must have drunk more when we arrived because from there it all became incredibly blurry. I could recall kissing the man from the bar, though I wasn't sure when. I recoiled as a memory drifted back of a strange bathroom, and then a bolt of excruciating pain as the man from the bar roughly thrust himself inside me. By the time I realised what was happening, I was in too much shock to react. But after that? Nothing. I tried to laugh it off. 'Lol, woke up to loads of messages from random men,' I texted one friend. 'OMG you're hilarious,' she replied. It made me feel better. Nothing that bad could have happened if other people found it funny, could it? Hurriedly, I started deleting and blocking all the strangers from my phone, desperate to 'clean away' the stain of last night. I pushed aside all thoughts of STDs with a shudder. I had a coil fitted, so I wasn't concerned about pregnancy, but I'd no idea if he'd used a condom. A few nights later, I even confessed to friends how I'd ended up having sex with some stranger in the bathroom at another stranger's party, and I watched as they laughed. I wasn't known for being a party girl, let alone a promiscuous one; at 26 I'd only had a handful of relationships and never a one-night stand. At 26, Olivia had only had a handful of relationships and never a one-night stand Maybe I was distracting myself from the reality of what happened by playing that part. It even felt like it made me more popular; that having sex with a stranger whom you couldn't remember was a societal badge of honour, a totem of how much alcohol you were able to consume and how 'up for it' you were. Maybe that's all it was, I kept telling myself. Just another silly drunken story. After all, virtually all my friends had a tale to tell of a sexual assault of some degree after drinking too much: from a grope to full-on sex. There was even a name for those 'hilarious' ones you struggled to remember the next day: blackout sex. It wasn't until a few months later that the laughter stopped. I was watching TV one evening when my phone rang showing a number I didn't recognise. 'Hey, it's Billy [not his real name],' an unfamiliar voice said as I held my breath. 'We hooked up last summer.' I was confused. Not just about why this unknown man was suddenly calling me but what he meant by 'hooked up'. I knew he wasn't the man from the bar, with whom I'd had sex in the bathroom, so who was he? As far as I was aware, I'd left that party alone. But Billy told me we slept together at my house that night. I asked for more details. Where did I live? Why wasn't he there when I woke up? Why was he calling me now? I didn't get any clarity beyond the terrifying fact that he did know where I lived and apparently had left early for work the following day before I woke. I started to cry, and explained I didn't have any recollection of this. I had to know more but he got shifty and hung up. I tried to call him back, but it didn't go through he must have blocked me immediately. To my horror, I realised not one, but two men had had sex with me that night, while I was in the middle of an alcohol-induced blackout. Desperate for answers, I quizzed my housemates. One had been asleep and hadn't witnessed anything, and the other had been away that night, so they were no help. Feeling petrified and vulnerable, I rang the police not to report a sexual assault but to get guidance on harassment or stalking, for that's what I thought was happening to me. Two officers arrived at my flat within the hour. After listening to me explain Billy's claims, alongside what happened with the man from the bar, they calmly told me it sounded like I'd been sexually assaulted by both of these men and asked if I wanted to pursue cases against them. Shocked, I felt an immediate wave of shame and started blaming myself for drinking myself into a stupor. Knowing how difficult it is to pursue any kind of sexual assault case in the year to September 2021, just 1.3 per cent of rape cases recorded by police resulted in a suspect being charged or receiving a summons I decided not to pursue a case with the man from the bar; I could remember kissing him and suspected this would undermine my claim. As for Billy, I reported the incident and a case officer was assigned to me. Then I was told that the next step would involve calling Billy in for an interview. My officer warned me that, based on the lack of evidence, I had a low chance of getting any kind of charge brought. What I would be left with, she explained, was a potentially dangerous man on the loose who'd know I'd accused him of rape. So I let it go. The view that there are no observable indicators of an alcohol-induced blackout has been contested by survivors, including Chanel Miller, who was sexually assaulted at a US college party in 2015 Still, I couldn't let go of the sense of blame and shame, that it was my fault for getting drunk that nasty, misogynistic belief that still lingers, that a victim carries a certain degree of culpability because of her behaviour and life choices. Blackouts affect a part of the brain called the hippocampus, the region involved in the formation, storage and retrieval of memory, and there are two types of blackouts, fragmentary and en bloc, both of which are common when drinking owing to alcohol disrupting brain activity. Fragmentary blackouts may refer to fuzzy memories or memories that only return with prompting, or ones that fade in and out. En bloc blackouts refer to gaps in time that, regardless of prompting, do not return. I experienced both of these on that night. While rape cases are complicated at the best of times, they are even more so when there's a blackout involved. Blackout rapes are harder to prove than 'date rape' drugging cases where victims are slipped a powerful sedative, without their knowledge, to render them comatose and insensate. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that a person can consent only if they have the 'freedom and capacity to make that choice'. That capacity is compromised by alcohol. 'If a person is unable to give consent because they are drunk, drugged or unconscious, it is rape,' states Crown Prosecution Service guidance. But, those accused claim, how can you know for sure if someone is 'blackout' drunk or not? That's why, in the rare event when these cases make it to trial, defence arguments are usually predicated on the basis that the perpetrator 'couldn't tell' the victim was too drunk to consent. This was one of the key tactics in the high-profile case of Brock Turner, the Stanford University student who was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity party in 2015. 'People in a blackout appear to be behaving normally,' argues Kim Fromme, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, who testified for Turner's defence team. 'A peer-reviewed publication that reviewed 26 scientific studies on blackouts concluded there are no objective observable indicators of a blackout, and that no cognitive processes, other than memory, are impaired.' Brock Turner, the Stanford University student who was convicted of sexually assaulting Chanel However, this view has been heavily contested by experts and survivors, most notably Chanel Miller, Turner's victim, who later waived her anonymity. In her victim statement, she explained that during a phone call and voicemail message to her boyfriend just prior to the attack she was 'incomprehensible' and 'slurring so heavily he was scared for me'. She pointed out that Turner himself had admitted that she 'fell down' and that the two passers-by who caught Turner during the attack had immediately seen that she was unresponsive. 'Two guys on bikes noticed I wasn't moving in the dark and had to tackle you. How did you not notice while on top of me?' she said. Despite this, Chanel said that during the course of the investigation and trial: 'I was not only told that I was assaulted, but I was also told that because I couldn't remember, I technically could not prove it was unwanted. And that distorted me, damaged me, almost broke me.' Another problem is that 'blackout sex' is happening in a culture that has perpetually normalised, and even parodied in films and on TV, men taking advantage of drunk women. John Hughes' 1984 romcom Sixteen Candles features a subplot about a girl, Caroline, too drunk to realise that the man she is with is not her boyfriend and, frequently unconscious, is being raped. In the 2005 film The 40-Year-Old Virgin, starring Steve Carrell, the sexually inexperienced protagonist is explicitly advised by a friend to 'tackle drunk bitches'. This has to change, says Amelia Handy, head of policy and public affairs at Rape Crisis England & Wales. 'In law, someone consents to sex or other sexual activity when they agree to it by choice and have both the freedom and capacity to make that choice,' she says. 'If someone is unable to make a choice or is unconscious, it is simply not sex, it is rape. Kim Fromme, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas who testified for Turner's defence team, said studies show 'there are no objective observable indicators of a blackout, and that no cognitive processes, other than memory, are impaired' 'So "blackout sex" in law is rape and should be named as such. All forms of rape are deeply serious, and can be highly traumatic for victims and survivors. And the way we speak about it should reflect that rather than diminish it.' 'Victim-blaming myths, stereotypes and language abound in contemporary culture and need to be challenged,' adds Ciara Bergman, the charity's CEO. 'Only those who choose to rape and abuse can be held responsible for their behaviour not victims and nobody who has ever been through this is ever to blame for what has happened to them, no matter the circumstances.' It has taken a long time for me to accept that what happened to me wasn't my fault, and to shake off the shame I've felt as a result. Yet, to this day, I still find it incredibly difficult to talk to my friends and family about what happened to me that night. Once you bypass the cultural barriers that prevent you from accepting what happened to you and taking it seriously, the feelings you face can be almost too hard to bear. Yes, there's the shame, but there's also the violation. The sense that my body is no longer my own. Four years on, I'm still trying to get that autonomy back, and the loss of it has hindered romantic and sexual relationships I've had since. I'm now 30, but still a long way from committing to anyone. My relationship with alcohol is tenuous, too. While I still drink, I never get drunk nowadays. It's as if I now have an inbuilt trip switch that tells me to stop for my own safety putting the onus for rape prevention on me, not my potential attackers. I know I'm far from alone in my experience, which forms the basis of my debut novel, Gold Rush, in which a young girl wakes up in pain after spending the night with a famous musician, trying to piece together what happened. This is an indictment of our society, one that fails survivors of sexual assault so frequently that it starts to feel like rape which is exactly what happened to me isn't even a crime. I'm not sure there's anything more devastating than that. Gold Rush, by Olivia Petter, published by Fourth Estate (16.99), is out now. 'We're taking on the subjects that people are afraid to deal with,' she said After surviving two decades of ups and downs in the public eye, celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels feels uncancelable. 'I've been canceled so many times,' Michaels tells DailyMail.com. 'Now I just wear a T-shirt and every time is like a Boy Scout badge for me!' She continues, 'I'm like, "This is the time I got canceled for saying I didn't celebrate obesity! I got canceled for saying we shouldn't give Ozempic to kids. Wait a second, this is the time I got canceled for saying that I don't think it's fair for transgender athletes to compete against biological women."' Michaels, now 50, has been ruffling feathers since she burst onto screens in 2004 alongside fellow personal trainer Bob Harper on The Biggest Loser. While Harper was notoriously nice on the competition series, Jillian took a tough-as-nails approach to weight loss, positioning herself as a polarizing figure from the jump. Personal trainer Jillian Michaels (pictured) is fighting back against some of today's most controversial issues, telling DailyMail.com, 'I've been canceled so many times' She's now ready to bring her unabashed brand of no B.S. advice to Bill Maher's Club Random podcast network. Her long-running podcast, Keeping It Real, has been acquired by the network, as Maher continues to build a menagerie of hosts that fit in with his specific style of anti-woke liberalism. 'They're putting together a podcast network where essentially people can be truth seeking, curious, and uncancelable,' she explains. 'Bill wants unique and curious voices that are seeking the truth on a platform where people can have differing opinions and feelings about the facts, but in a way that's tolerant.' The collaboration was sparked after Michaels appeared as a guest on Maher's own Club Random show in February. The pair discussed a handful of hot button issues before getting into a spirited disagreement over California Governor Gavin Newson. Maher was a Newson fan, while Michaels - a lifelong California resident - recently fled the state for the balmy Florida after seeing cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles fall into decline under the governor's leadership. The Real Time host was impressed by Michaels and offered to bring her podcast over to his network, where it could be supported by a video format to reach more people. Michaels is bringing her podcast to Bill Maher's Club Random network. 'Bill wants unique and curious voices that are seeking the truth,' she said Jillian's long-running podcast, Keeping It Real, has been acquired by the network, as Maher continues to build a menagerie of hosts that fit in with his specific style of anti-woke liberalism Michaels will also 'expand the dialogue' beyond her niche of health and fitness, with plans to discuss everything from social and political issues down to finance and more. One upcoming episode with Dr. William Lee will explore the alarming rise of cancer in young people, while another episode will focus on how teenagers are buying fentanyl on Snapchat. 'We're basically just exploring thoughtful, evolved conversations to help people level up in all facets of their lives,' she said. 'But we're taking on the subjects that people are kind of afraid to deal with, the things that you get canceled over. 'And that's what Bill really wants his pool of hosts to be fearless in exploring and he's giving us the opportunity to do that.' Michaels will also 'expand the dialogue' beyond her niche of health and fitness, with plans to discuss everything from social and political issues down to finance and more Michaels, now 50, has been ruffling feathers since she burst onto screens in 2004 alongside fellow personal trainer Bob Harper on The Biggest Loser One subject that Michaels is most passionate about is protecting children, whether it's from 'gender-affirming care' like puberty blockers and surgery, or from Ozempic usage. 'The things that I'm focused on, which I personally believe are dangerous, are giving drugs or surgeries to children for obesity. That to me is absolutely insane,' she said. 'It will have lasting repercussions for our kids that are of deep concern, that we don't fully understand. We need to have all hands on deck to fight against it.' She continued, 'That is my deepest concern right now - that and gender-affirming care is terrifying. 'I want to be clear, this is not about adults. The focus here is on giving off-label cancer drugs, puberty blockers, giving cross sex hormones and performing medical procedures on children while their bodies are developing. 'If an adult chooses to take that on and an adult can comprehend what it means, wonderful. And if many of them find it life saving, fantastic. But the ability to understand it and take it on and know the consequences, you've got to be an adult to do that.' Michaels moved with her wife, DeShanna Marie Minuto, and adopted kids Lukensia, 14, and Phoenix, 12, from Los Angeles, where she grew up, to Miami in June 2021. One subject that Michaels is most passionate about is protecting children, whether it's from 'gender-affirming care' like puberty blockers and surgery, or from Ozempic usage Michaels moved with her wife, DeShanna Marie Minuto, and adopted kids Lukensia, 14, and Phoenix, 12, from Los Angeles, where she grew up, to Miami in June 2021 She previously said the last straw was when her home was broken into by an intruder with 'duct tape and a video camera' who was let out of jail due to COVID. When asked if she thinks there's a chance of saving Los Angeles, Michaels isn't optimistic. 'I think what it would take is change on a more macro level. I think there needs to be a leadership shift across the board to people in a position of power that are more tolerant and common sense based and less divisive across the board,' she said. 'And what I find is that truthfully, the bad acting does happen on both sides. Both sets of politicians are lying. Both sets of politicians are up for auction through Citizens United to corporate greed. They just are,' she continued. 'You see it every day with big food and big farming and big pharma and big banks, the military industrial complex. We need leaders that are not up for sale. And until campaign finance law passes, that doesn't change.' Keeping It Real premiers on Monday, July 29th at @JillianMichaels on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts She had less than a 0.1 per cent chance of falling pregnant after the procedure Victoria Wood is pregnant with her third baby - despite her husband's vasectomy She's putting the miracle in the miracle of life - after getting pregnant with less than a one percent chance of doing so. Mom-of-two Victoria Wood, from Texas, was stunned when she started experiencing familiar pregnancy symptoms - despite the fact husband Will underwent a vasectomy in October 2023. The couple, who had welcomed their second daughter in 2022, felt like their family was complete with four members - but are now preparing to expand with another baby girl. 'Will is a rule follower to a T,' Victoria explained in a now-viral TikTok video. 'And he did all of his follow up appointments [after his vasectomy] and then he also got a sperm analysis in January of this year, and the sperm analysis was zero.' Victoria, who shares her daughters Luna and Laney with her husband, explained that when she missed her period in April, she immediately knew something was wrong, asking her husband to buy her a pregnancy test. Mom-of-two Victoria Wood, from Texas, was stunned when she started experiencing familiar pregnancy symptoms - despite the fact husband Will underwent a vasectomy in October 2023 While his initial reaction, understandably, was confusion as he'd had a vasectomy - she insisted he buy it anyway. '[I said] I know, but my body's feeling weird,' Victoria recounted. '[The test] is positive,' she says. 'I'm freaking out, he's freaking out, it's a whirlwind of emotions. 'The urologist reported that in the seven years he's been doing the surgeries, it's the first time that it has happened to him, and he asked for another sperm analysis, which still came back zero. 'Now, the urologist is saying there's an underlying condition with your wife if she's testing positive on a pregnancy test. She's either one, pregnant, or two, there is a tumor or cancer or some underlying condition,' she recalled. 'I am freaking out, I am crying at this point,' she admitted. 'He's recommending that I make appointments with all these specialists to do follow ups and I'm trying to get in, they're saying it's not an emergency,' she shared. Concerned, Victoria and her husband instead went to the emergency room to figure out what was happening where they gave her an ultrasound - and a baby was visible. On the car ride home, she said her husband dismissed the notion that she would ever cheat on him. Will's urologist reported that in the seven years he's been doing the surgeries, it's the first time that's happened to him, and he asked for another sperm analysis, which still came back zero The couple are now preparing to add another little girl to their young family 'There's no way I cheated on him,' she said. '[But I tell him] for peace of mind would you like me to get a paternity test?' Will assured her that he believed her and did not want her to do a prenatal paternity test that cost between $1,600 to $2,000. Victoria said while they're still wrapping their heads around the situation, they start telling their families who are 'excited and happy' - although confused over how it happened. 'Will's mom the next day [asks] if we can talk privately, she pulls me into the room and basically asked "are you willing to take a paternity test?"' Victoria shared. Although felling 'gutted' in the moment, Victoria said she understood where her mother-in-law was coming from and agreed to get the test. 'I take the paternity test and it is, of course, Will's,' she confirms. 'We're expecting baby number three in December of this year.' Users shared their own stories of when they have also had a miracle baby, some couples even having a vasectomy and still getting pregnant Users couldn't believe Victoria's wild story, some sharing their own tales of having a miracle baby. 'Clearly this baby is meant to be in the world to do wonderful amazing things in the future! I would love an update in about 20 years to see what this child is doing!!!!' one user gushed. 'I had a pregnancy after a tubal ligation. Less than one per cent club here, too! I did a paternity test on my daughter to make sure she's mine,' another shared. 'MIL worked with a man with six kids. They had three, she had tubes tied, got pregnant with number four, he got a vasectomy (with all follow-ups), she got pregnant with twins,' someone else chimed in. One of Michelle's follower's revealed she had almost the 'exact same story.' 'Our vasectomy baby was baby number, I got pregnant 10 months after my husband's vasectomy. He is now almost two, we never got an answer,' they said. According to the American Pregnancy Association, a vasectomy is one of the best ways to prevent pregnancy. Most reports indicate that following a vasectomy a couple has a less than one per cent chance of getting pregnant. When an expectant mother goes into hospital to give birth, there's nothing she wants more than her home comforts; so it's important to be prepared when you go into hospital with your overnight bag. However, one young mother from the UK was left regretting her decision after allowing her boyfriend, and the father of her newborn baby, to pack the bag for her when she went into labour. Liv Nightingale, 23, entrusted her partner Ryan, 25, to hastily gather together her belongings when she began having contractions - and when she eventually discovered what he had packed, she was left baffled. Taking to TikTok, Liv revealed the items Ryan had included in the bag - and it wasn't comfortable clothes and treats, as she might have hoped. Instead Liv's bag was filled with bizarre and random things that one would not typically associate with a hospital stay - including a Dyson Airwrap and a T shirt emblazoned with the face of Jake Wood, who plays Max Branning in Eastenders. Viewers of the clip were left in hysterics after Liv shared it on her TikTok page as the new mother was left baffled by the items. Pictured: Liv Nightingale, 23, from the UK, took to TikTok to share the bag her partner packed for the birth of their baby, sending viewers into hysterics over the strange selection of birth essentials An oversized t-shirt with the EastEnders character, Max Branning, printed on the front, was also on offer As she combed through the bag, Liv rated each item by how useful and appropriate it was for the situation she was in; ie. about to give birth. The first in the strange list was a pair of slinky bodycon dresses - not what most new mothers would imagine slipping into after giving birth. Understandably, she rated these figure-hugging outfits -1000/10. She wrote: 'Two going out dresses? I'm 34 weeks pregnant where am I wearing these? -1000/10.' She conceded that Ryan had done well after packing some useful hygiene products. However, among the more bizarre items in the bag, packed for maximum glamour, was Liv's Dyson Airwrap, that was thoughtfully packed alongside a bottle of heat protection spray, to ensure the smoothest and safest post-birth blow-dry. 'Dyson Airwrap and heat protection spray? At least he understands hair care,' she said, appreciating her partner's consideration. Grateful for the heat styling option, Liv awarded her Ryan a not ungenerous 4/10 for his efforts. Alongside her two skin tight dresses, Liv's partner had packed a third outfit option, should she choose not to leave hospital in a mini dress - an oversized t-shirt with the EastEnders character, Max Branning, printed on the front. Also among those items packed for ultra glamour was Liv's Dyson Airwrap, that was thoughtfully packed alongside a bottle of heat protection spray, to ensure the smoothest and safest post-birth blow-dry If Liv wasn't happy with the option to heat style her hair, her partner offered a second choice to use some styling wax, packing a V05 texturising gum into her birth bag Next to be unpacked was a metal whistle on a long piece of string, which the young mum gave a -1/10, explaining she had 'not a clue' for it Though he got it right with the toothpaste, Ryan fell short in other hygiene areas, failing to provide a towel for the half empty bottle of shower gel packed The two dresses, which came in two colour options of lilac and black, were rated an understandable -1000/10 by Liv Liv's partner had provided three toothbrushes for his girlfriend's hospital stay, two of which still in their packaging. Luckily, the trio also arrived with a tube of toothpaste 'The only other item of clothing he packed, 2/10,' she judged. 'Would of rather a fresh pair of pants than the Max Branning T shirt but beggars can't be choosers,' she added. Next to be unpacked was a metal whistle on a long piece of string, which the young mum gave a -1/10, explaining she had 'not a clue' as to why it had been included in the bag. And if Liv wasn't happy with the option to heat style her hair, her partner offered a second choice to use some styling wax, packing a VO5 texturising gum into her birth bag. 'Again, unsure what I'll be using this for? 1/10,' she wrote. Another to add to her beauty essentials, was her make-up bag, which was provided in full by Ryan, to ensure she could look her best for the birth. 'Full make-up bag, going out after this hospital stay apparently 2/10,' Liv wrote. Though he got it right with the toothpaste, Ryan fell short in other hygiene areas, failing to provide a towel for the half empty bottle of shower gel packed. Liv said: 'Shower gel, no towel, 2/10,' ranking the final item in the bag. Viewers of the video flocked to the comments where several were left in hysterics at the impractical but well meaning packing efforts. 'It's the whistle for me, did he ever give an explanation for it?' one wrote in a comment with laughing emojis. 'I swear all men in the world share one brain cell and they all share it,' another joked. Sharing in on the pitiful packing, a third said: 'Don't worry, when I went into birth, he bought me thongs.' A former hospital worker commented explaining that Liv's birthing bag was far from unusual, writing: ' 'As an ex hospital worker, I can tell you that this bag is actually decent. The worse one I saw was a bag with just a bath mat in.' Viewers of the video flocked to the comments where several were left in hysterics at the impractical but well meaning packing efforts Luckily, the mum-of-two was able to see the funny side of the incident, describing her partner as 'the greatest' dad after the incident Another to add to her beauty essentials, was her make-up bag, which was provided in full by Ryan, to ensure she could look her best for the birth Luckily, the mother-of-two was able to see the funny side of the incident, describing her partner as 'the greatest' dad after the incident. 'That's literally everything he packed,' she wrote, dishing out a generous 'overall 3/10,' for his efforts. Liv shortly after received a 'panicked' message from Ryan - who had gone home to look after their toddler - saying her that he 'hope you have everything you needed.' 'Hes already the worlds greatest dad, and we couldn't be more lucky to have him baby boy is going to be just as lucky,' she gushed. A family was left stunned after they took a drive through a safari park, only to find a hungry lioness had her eye on them for lunch. Lydia Calvin, 26, from Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK, caught the bold lioness on camera as she bit into the bumper of their car in a hair-raising moment for the family inside. Whilst on family day trip to Woburn Safari Park, an unexpecting family found themselves the victim of a hungry female lion's appetite after their vehicle had a chunk bitten out by a big cat at the safari. At the beginning of the clip, Lydia's partner points out the lion to one of the couple's young children, innocently asking: 'Is he going to eat the car?' The enormous cat then snuck around the side of the car, glancing up at the unsuspecting family who were sitting stationary in the car as he approached. Lydia Calvin, 26, from Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK, caught the incident on camera at Woburn Safari Park, taking to TikTok to share the surprising moment The lion then swiftly sunk his teeth into the back end of their Mercedes GLC, an unlikely meal for the big cat. 'He just bit it! He's a naughty lion,' Lydia's partner exclaimed in the video. The cheeky lion managed to puncture multiple holes in a family car at a safari park visit. Describing the incident, Lydia said: 'We didn't initially expect as much damage as there was, until people Around us were waving their hands at us, and pulling really shocked faces! 'Back in that moment, we realise that there was obviously a lot of damage to the car, the whole car shook! 'We haven't got the car fixed yet, we are actually looking to sell the car, but that's going to be a funny conversation to have with the garage.' Viewers of the video were left in hysterics at the possibility that the family would eventually have to explain the situation to their car insurers. 'I wish I worked for your car insurer. I'm just imagining taking the call for the claim. 'Yeah, so the car was bitten by a lion',' one wrote alongside several laughing emojis. Another resonated with the hair raising tale, writing: 'I've had bears try to open the door! That was scary! Glad I didn't have this.' 'Cool story though... "What happened to your car" "A lion bit it mate",' another joked, imagining the humorous conversation. The terrifying but entertaining incident comes after the terrifying news earlier this month that a Spanish tourist died after being trampled by elephants at a safari park. The Spanish tourist was horrifically crushed to death in front of his screaming fiancee by an angry herd of elephants after he got out of his car to take photographs in a South African game reserve. The four visitors were driving around the Pilanesberg National Park close to the world-famous tourist resort Sun City when they spotted a breeding herd with three young by a lake. The lion was pictured chewing the back end of the family car, which was a Mercedes GLC. 'He just bit it! He's a naughty lion,' Lydia's partner exclaimed Viewers of the video were left in hysterics at the possibility that the family would eventually have to explain the situation to their car insurers Describing the incident, Lydia said: 'We didn't initially expect as much damage as there was, until people Around us were waving their hands at us, and pulling really shocked faces!' Pictured: the incision in Lydia's family car following the hungry lion's nibble. She said: 'We haven't got the car fixed yet, we are actually looking to sell the car, but that's going to be a funny conversation to have with the garage' Despite warnings from his three fellow passengers to get back into the car the tourist, aged 43, said he wanted to get close-ups of the six elephants and got out and walked towards them. A huge 3.5-ton adult female cow protecting the young members of the herd was spooked and charged at the man and she was joined by the other two adult bulls who also attacked. The screaming Spaniard was racing back with his camera to safety through the bush to his friends in the car but was overtaken by the chasing herd who knocked him down and trampled him to death. All that witnesses said was left after the 30-second attack was the tattered blood-soaked clothing of the tourist and the remnants of the tourist's body crushed into the earth. A North-West Parks & Tourism Board spokesman urged people to avoid getting out their cars in such scenarios. 'The case has been handed over to the police for further investigation,' said Pieter Nel, Acting Chief Conservation Officer for the NW Parks & Tourism Board. A mother-of-two claims her potentially fatal heart condition was dismissed as a UTI while pregnant with her second child. Weronika Driver said at 36 weeks her normal pregnancy took a drastic turn when she awoke with a tightness across her chest and sweating excessively. She recalls turning to her husband terrified, saying 'I think I'm having a heart attack'. But when the 27-year-old, from Tattershall in Lincolnshire, arrived at the hospital medics said she was 'dehydrated' and dismissed her symptoms as just a UTI. They then sent her home a mistake other doctors later said could have resulted in a potentially fatal stroke or cardiac arrest. Weronika Driver, 27, recalls that at 36 weeks her seemingly smooth pregnancy took a drastic turn in May 2020 Mrs Driver was told she probably had a UTI after her first AF episode, but after the birth of her daughter Violet (pictured, now four) she was given the medication she needed Because, instead of a UTI, Mrs Driver had atrial fibrillation, a serious condition that cause disruptions to regular heart rhythm and, if left untreated, can lead to potentially deadly heart failure. And it wasn't until she experienced another episode, that this time caused her to lose consciousness, that she was diagnosed. The ordeal, which occurred in 2020, has had a lasting impact on her life and following the birth of her daughter Violet, now aged four, Mrs Driver has been told getting pregnant again could put her life at risk. Now, she is sharing her story to raise awareness of heart disease conditions in women. According to Heart Research UK women have a 50 per cent higher chance of receiving the wrong initial diagnosis after a heart attack. Mrs Diver first suspected something was wrong when she couldn't feel her baby moving and went to Lincoln Hospital to be monitored. But, after staying for two days she was sent home and was told to return for foetal movement checks. However, it was her own health that took a turn for the worst. Just a week after leaving hospital, she awoke covered in sweat and told her husband Ashely, 28, that she was having a 'heart attack'. 'I started having palpitations in the middle of the night, and when I woke up I said to my husband "I think I'm having a heart attack". I was just so sweaty, hot and really clammy,' she told MailOnline. 'I knew I was going to the hospital in the morning. So I kind of left it. Then, when I arrived at the hospital, I was sick and I was still having these palpitations,' she added. Once she arrived in hospital her baby's movements were checked, her blood pressure and temperature were also taken. But despite suffering palpitations, she had no checks on her heart. Instead, doctors said she simply looked 'dehydrated' and suggested she had a UTI. The mother-of-two woke up with a tightness across her chest and was sweating excessively she told her husband she was having a heart attack (pictured pregnant with her daughter Violet) Mrs Driver, pictured with her husband Ashely, 28, Violet, four, (left) and Rosie, eight, (right). recalls just being told to 'take it easy, drink water' and come back in the following day when her symptoms first started Mrs Driver recalls being told to 'take it easy, drink water' and come back the following day, but said was too tired to argue with the diagnosis at the time and went home to rest. 'I was tired, heavily pregnant and all of it was scary because it was Covid as well and didn't have anyone with me in the hospital,' she said. 'I did try to stay at home, relax and just sit down and not do anything, but I kept getting dizzy, feeling sick and felt so sweaty,' she added. But the next morning Mrs Driver couldn't walk in a straight line without falling over and passing out and she called her mum to take her to the hospital. Frighteningly, during the journey she kept losing consciousness, vomiting and swimming with sweat. WHAT IS ATRIAL FIBRILLATION? More than 1.5million people in the UK have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF). It is estimated that there are at least another 270,000 people in the UK who remain undiagnosed and unaware. It is caused by random electrical impulses firing from the top chambers of the heart (atria) which override the hearts regular rhythm. The cause is not fully understood, but it tends to affect certain groups of people, such as older people and people living with long-term (chronic) conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or obesity. It may be triggered by certain situations, such as drinking too much alcohol or smoking. Symptoms include: Dizziness Shortness of breath Tiredness Hear palpitations Sometimes atrial fibrillation does not cause any symptoms and a person who has it is completely unaware that their heart rate is irregular Source: NHS and Heart Research UK and British Heart Foundation Advertisement 'My mum had to stop the car several times because I was just in and out of consciousness,' she said. Mrs Driver said the worst part of the journey was that her daughter Rosie, now eight, who was with her was confused and scared as she didnt understand what was happening to her mother. When she arrived at the hospital a doctor took her pulse, and finding that to be irregular, then ordered a ECG a test which measures the electrical signals in your heart. That ECG revealed her heart rate was 250 beats per minute and also that it had been this high for the previous few days. Although heart rate varies per individual, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute, according to the NHS. This led medics to conclude that Mrs Driver had atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition marked by an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate. It is caused by random electrical impulses incorrectly firing from the top chambers of the heart which override the hearts regular rhythm. This can lead to symptoms such as palpitations and breathlessness and in some cases, heart failure. More than 1.5million people in the UK have been diagnosed with AF, about one in 50 people. But an estimated additional 270,000 people are thought to have AF but remain undiagnosed and unaware of the danger, according to British Heart Foundation. Elinor Fowler, a research information officer at Heart Research UK said: 'The likelihood of atrial fibrillation increases with age with the majority of cases occurring in people over the age of 65. 'However, younger people can also develop AF, which means it is important to recognise the symptoms, regardless of age.' What exactly causes AF to develop is unknown with the condition striking both people with cardiovascular conditions and healthy athletes alike. Although rare, AF can also develop during pregnancy. Furthermore, pregnancy can also worsen existing, perhaps undiagnosed, AF due to expectant mothers experiencing an increase in blood pressure. In Mrs Driver's case, she had no history of heart disease and recalls waking in hospital unsure as to what had happened. 'The next thing I know, the room was just full of doctors. I was on my own and I remember telling my, my eldest I was going to be back in a minute. But then I didn't see her for a week,' she said. She was kept on the cardiology ward for a week and was told she wouldn't be able to have a natural birth as had been planned, as there was a risk her condition could worsen as a result. However, she also had to wait until after the birth to be given cardioversion a drug used to get an abnormal heart rhythm back to a regular pattern due to the risks the medication posed to the then unborn Violet. 'I really wanted to have a natural birth because my first pregnancy, I was absolutely fine. Doctors said that there's no chance of me having a natural birth, it was going to be a C-section.' Two years later in March 2022, Mrs Driver was given a catheter ablation, which involves passing thin, flexible tubes, called catheters, through the blood vessels to the heart. These are designed to record the heart's electrical activity and pinpoint the arrhythmia But due to her condition her husband had to sign papers explaining the risks. She said: 'I had to acknowledge that I could fall into a coma, or I could die. It was honestly horrible. I remember my husband crying.' Thankfully, after the C-section Mrs Driver was able to see Violet, before her daughter was whisked away to her waiting husband. Ms Driver was then given cardioversion. 'I was given so much information about my condition, but I was just so scared and I was so alone as well, because I just wanted to go and see my baby,' she said. Eventually Mrs Driver was reunited with her baby before being sent home armed with several blood thinning medications. However, just a few weeks later, she was hit with the same symptoms of AF and was taken to A&E in Boston, Lincolnshire. A cardiologist informed her she had a type of AF that 'comes and goes', sometimes for a few minutes or days at a time. One of the lasting impacts of her AF diagnosis is the heartbreaking consequence that she cannot have more children. 'Doctors said to me don't have another baby. Because if it happens again, it can honestly just kill me straightaway. That, to me was really heartbreaking,' she said. In a report following Mrs Drivers' delay in diagnosis, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust apologised and admitted the doctor initially failed to recognise her symptoms were consistent with a 'possible cardiac condition'. The report said this 'delay in treatment could have resulted in an adverse outcome such as a stroke or cardiac arrest'. A hospital spokesperson told this website: 'Wed like to offer our sincerest apologies again to Ms Weronika Driver for the failures in her care which occurred in May 2020. 'The incident clearly fell below the standard of care we want to deliver, and following a thorough investigation we have since fully implemented a number of changes to the way we work to ensure that this does not happen again.' A military family who lost custody of their autistic son after they refused to transition his gender are suing a major DC hospital. The family said their boy had never shown any desire to become a girl until, at 16, he was hospitalized for self-harming after a bitter breakup with his girlfriend in 2021. Staff at Children's National Hospital informed the family that he wanted to be female and should be referred to using she/her pronouns going forward, the suit claims. His army veteran parents, from Prince George County in Maryland, rejected the suggestion, saying their son was 'impressionable' due to being autistic. They have accused the hospital of starting a 'full-on campaign to transgender this child' and accused staff of 'mental re-programming', saying their son had been forced to write letters to friends disavowing his previous male identity. Above is a picture that the family shared with DailyMail.com on condition of anonymity. The eldest son is shown on the far left, with his mother's arm wrapped around him in a loving embrace. Everyone is smiling and happy in the picture, after the second son had graduated Pictured above is Children's National Hospital in Washington DC, which is where the boy was treated and then transferred to Child Protection Services According to the lawsuit, the hospital used its emergency policies to keep the boy in its units and reported the parents to child protection services. The boy was then moved into foster care and hasn't been back to the family home since. What followed has been a two-year legal battle for custody over the teen, who is now 19 and remains in foster care. The parents, who are in their 40s and African-American, say their son was at risk because his condition means he is vulnerable to social manipulation. They have spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com but want to remain anonymous to protect their estranged son's privacy. The boy's father revealed how they had to sell their thriving business and four-bedroom family home to cover legal costs. The father said: 'This has been devastating. It drained so much money, there is no money left. 'It changed our entire way of life, with the loss of a child and then with the loss of our income.' Karl von Batten, a committee member for the DC Republican party who is supporting the parents, said the case was personal to him because he also has an autistic son. Mr von Batten said: 'To me, this is personal. My son is autistic, and if you tell him you are a penguin he will tell me he is a penguin. 'I am very upset by what they have done in this case, there seems to be no safe-guarding. I don't want this to happen to my boy or any other child with autism.' The family is seeking up to $100million in damages and cover for their legal costs. Pictured above is hospital Chaplain Lavender Kelley, who is believed to be currently caring for the child. The individual says online that they do not have a gender The lawsuit says the child is currently living with the hospital's 'non-gendered' chaplain, Lavender Kelley, who regularly posts online about trans issues. In one post on Facebook from 2022, Kelley said they supported transitioning children without their parents' consent saying they were 'drained' from arguing with families. The suit adds that, since being removed from the care of his parents, the youngster has appeared in provocative and sexually suggestive poses on Instagram. It is unclear whether the 19-year-old has received any sex change treatments like feminizing hormones or gender reassignment surgery. The lawsuit was filed in the Maryland District Court, accusing Children's National Hospital of eight counts including negligence, inflicting intentional emotional distress and discriminating against someone based on their religion. It has since been sealed by a judge, and is now in the Fourth Circuit US Court of Appeals. In a statement, the hospital told DailyMail.com that the case had been withdrawn by the parents lawyers. Representatives for the parents lawyers denied this. Children's National is ranked the fifth best pediatric hospital in the country, and treats around 223,000 patients every year including those with gender dysphoria. It also runs a 'Gender and Autism Program', which says it helps young children with autism to understand their gender. Amos Jones, who is representing the family, previously said: 'This is the craziest case I've ever had. I don't know why there are people who think this makes sense. But I guess lots of people agree with this in Washington DC now.' Ms Kelley, pictured above, has worked at the hospital in Washington DC for decadesThe The family say their eldest son was hard working and initially home-schooled, before being sent to high school at age 14. He graduated a year later, and was then accepted onto an Associates degree in Engineering program. He texted friends in May 2021 to say that he was LGBT, but used masculine pronouns and at no point indicated that he wanted to be female. Around this time, he was also undergoing tests for autism and attending a counseling service for disabled children. He was willingly rushed to Children's National Hospital in early November 2021, after he attempted to commit suicide following the end of his relationship with his girlfriend. But after the hospital determined he had gender dysphoria he was held there for 41 days. It was not clear how this was determined, or whether any tests or psychological assessments were carried out. The child was then moved to foster services, the lawsuit said, and placed with a single foster mother who had a previous assault charge and was alleged to be a close friend of Ms Kelley's. In July, 2022 the boy made a second suicide attempt, and was re-admitted to Children's National as a girl. He also had a second autism assessment in August, but at this meeting the foster mother removed him claiming it was not necessary, according to the lawsuit. The foster mother then died unexpectedly, with the boy believed to have been moved into the care of Ms Kelley, according to the lawsuit. He turned 18 years old in March 2023, meaning he is now an adult and does not have to return to his parents if he does not wish to. In the court filings, his parents accused the hospital of a 'cruel, abrupt, and intentional interruption of two fit parents' fundamental rights to parent their minor son'. '[We] had never known of [our] son's purported desire or plan to change genders,' the documents read. 'Rather than treating [us] as patrons with legal and dignitary rights, the defendant... treated the parents as though they had harmed their son, even though the parents had never endangered their child and had home-schooled him to college entry at fourteen years old.' They added: 'At Childrens National, it is as if all critical reasoning toward the child was suspended, and there was no investigation into the extent that the child was lying.' The parents have requested a trial by jury. Wes Streeting delivered an extraordinary warning today against trusting a watchdog's verdicts on hospitals and care homes. The Health Secretary said a bombshell review showed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was 'rotting', describing some of its ratings as 'invented'. In a brutal round of interviews this morning, Mr Streeting said he was 'stunned' to learn one in five care providers have never been rated and it had been a decade since some hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes had been checked. Mr Streeting said there was evidence that some of the ratings had been 'effectively manufactured and invented using partial views and inspections combined with historic ratings and judgments'. He said there were 'people going into care homes with no experience of common conditions like dementia and making judgments about the quality of care, people going into hospitals with no experience of actually providing care in hospital'. The CQC says it makes sure health and social care services in England provide people with 'safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care' by monitoring and inspecting what they do. But the independent review by Dr Penny Dash found fewer than half the number of inspections were carried out last year as in 2019/20. Those conducting the inspections also have a worrying lack of experience. Some inspectors said they had never been in a hospital before and one visiting care homes had never met a person with dementia. Wes Streeting (pictured) has branded the CQC regulator 'not fit for purpose' The Health Secretary said he was 'stunned' to learn one in five care providers have never received a rating from the Care Quality Commission (file image) Dr Dash, chairman of the North West London Integrated Care Board, was commissioned to conduct the review by former health secretary Victoria Atkins in May. Mr Streeting ordered the publication of an interim report, claiming urgent action is needed to improve regulation and ensure transparency. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said he was 'appalled' by what had been found. 'Firstly, honesty is the best policy, that's why I've moved quickly to publish the interim findings because there are ratings people that will be looking at today which I can't have confidence in, I don't think the public can have confidence in,' he said. 'I've asked the CQC urgently to put in place transparency around those ratings so that people can see how those ratings were put together and then make a judgment about whether it's a true and fair and accurate reflection of the quality of care. 'Leadership is vital. We need a new permanent chief executive at the Care Quality Commission and a new chief inspector of hospitals that we can work with to turn the regulator around.' He added: 'I never expected to be told that one in five health and care providers had not received a rating, that some health and care providers have not been inspected for a decade, that some of those ratings are effectively manufactured and invented using partial views and inspections combined with historic ratings and judgments. 'I am absolutely appalled.' Mr Streeting said there were 'brilliant people working throughout the NHS and social care but what we can't do is pretend that there are also not enormous amounts of failure to be seen'. 'For that failure to be rotting at the heart of the CQC is intolerable,' he said. 'We will not tolerate it, we will take the action needed to deliver the radical reform that organisation needs.' Mr Streeting said members of the public checking ratings on the CQC website should 'take them with a pinch of salt'. But he denied that funding was the problem. Mr Streeting said: 'I don't think money is the issue here. I think it's culture.' He said there needs to be a 'radical reform' of the organisation and that he wanted to be clear with potential candidates about the scale of the challenge as he recruits a new permanent chief inspector of hospitals to the CQC. He said: 'When I joined the department, it was already clear that the NHS was broken and the social care system in crisis. Mr Streeting said there was evidence that some of the ratings had been 'effectively manufactured and invented using partial views and inspections combined with historic ratings and judgments' (file picture) Experts have previously expressed concerns that the CQC failed to expose wrongdoings at trusts that were later embroiled in major scandals. The Dash review identified 'significant internal failings' which are hampering its ability to identify poor performance. These included too few inspections, a lack of clinical expertise among inspectors, a lack of consistency in assessments, and problems with the CQC's IT system. Dr Dash said: 'The contents of my interim report underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the CQC.' Mr Streeting said the government will now take immediate steps to restore public confidence in the regulator. These include increased oversight, greater transparency in how it determines its rating for providers, and a review of assessment frameworks. Dr Dash will publish her full report in the autumn. A shocking report into the health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), found it hasn't visited some hospitals for a decade and now our searchable tool lets you find when your local provider was last checked. The devastating interim report found the regulator, which has a duty to inspect health and social care providers in England, had 'significant internal failings' which affect its ability to identify poor performance. This morning, Health Secretary Wes Streeting even went as far as to say people shouldn't trust the ratings published by the CQC, adding it is 'not fit for purpose' and needs 'radical reform'. He told Radio 4s Today programme: 'I would take those ratings today with a pinch of salt. 'I want to make sure that we ask the CQC to urgently qualify its ratings by providing background information on how they were determined, so that people can make more informed decisions.' Your browser does not support iframes. Mr Streeting told ITV's Good Morning Britain he was 'appalled' to be confronted with a crisis at the heart of the CQC just three weeks after taking over as Health Secretary. He said: '[Inspectors] are going into care homes with no experience of common conditions like dementia and making judgements about the quality of care. They are going into hospitals with no experience of actually providing care in hospital. 'Any one of those things would be shocking in themselves. Taken together, they are a damning indictment on a regulator that is supposed to safeguard care standards and patient safety.' He added: 'It's not going to be easythings are worse than we expected. It's clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose.' Asked if there was a fix that didn't involve spending more money, Mr Streeting said: 'I don't think money is the issue here. I think it's culture.' He told BBC Breakfast: 'There are brilliant people working throughout the NHS and social care but what we can't do is pretend that there are also not enormous amounts of failure to be seen. 'And for that failure to be rotting at the heart of the CQC is intolerable. 'We will not tolerate it, we will take the action needed to deliver the radical reform that organisation needs.' The Health Secretary said he was stunned to learn one in five care providers have never received a rating from the Care Quality Commission (file image) The CQC says it makes sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care by monitoring and inspecting what they do (file image) As a starting point, he said the CQC needs a new permanent chief executive, adding he intends to appoint a new chief inspector of hospitals to help turn the regulator around. The report from Dr Penny Dash, chairwoman of the North West London Integrated Care Board, found some healthcare providers had not been reinspected for several years, with the oldest rating for an NHS hospital dating back more than 10 years. Of the locations the CQC has the power to inspect, it is estimated about one in five have never received a rating, the interim report found. It also revealed a lack of experience among some staff including examples of inspectors visiting hospitals and saying they had never been in a hospital before as well as an inspector of a care home who had never met a person with dementia. The Department of Health and Social Care announced immediate steps to restore public confidence in the CQC, which is appointing Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former hospital physician, to review its assessment framework. Transparency regarding how the regulator determines ratings for health and social care providers will also be improved and the Government will have increased oversight of the CQC, the department said. Dr Dash was asked to carry out the review of the CQC in May and has spoken to about 200 senior managers, caregivers and clinicians working across the sector, along with more than 50 senior managers and professional advisers at the body over the last two months. She said: 'The contents of my interim report underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the CQC. 'By addressing these failings together, we can enhance the regulator's ability to inspect and rate the safety and quality of health and social care services across England. 'Our ultimate goal is to build a robust, effective regulator that can support a sustainable and high-performing NHS and social care system which the general public deserves.' Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: 'This is going to be a long and difficult journey for the CQC, but one that is entirely necessary. 'The CQC must embark on a radical improvement programme that should not only include some tangible improvements in their performance, but also needs to move away from a culture of blame. 'We all want proportionate and effective regulation, and the challenge now is for CQC to take action and work with organisations across the sector to deliver it.' Kate Terroni, CQC's interim chief executive, said: 'We accept in full the findings and recommendations in this interim review, which identifies clear areas where improvement is urgently needed. 'Many of these align with areas we have prioritised as part of our work to restore trust with the public and providers by listening better, working together more collaboratively and being honest about what we've got wrong.' Progress will be monitored over the summer and the full independent report will be published in autumn, the Department of Health said. A multi-state listeria outbreak linked to tainted deli meat has now sickened at least 34 people and killed two, sparking a massive recall. Grocery store mainstay Boars Head is pulling 100 tons (207,000lbs) of meat from deli counters nationwide. An investigation found traces of the bacteria on samples of liverwurst, which were also processed alongside other kinds of meats which may have led to cross-contamination. Infection from listeria, called listeriosis, can be deadly, especially for pregnant women, unborn babies, seniors and people with weakened immune systems. A sample of Boar's Head liverwurst came back positive for listeria. The liverwurst was processed alongside other meats such as turkey, prompting a massive recall of more than 200,00 pounds of meat Symptoms range from fever and chills and nausea to headaches, stiff neck, and convulsions. All but one of the 34 illnesses have required hospitalization. The CDC maintains that the outbreak is likely far larger than their investigation has shown because some people will recover without medical attention or testing for listeria. Recalled deli meats Boar's Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA - sell by dates ranging July 25, 2024, to August 30, 2024. Boar's Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM - sell by date August 10 Boar's Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM - sell by date August 10 Boar's Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM 6-lb.- sell by date August 10 Boar's Head BOLOGNA - sell by date August 10 Boar's Head BEEF SALAMI 2.5-lb. - sell by date August 10 Boar's Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT - sell by date August 15 Boar's Head GARLIC BOLOGNA - sell by date August 10 Boar's Head BEEF BOLOGNA - sell by date August 10 Advertisement USDA food safety regulators updated the case count earlier Friday in an announcement of the massive Boars Head recall, which will affect every major grocery store chain in the US. The outbreak has affected at least 13 states so far, according to the USDA, though the CDC only shows 12: Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service said: The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes. The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections. CDC investigators began taking samples from sick patients on May 28 and have been conducting interviews about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. Of the 18 people CDC officials were able to interview, 16 reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. The bacteria can spread from one surface to another, from deli meat to slicing tools to countertops, and health officials are urging people to santize all of their kitchen surfaces as well as the insides of their refrigerators. Around 1,600 people become sick with listeriosis every year and about 260 die. Eating improperly processed deli meats and drinking unpasturized milk carrying the bacteria is the primary means of infection. Cases of listeriosis have been detected in 12 states. Two people have died - one in New Jersey and another in Illinois. The CDC believes the outbreak is likely larger than what officials have recorded Healthy people are less likely to experience severe, life-threatening illness than seniors and pregnant women. Pregnant women, who are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis compared to other adults, are especially susceptible to it because of changes in the immune system during pregnancy, which makes it easier for infections to take hold and harder for the body to fight them off. When a pregnant woman is infected, the bacteria travels to the fetus. When it does, it can cause widespread infection in the fetus, leading to premature delivery, miscarriage or stillbirth. Symptoms can come on quickly or as late as 10 weeks after exposure to the bacteria in contaminated food. If it spreads to the nervous system, listeria can also lead to severe brain inflammation, blood poisoning, convulsions, and brain swelling. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics is crucial to avoiding the worst possible outcome. This is not the only recall linked to listeria to be announced this year. Earlier this month, Ohio based Wiers Farm Inc. voluntarily had said some of their whole and bagged salad cucumbers sold at select Walmarts in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio may have been compromised. Pulled items include green beans, peppers, zucchini, jalapenos, and more - as the recall was expanded to also include green beans and jalapenos sold under the banner of Freshire Farms, an Aldi brand. In total, 27 products were affected, with some sold individually or in bulk at Walmart, Krogers and Save-a-Lots across the country. A photo of Donald Trump's right ear seemingly looking unscathed just weeks after being shot sparked a debate today. The former president was pictured for the first time without a bandage on his wounded ear since the shooting on July 13. The photo showed the 78-year-old's right ear, which appeared to be fully in-tact and without any cut, scab or bruise. Adding to the controversy, it came as the FBI suggested Trump may have been hit by shrapnel rather than a bullet, which may have the effect of downplaying the severity of the assassination attempt. Now, a doctor has analyzed the photo and said it certainly doesn't rule out that Trump's ear was hit by a bullet. PHOTO IN QUESTION: The above image is the first to be revealed of Donald Trump's right ear since the assassination attempt California-based plastic surgeon Dr Dennis Dass said that two things were at play. First, the photo was grainy, zoomed in and had Trump's hair partially in the way obscuring any cuts, scabs or missing pieces. And secondly, he said it may be that the bullet had only grazed his ear and, therefore, did not leave a major mark. The ear is filled with blood vessels, meaning it bleeds a lot from even the most minor of injuries which could have led the attack to look worse when it took place. 'It is possible that his injury was small enough that they didn't have to do much work on it,' said Dr Dass. 'It may have just been nipped a bit, and then bled a lot that is possible. 'Even if it was just a small nick, that would have been enough to explain the amount of blood we saw in the initial image.' He added that it was important not to downplay Trump's injuries, saying they were no less dramatic regardless of what caused them. 'I think it is really irrelevant whether glass or a bullet caused the injury,' he said. 'It is a very unfortunate situation that he has been in, and it was simply horrifying. I wish former President Trump well.' It is a remarkable turnaround for Trump, who was shot in the ear at the rally less than two weeks ago Dr Dass said there was likely no mark visible because of the grainy image and the fact that the wound may have already mostly healed. UC Health says online that small cuts can heal within a week, with the shooting now taking place nearly two weeks ago. Trump was at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, meeting the Israeli prime minister when he revealed his right ear. After the shooting, he was initially admitted to Butler County Hospital to be treated for a 'gunshot wound to the right ear' hospital records show. His former White House doctor, Ronny Jackson who later examined Trump said the bullet had left a 0.8-inch track in the flesh of his right ear, but that the cartilage was unscathed. The Republican nominee also suffered from 'significant bleeding' shortly after the attack, he said, as well as a 'marked swelling' in his upper ear. In an update released six days ago, he said that the wound was healing well but that dressing still needed to be in place. 'Based on the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place,' he said. 'Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required.' In an update released today, he added that there was 'no evidence' to suggest Trump's wound was caused by anything other than a bullet. Trump was pictured wearing a bandage over his ear at the Republican National Convention. This led some attendees to copy him in solidarity with the former President. Keir Starmer has a touching faith in the idea that by giving a grandiloquent name to his new quango Great British Energy (GBE) his aspirations for a carbon-free and energy-secure nation will be fulfilled at a stroke. The whole country would, of course, welcome a green and pleasant land with cleaner air, lower carbon emissions, cheaper fuel bills and reduced dependence on Vladimir Putin and his gas pipelines from Russia to the West. But the truth is that the Prime Minister and his Energy Secretary, green fanatic and failed Labour leader Ed Miliband, are living in cloud cuckoo land. They will deliver few, if any, of the bold pledges they are making. In the King's Speech, Sir Keir confirmed that GBE, the state-owned energy company, will develop, own and operate energy projects such as wind farms using public money Let me explain. In the King's Speech, Sir Keir's new government confirmed that GBE, the state-owned energy company, will develop, own and operate energy projects such as wind farms, using public money to help spur further private sector investment. But the 8.3 billion of seed money promised by the Exchequer for Britain's energy transformation over the term of the current parliament will be a drop in the ocean. In spite of the overblown language, this is a fraction of the sums already devoted to 'climate reduction' goals by our UK-listed oil firms Shell and BP, as well as domestically owned power suppliers Centrica and Scottish & Southern Electricity (SSE). Some argue it is reassuring that GBE will be headed up by the former boss of German multinational Siemens's British arm, Juergen Maier, who might bring some much-needed private-sector experience to the job. What is less reassuring, however, is the disastrous financial performance of Siemens Energy which ran up losses of 3.7 billion in 2023 alone. Combined with the desperate track record of past Labour governments to command and control the economy through grandiose quangos such as the National Enterprise Board of the 1970s, it looks almost inevitable that GBE will become yet another vast black hole, sucking in public cash at the expense of other strained public services. it looks almost inevitable that GBE will become yet another vast black hole, sucking in public cash at the expense of other strained public services. The PM is pictured on a visit to Hutchinson Engineering in Widnes on Wednesday Sir Keir was joined at the wind turbine factory by Energy and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband Most critically, by blocking future North Sea oil licences, as Starmer has done, and for the moment holding fire on the prospects for new nuclear production, the nation's energy security is being sacrificed in order to pursue unproven green energy 'solutions'. In doing so, Starmer and Miliband are exposing the nation to the danger of factories being closed, the elderly and poor freezing in their homes and lights going out when the wind fails to blow and the sun doesn't shine. It is also critical that the UK can maintain a minimum level of electricity production at all times especially if the Government pursues a madcap rush towards electric vehicles (EV) which, in many cases, are proving notoriously unreliable. That is why Centrica-owned British Gas is investing heavily in renewing the nation's gas storage capacity at Rough off the East Yorkshire coast and exploring other potential sites in Wales. Not to mention that Starmer and Miliband appear willing to trash 100,000 North Sea oil-related jobs, sabotage Aberdeen and lose 30 billion of new investment in fossil fuels, and the engineering services which go with them, to drive the 'green revolution'. Labour believes that by signing an agreement yesterday with the Crown Estate which has command over most of the nation's coastal waters it can somehow magic up 60 billion of new investment. Admittedly, this will be useful. Indeed, the link to the monarchy alone could potentially attract some overseas investors on the grounds of offering a kind of royal imprimatur. But we shouldn't get carried away by Labour's hoopla. The Crown Estate has much more expertise on redeveloping real estate, such as the shops of London's swish Regent Street, than it does in energy. Nor perhaps, are all of Miliband's eco-wheezes quite as revolutionary as he would have us believe. Before its new agreement with Labour, for example, the Crown Estate was already in talks with Scandinavian pioneers and Danish offshore energy experts. And despite the Crown Estate's prestigious reputation, the fact remains that the only thing that will attract investors is a competitive entry price. If the price at which energy generated at the offshore windfarms can be sold is set too low to make the projects viable, it will put off bidders. We learnt this the hard way in a crucial auction late last year, when not a single company bid to run a new offshore wind farm. Why? Because the Tory government had set the energy price too low. Even more seriously, a major proposed investment off the coast of Norfolk was temporarily put on hold. The same thing happened in the US last year when rsted can-celled 3.3 billion of wind projects because it could not make the returns. Earlier this year, BP also pulled out of its involvement in New York state wind farms at a heavy cost to investors because of the difficulty of getting decent returns. The ultimate goal in all of these wind farms may have been lower prices for consumers. The reality is that only by offering a higher energy price to investors will they come forward and the projects be built. It's an uncomfortable truth for Starmer and Miliband, who want to be seen to be providing the cheapest energy possible to voters. They have been repeatedly questioned about when or even if their 'Green New Deal' would deliver lower prices for consumers. They couldn't answer. So much for cheaper bills. A secondary aim of GBE is to boost our manufacturing sector, creating new skills and new jobs to replace those in fossil fuels. Starmer and Miliband are exposing the nation to the danger of factories being closed, the elderly and poor freezing in their homes This may be a perfectly noble aim. But in Britain, we have already sold ourselves out. Most of the solar panels being installed on the roofs of homes and factories across the UK are being built in China at a fraction of the cost they can be made in the UK. One only has to look at how Beijing is dominating the market for electric cars and the 50 per cent tariffs erected in the US and Europe to slow imports to understand how difficult it is going to be to compete with Asian production. There also is evidence from pressure group Tech Transparency that Chinese suppliers of wind farm equipment are using cheap Uyghur labour to manufacture wind turbines. It will be all but impossible for UK manufacturers (currently responsible for less than 10 per cent of wind farm components) to compete. It's not all bad news. There is one area of green technology where Britain has a competitive quality and engineering advantage. Rolls-Royce, with the assistance of government funding, leads the world in the development of 'small modular reactors'. These are mini, simple-to-construct nuclear reactors based on the turbines that power nuclear-powered submarines. Rolls-Royce believes it is capable of capturing a 250 billion global market if it receives the go-ahead from Whitehall for UK production. The Czech Republic has already expressed interest in buying them. Tens of thousands of real jobs not the Potemkin quango roles envisaged by the new Government are there to be created. So far, however, Miliband has been slow to give the green light. We can all pray for the success of Great British Energy and the zero-carbon nirvana envisaged by our mission-driven Government. But I fear we are creating a taxpayer-funded white elephant which will decimate our energy security. Britain's millions of motorists are still paying too much to fill up at petrol stations due to retailers pocketing bigger profits from every litre they sell, according to an ongoing investigation into the fuel sector by the UK competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that the fuel market is still 'failing consumers' a year on from its first report that laid bare the problems in the sector. It said that retailers' fuel margins the difference between what they pay wholesale for their fuel and the price they sell it at are 'still significantly above historic levels'. Increases in fuel margins cost drivers more than 1.6billion in 2023 alone, with supermarkets' fuel margins now roughly double what they were in 2019, the CMA added. The CMA says retailers' fuel margins the difference between what they pay wholesale for their fuel and the price they sell it at are 'still significantly above historic levels' According to RAC Fuel Watch, the average retailer margin on unleaded is 13.8p a litre while for diesel it is even higher at 15.4p. This means around 10 per cent of what motorists pay at the pumps goes to fuel company profits. In the decade leading up to the Covid pandemic, the average profit margin on both fuels was around just 8p. And the RAC's historical data shows that supermarkets were pocketing even less. In 2019, the average margin on both fuels was around 3.5p for every litre. Average retailer margins on fuel in the decade run-up to the pandemic were around 8p a litre. Today, companies are pocketing almost 14p for petrol and over 15p per litre on diesel Your browser does not support iframes. The competition watchdog is calling on the Government to use recent legislation to launch a compulsory scheme to ensure that fuel retailers share price information to allow motorists to compare forecourt deals. The CMA launched a temporary price data-sharing scheme after its initial report found problems in the market, but said it is voluntary and only covers 40 per cent of fuel retail sites across the UK. Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: 'Last year we found that competition in the road fuel market was failing consumers, and published proposals that would revitalise competition amongst fuel retailers. One year on and drivers are still paying too much. 'We want to work with Government to put in place our recommendation of a real-time fuel finder scheme to kick-start competition among retailers. 'This will put the power in the hands of drivers who can compare fuel prices wherever they are, sparking greater competition.' Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said the industry was still failing consumers. She added: 'One year on and drivers are still paying too much' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The CMA said a smart data, real-time fuel finder scheme would allow motorists to save up to 4.50 each time they fill up and would make it easier to find cheaper forecourts. It said: 'The proposed introduction of the Digital Information and Smart Data Bill by the new Government could provide the legislative basis to set up a compulsory and comprehensive scheme which the CMA would welcome. 'Legislation which is needed to establish the scheme fully may take time to come into force. 'So that motorists can start to benefit from quicker, easier access to fuel prices through everyday apps sooner, the CMA encourages the Government to introduce an enhanced interim voluntary scheme that is as close to the final scheme as possible.' RAC head of policy Simon Williams says the latest findings of the CMA's investigation are 'nothing short of outrageous'. He told us: 'Drivers have every right to feel ripped off, especially knowing there is virtually no market competition between retailers. 'The report is, once again, confirmation of what we have known and been campaigning against for many years. Our analysis has long shown that even accounting for retailers' increased operating costs, margins on fuel are at extremely questionable levels. 'The CMA couldn't be any clearer about what needs to happen. 'We have already written to the new energy secretary, urging him to implement its recommendations as quickly as possible. 'This means greater transparency of fuel prices from all retailers and, most importantly of all, a price monitoring body that can take decisive action on retailers whenever drivers are overcharged. This can't happen soon enough.' Edmund King, AA president, said 'drivers have been taken for a very expensive ride which is even more worrying during a cost-of-living crisis'. Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association - the body which represents the nation's independent filling stations, forecourts at motorway services and supermarkets, collectively accounting for 65 per cent of all UK fuel stations -, said its members are 'committed to keeping pump prices as low as possible'. He added that retailers are 'operating in a highly competitive environment which is affected by a range of factors, including cost increases for retailers and geopolitical events' and criticised the CMA's analysis for failing to 'take these complexities into account'. Balmer went on: 'We support any sensible measures that lower prices for consumers, including continuing the 5p per litre cut and the fuel duty freeze, which accounts for more than 30 per cent of the pump price.' Legal & General, the 13.69billion FTSE 100 company, which takes care of 1trillion worth of retirement and other savings, is being revamped under chief executive Antonio Simoes. He is promising investors a 'simpler, better-connected L&G', in pursuit of which the complex group is being restructured. Plans include the sale of CALA, the housebuilding arm acquired in 2018 in a diversification. Curious that L&G is selling CALA now? The Government wants to build 1.5million homes in this parliament. But there will be no immediate benefit from this policy and Portuguese-born Simoes wants to simplify L&G which he regards as a route to boosting returns to shareholders. Persimmon is seen as the most likely buyer for CALA at a price of about 1billon. Other changes? Simoes wants to boost the corporate pension division by winning 'bulk annuity' deals. Firms are keener to 'de-risk' dispense with the onerous responsibilities for their company pensions. They are willing to pay a sum to a major insurer, such as L&G or Aviva, to take on full responsibility for the scheme. Is L&G already a big player in annuities? It IS a power player. In 2023, L&G did 12billion-worth of bulk annuity business, which included a 4.8billion buy-in from Boots and a 2.7billion buy-in from British Steel, the fourth from this company. Actuaries estimate that about 50billion in pension liabilities were offloaded in 2023 and this year's total could be 80billion. Any other moves? Another Government policy should enable L&G to make the most of an areas in which it specialises investing in 'private' assets, that is, companies not listed on the stock markets. As part of her pensions 'Big Bang', the Chancellor Rachel Reeves wants pension funds to channel more money into such companies, particularly those in energy, roadbuilding and other areas of infrastructure. When L&G was founded in 1836 infrastructure was the focus. The Stockton & Darlington, the world's first public railway, was one of its first ventures. Exciting but why is share price down this year? L&G shares have fallen 9 per cent since January largely in response to news that dividends will not increase as rapidly as hoped. Simoes may argue that a 200million share buyback is more than adequate compensation for reduced payouts. (Share buybacks reduce the number of shares in issue which should give a fillip to the price of the remaining shares.) Some shareholders remain unconvinced, however. Where are shares headed? Despite the dividend disappointment, analysts rate the shares as either a 'hold' or a 'buy' with an average price of 266p, against 229.5p yesterday. Hopes of a 'Tell Sid' NatWest share sell-off to the public have been dashed as Labour lines up a sale to institutional investors. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is keen to offer the Government's 5.6billion stake to pension funds, insurers and asset managers, rather than ordinary investors, sources say. The move is a hammer blow to the bank and retail investors, with critics saying it is a missed opportunity to encourage more people to develop long-term saving and investment habits. The last Labour government rescued the lender during the 2008 financial crisis and at its peak the taxpayer's stake was 84 per cent. This month it fell below 20 per cent. The Conservatives planned a sale this summer with former chancellor Jeremy Hunt priming M&C Saatchi to launch a 'Tell Sid' advertising campaign the slogan used to encourage people to buy shares in British Gas in 1986. But NatWest said it had to spend 24million on a campaign which never saw the light of day. Back in the 80s broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald asked the public: 'Are you in?' in a TV campaign that aimed to boost the beleaguered stock market. Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said: 'Ditching the razzamatazz of a 'Tell Sid'-style campaign could be a missed opportunity to get people investing for the first time. Rachel Reeves wants investment in great British companies primarily through our pension schemes. 'With so much of people's savings still locked up in cash, a retail offer could be a catalyst for change.' Mark Northway from investment not-for-profit group ShareSoc added: 'It would be a massive mistake to exclude retail and individual investors. 'This is an opportunity to redistribute to UK taxpayers who have taken on the burden of NatWest for the last few years.' Meanwhile, NatWest posted bumper financial results for the first half. Chief executive Paul Thwaites hailed the strong performance which included profits of 3billion and a 6p interim dividend 9 per cent more than last year's gift to shareholders. Shares rose 7 per cent, or 23.8p, to 361.9p, adding to gains of just under 60 per cent in six months. And the bank has also agreed to buy 2.5billion of UK prime residential mortgages from Metro Bank. Thwaites said: 'Customers are beginning to feel more confident, with activity increasing, and we are well positioned to help unlock growth through our regional network.' He expects share sale details to emerge in the autumn. Neither Nat West and Labour commented on whether a public share sale looked likely. Banks are once again beginning to roll out a raft of perks for student current accounts to attract student deposits ahead of the new academic year. Last week Santander launched a prize draw for new Edge Student current account holders, with 20 students being in with a chance to win 27,750 and a further 30 set to win 9,250. Meanwhile Nationwide is offering 100 cashback and 12 months of Just Eat vouchers worth 120 with its FlexStudent current account. Being a student comes with a hefty price tag. For most students, it is their first taste of independence and first experience of paying rent and doing a weekly food shop. University of life: Student banking is often the first taste of financial independence for many It costs 1,078 on average a month to be a student, according to website Save the Student, taking into account rent, household bills, food, transport and going out. The figure is based on its annual National Student Money Survey of more than 1,750 students from around the country. The greatest expense is rent, which came in at 439 per month in 2023, taking up 41 per cent of the average student's monthly budget. On top of living expenses, many students are also faced with tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt in the form of student loans, which they will be repaying for a large chunk of their working life. One of the main draws of a student current account is the whopping interest-free loans that come with them. On a standard bank account you'll get charged between 35 per cent and 40 per cent for an agreed overdraft - that's 350 to 400 in interest charges in 12 months on a 1,000 overdrawn current account - if you're borrowing 3,000 it's 1,050 to 1,200 per year. Santander's student account comes with an arranged interest-free overdraft of 1,500 for the first three years of study. This can increase up to 1,800 in the fourth year and up to 2,000 if students stay on to their fifth year. Nationwide's current account offers arranged interest-free and fee-free overdrafts to students of up to 3,000 by the third year. NatWest and RBS have accounts which offer a 500 interest-free overdraft in the first term of first year, which can increase to 2,000 in the second term of first year until the end of the second year. Students can apply for up to 3,250 interest-free from year three onwards. Meanwhile HSBC's student account comes with a 1,000 interest-free overdraft in year one, increasing to 2,000 in year two and up to 3,000 in years three and after. Andrew Hagger, founder of financial experts MoneyComms, said: 'I'd definitely recommend a student bank account over a standard bank account - mainly due to the interest-free overdrafts. 'You never know when you may need to borrow - you may set off to uni thinking you can manage, but life isn't always that straightforward - there are often unexpected expenses that crop up and which need paying for.' How much of an overdraft you'll get in later years depends on your credit record and you need to ask for the increases at the end of the year, it does not increase automatically. Outside of the overdraft, student accounts come with other perks that students simply wouldn't get with a standard current account which could help with living expenses. 'Most student accounts offer incentives too such as a 100 sign-up cash payment - others may offer a cut-price travel card,' Hagger added. Significant savings: Santander says a railcard on average saves 16-25s around 192 every year Along with its prize draw, which will give 20 students the chance to win three years worth of tuition fees, Santander is also offering a free 16-25 railcard to students who sign up to its current account. Normally, a rail card costs 30 a year or 70 for three years. Santander said the average 16-25 Railcard user saves 192 a year with the card, meaning a potential average saving of 768 over the four-year term. NatWest and RBS are offering students an annual Tastecard, worth 55 per year. With this, students can get two meals for the price of one, 50 per cent off a food bill or 25 per cent off the entire bill at thousands of UK restaurants. Nationwide is offering students a 100 cash bonus on signing up for its FlexStudent account and 12 months of Just Eat vouchers worth 120. Student overdrafts explained The temptation to 'live in the overdraft' because they are interest-free may be strong and could encourage some students to spend more than they normally would. But interest-free overdrafts which come with student current account can help with any unexpected expenses that crop up and provide an emergency cushion without being heavily penalised. Hagger said: 'The 0 per cent overdrafts may prove to be a temptation for some, but setting up a budget planner before you set off for uni with your income and expenditure can help you staying out of the black (if you stick to it) - but if you need to borrow a little from time to time you know you're not going to get penalised heavily for doing so.' > Five best current accounts: See This is Money's pick of the best current account perks Disappointed and disillusioned. These two words sum up the sentiments of investors in BT and Vodafone, the two largest British players in telecoms. Over the past decade, shares in these two household names have lost more two-thirds of their value. But do these declines suggest this is the moment to end the relationship with these FTSE 100 names? Or are there compelling reasons to stay, given the burgeoning international love affair with British stocks and the planning revolution unveiled by the new Government? The US giant Blackrock and the German group Allianz are among those snapping up UK shares, enthused by the improving economy and the prospect of a stable government. Female front: Vodafone boss Margherita Della Valle, left, and BT equivalent Allison Kirkby Against this background, BT and Vodafone look almost alluring. BT owns EE, Britain's largest mobile network and Openreach, which controls Britain's broadband and phone networks, providing these facilities to TalkTalk, Sky, Vodafone and 650 other 'telco' businesses. Meanwhile Vodafone UK's arm is hoping to merge with Three's UK division in a 18bn deal that will form the nation's largest mobile network. Labour's planning reforms, designed to deliver 1.5million new homes, are another plus. All will require broadband, as Matt Dorset analyst at Quilter Cheviot points out. BT has been hit by the slump in housebuilding, as this week's second quarter results confirmed. But Dorset argues that lots of new housing could 'solidify its status as the UK's number one broadband provider'. These trends are good news if you are one of the hundreds of thousands who have stayed loyal to BT since privatisation 40 years ago. But all shareholders in these two stalwarts must also confront the challenges. Turnaround time? BT has been hit by the slump in housebuilding Sajeer Ahmed of Aegon Asset Management says that BT and Vodafone have struggled to earn a return from their vast expenditure on building out 4G and 5G infrastructure and installing full-fibre broadband. He observes: 'Markets have been competitive and customers are price-sensitive.' This spending is set to fall, which means that BT and Vodafone will generate more cash, allowing them to cut debts and launch share buybacks to boost their share prices. Yet, as Nigel Yates of AXA Investment Managers contends, their 'complex corporate structures and unpredictable financial liabilities' could prove to be an obstacle. He adds: 'We have concerns that these businesses remain value traps and see better opportunities for steady, growing dividend yields elsewhere.' It is clear that backing these British businesses involves a leap of faith. But if you are ready to take a bet on the makeovers being led by two new chief executives, this is what you need to know: BT long-term share performance is shocking. But the price has risen 13 per cent this year, largely thanks to the new, plain-speaking chief executive Allison Kirkby. Her announcement in May of an overhaul of the business, plus higher dividends confounded the hedge funds who were 'shorting' the shares, that is betting on a price fall. Kirkby remarked: 'I always love to squeeze the shorts . . . and prove them wrong.' This stirring talk enthused analysts who rate the shares a 'buy' with an average target price of 194p, against the current 140.5p. The hope of a takeover spree is what lies behind some of the international excitement over British shares. At 13.8billion, BT shares may appeal to a bargain-hunting predator, especially as Openreach alone is worth at least this amount. French entrepreneur Patrick Drahi, boss of Altice, was seen as the most likely bidder. But not only has Drahi borrowed heavily against his 24.5 per cent stake in BT, he could face Government opposition. As a result, the size of his holding represents an overhang on the share price. But Dorset explains that Carlos Slim, Latin America's richest man snapped up 3.2 per cent of BT in May and could be keen to acquire some or all of Drahi's holding. Since Deutsche Telekom is another large investor, other shareholders can expect some fun. Vodafone Vodafone is an 18billion company with 330million customers in 15 countries. Germany makes up about a third of the business and a turnaround in this area is beginning to bear fruit. At the helm is another forthright boss Margherita Della Valle who is trying to simplify and streamline the group, while persuading dubious regulators that the get-together with Three should go ahead. Like BT, Vodafone also has some controversial shareholders: another French entrepreneur Xavier Niel and Emirates Telecommunications, which the UK government regards as a national security risk. All this may not sound too appealing but Vodafone shares have edged up nearly 7 per cent this year to 73.22p. Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs rate the shares a 'buy', presumably on the basis that demand for mobile and broadband services can only expand anywhere on the globe. The spread of AI (artificial intelligence) will add to this need. The average target price is 113p. Slap therapy is claimed to be an art of 'self-healing' which promises to improve blood circulation and release toxins from the body. But the seemingly painful practice has been linked to a number of deaths worldwide, and left practitioners covered in deep cuts and huge swollen bruises. Hongchi Xiao, was today convicted of the gross-negligence manslaughter of East Sussex grandmother Danielle Carr-Gomm, a 71-year-old diabetic with a fear of needles. She attended two of Xiao's workshops in Bulgaria and then Wiltshire, where, each time, she fell desperately ill after allegedly being told to stop taking the crucial insulin medication that regulated her blood sugar levels. Mrs Carr-Gomm described Xiao as 'a messenger sent from God,' but was left to die alone in her room after her grave condition worsened, despite Xiao saying her worsening symptoms were all part of the healing process. It came a year after a six-year-old diabetic boy died in similar circumstances in Australia, for which Xiao was later jailed. Hongchi Xiao (pictured) claimed slap therapy could cure people from immune diseases such as diabetes , arthritis and even cancer and autism Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels leading to horrific injuries such as those pictured above Hongchi Xiao claims these horrific marks left on the skin show the presence of toxins in the body He claimed this type of therapy, also known as paida laijin, could cure people from immune diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and even cancer and autism. The practice involves participants slapping parts of their body with their hands until they begin to swell and turn red, supposedly ridding paidthe blood of so called toxins which cause organs to 'become sick'. It has amassed a cult like following around the world, with one website claiming there are 'millions of practitioners in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Germany, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Australia'. Paida laijin claims to be a more effective form of cupping therapy, which sees people attach special cups to a person's back for a few minutes and supposedly increases blood flow and improves circulation. Those who practice paida laijin believe it can remove blockages of toxins, known as 'sha', in 'microcirculations' that are present in all internal organs. These blockages are supposedly too small to spot using traditional medical techniques and can prevent nutrients being 'imported' into the body. If these blockages remain in place, they can cause the organ to malfunction, it is claimed. Paida laijin supposedly helps clear these blockages and help the body to 'self heal' and rid itself of any diseases. The term paida, is said to refer to the use of one's hands to repeatedly slap parts of the body while laijin is the act of stretching your limbs and joints to make them flexible. Practitioners like Xiao will slap patients all over their body to apparently expel any 'sha' before stretching their bodies to allow the 'smooth flow of energy'. The slapping is often carried out with just a persons hand, although some also use specialised 'slappers', with large, protruding bumps. Two women perform paida on a woman by slapping her arms as she lays down A person's beaten chest is pictured covered in purple and red marks as they appear to be continually slapped by a 'slapper' A person shows off their injuries after a slap therapy session, with a huge black mark seen on the right side of their lower back A person covered in red marks across the backs of their legs after taking part in paida lajin Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels. But Xiao - who has no medical qualifications or training - disputes this, instead claiming that any black or red marks are in fact 'sha' just leaving the body and are 'good healing reactions'. He has also claimed it can lead to full recovery in 90 per cent of cases, including people with diabetes, Alzheimer's and even cancer and autism. The former Wall Street banker previously told a seminar in South Africa: 'The greater the pain and bruises while slapping means there is more poison inside the body. 'You can be your own doctor. 'We were all born with self-healing power but we simply ignore it and spend millions of dollars paying for medications.' His website adds: 'Once we think out of the box of 'medical intervention', we will find that these non-medical methods can be used to prevent, diagnose and self-heal many so-called 'incurable' diseases for medical professionals. 'This has been repeatedly proven true by millions of people over the past five years, and we have online and offline statistics and clinical reports provided by medical institutions to support this claim.' Despite this sentiment, Xiao has repeatedly claimed he is 'not a doctor,' and suggests people do 'see a doctor' when they are actually sick. A couple of people perform the slapping exercises on a prone participant Bruises to the forearm caused by being slapped repeatedly A person lifts their T-shirt to reveal a grim pattern of bruises the shape of an opened palm Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, who had diabetes, ended up dead from the consequences of Xaio's unorthodox methods In 2019, Xiao was found guilty of the manslaughter of a seven-year-old diabetic boy who died after Xiao told his parents to stop giving him insulin. His parents had taken their son to Xiao's workshop to try to cure his type 1 diabetes in 2015. Xiao told the boy's parents to stop giving him insulin and told them that it was merely the 'detox' when their son was in fact dying, a court was told. The boy later died after he was found unconscious in a Hurstville hotel. Ambulance paramedics attempted CPR but he couldn't be revived. Just 17 months later he again told one of his followers, Mrs Carr-Gomm, to stop taking insulin during a four-day retreat where he performed paida lajin. With his outlandish claims of being able to cure the sick, it is little wonder Hongchi Xiao attracted a devoted band of desperately ill people to his 'slapping' workshops. The 61-year-old's cheerful demeanour and soft voice gave the impression of a humble do-gooder. The Chinese healer's motivation, he said, was to rid the world of its maladies through his brand of holistic treatments, virtually unheard-of in the West, known as paida lajin - 'slapping and stretching' in English. No medical emergency or condition was apparently too big for Xiao, or those who learnt how to perform paida lajin. He claimed to have cured a 70-year-old man of his paralysis shortly after discovering how to perform acupuncture. He said his own mother - an actual doctor of Western medicine - was able to give up her high blood pressure tablets after being performed on by Xiao, a man with no medical qualifications. Hongchi Xiao, during a visit to South Africa, sits cross-legged as he gives an interview about the merits of paida lajin Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels leading to horrific injuries such as those pictured above Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, who had diabetes, ended up dead from the consequences of Xaio's unorthodox methods Xiao, 61, appearing in one of many videos on his Pailala Institute website in which he explains how to help someone suffering a heart attack by slapping And his impact was apparently keenly felt in Tibet, where he treated more than 1,600 locals in a month, claiming '90 per cent of patients benefited from my treatment.' There were plenty of others, according to Xiao. Patients with diabetes, Parkinson's and kidney failure all saw their conditions improve, specifically due to paida lajin, he said. Somewhat miraculously, a heart attack victim was brought back to life through Xiao's completely unregulated form of salvation. 'We just slapped him,' Xiao claimed. 'In a few minutes, people come back.' These stories, and many others besides, are sure to raise an eyebrow or two. Mrs Carr-Gomm (pictured) - a follower of Xiao's who wanted to get rid of her type 1 diabetes - fell gravely ill over the course of the October 2016 workshop Xiao, originally from Beijing but more recently of California, talks about the 'poison' of modern medicine at his talks Xiao, at a workshop in 2015, is pictured performing his paida lajin slapping and stretching method on a willing participant Viewers are told: 'When you encounter this heart attack don't panic. There is a very simple thing. You can do it in one minute, you can save many lives.' Xiao said patients with diabetes, Parkinson's and kidney failure all saw their conditions improve, specifically due to paida lajin Yet Xiao had plenty of fans around the world, desperate enough to give paida lajin a go. He referred to them as his 'disciples' - a nod to the messianic opinion he had of himself. Tragically, among those drawn to him was diabetic grandmother Danielle Carr-Gomm. The 71-year-old, from Lewes in East Sussex, sought out alternative therapy due to her fear of needles. She travelled to Bulgaria for one of Xiao's workshops, but became seriously unwell after she stopped taking her insulin, which she ordinarily had to inject every day to keep her blood sugar levels stable. She survived only when her medication was eventually administered. But the near-death experience did nothing to dampen Mrs Carr-Gomm's enthusiasm for Xaio's unorthodox methods. 'You are definitely a messenger sent by God,' this 'disciple' wrote about Xiao afterwards. And undeterred, she attended a second slapping workshop in Melksham, Wiltshire, in 2016, in a bid to be 'cured' of her diabetes. The decision had fatal consequences. Witnesses said Xiao praised Mrs Carr-Gomm for stopping her medication, and slapped her as part of her treatment. He calmly explained her feeling unwell was due to toxins leaving the body. In reality, she would soon be dead. But it would take until today - nearly eight years later - for Xaio to be convicted of her manslaughter. Yet it was not his first brush with the law. A sketch by court artist Elizabeth Cook of defendant Xiao, flanked by a security guard, during his trial in Winchester An image on Xiao's Facebook page of bruises caused to the forearm of a person engaging in the paida lajin method A significant purple bruise, appearing as though made with the palm of a hand, appears on a paida lajin participant's tummy A person covered in red marks across the backs of their legs after taking part in paida lajin A person shows off their injuries after a slap therapy session, with a huge black mark seen on the right side of their lower back Xiao was born in China in February 1963, as Chairman Mao geared up to begin the cultural revolution which resulted in a decade of social and political turmoil. By his mid-20s, Xiao had a business qualification and was working in two of the most famous banking districts on either side of the globe, in New York and in Hong Kong. But on reaching 40, Xiao 'withdrew from the financial world and began reading, writing and roaming around'. Boosted by the apparent success of his novel called Sex and Stocks, which he later claimed became a 'best-seller', Xiao decided to write his next book about Chinese medicine - an area about which he knew virtually nothing. Xiao embarked on a period of travelling across Asia, seemingly bumping into people who, by chance, were able to teach him about Chinese medicine. He said he was able to heal 100 people a day in Tibet through acupuncture, despite only learning it a month earlier. Xiao subsequently opened a clinic in Beijing, where he first started spreading the word of paida lajin among his patients. Fast forward two decades, and empowered by an endless stream of anecdotes apparently confirming the authenticity of his craft, Xiao had become a major name in the world of holistic treatments. He opened the Pailala Institute in California, espousing the benefits of 'healing yourself naturally', including claims that a woman successfully got rid of a breast tumour by slapping herself on the affected area. His fame gave him a platform to further discredit Western medicine as 'evil', and 'like pesticides sprayed on crops - effective, but also harmful'. He claimed paida lajin was 'effective against most diseases known today, including various chronic, acute, infectious and difficult diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's'. And he said the method was 'safe, with no toxic side effects', and that 'you can save millions of people. It's just a slap - very easy.' Those who practised it could become 'slimmer and better-looking and even increase (their) sex drive'. Videos on the Pailala website and Xiao's YouTube channel demonstrated the techniques used to help in that department. In one, a grinning Xiao could be seen making diagonal movements with a flattened palm against his groin. Xiao performs a slapping motion on his arm in one of several videos uploaded to his organisation's website Xiao said slapping can have a significant positive impact on a participant's sex life 'All this energy here will become much stronger, he said. 'It will go to the right destination - you will see what I mean.' In another, he rolled up his sleeve and slapped his arm until it quickly reddened as he talked through how to help someone suffering a heart attack. 'When you encounter this heart attack, don't panic,' he said, sagely. 'There is a very simple thing. You can do it in one minute, you can save many lives.' He even told a story of how a young girl was congratulated by ambulance staff after slapping her grandmother 'back to life' when she had a heart attack. His trial at Winchester Crown Court this month heard Xiao claim there were three stages to the healing process, and that illnesses like Mrs Carr-Gomm's was 'darkness before dawn breaks'. Pain, vomiting, insomnia, giddiness and loud crying - all experienced by his tragic follower - were completely to be expected, he said. All the person had to do was unblock the 'meridians' of the body - channels which, according to Chinese philosophy, carry energy - by slapping. Mrs Carr-Gomm's severely deteriorating condition should have been a warning to Xiao - for, tragically, he had been in a similar situation only months earlier. He was convicted at a court in Australia in 2019 of manslaughter by gross negligence for breaching the duty of care he owed a diabetic six-year-old boy at one of his paida lujin workshops in Sydney in 2015. Xaio had told the boy's parents to stop giving him insulin before embarking on a programme of slapping and stretching. The judge said Xiao 'clearly expressed to people a disdain for Western medicine, implicit in it is a view of the superiority of traditional Chinese medicine'. He was jailed for a minimum of seven-and-a-half years, meaning he would not be eligible for parole until October this year. He was only able to go on trial in Winchester after being extradited to the UK to face justice. Xiao maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to gross negligence manslaughter by claiming he did not have a duty of care over Mrs Carr-Gomm, to whom he had made 'absolutely clear' he was not medically trained. The jurors, however, were not taken in by his story, and he was convicted. Xiao often described paida lajin as a 'way of life'. A significant portion of the rest of his will now likely be spent in a prison cell. The mother of a 21-year-old woman who died after receiving the Moderna Covid vaccination received a excruciating reminder a year on from the tragedy. Natalie Boyce, 21, died in March 2022 at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, five weeks after receiving a Moderna Covid vaccine booster and the case is now before the Coroner's Court in Melbourne. Her death certificate lists myocardial infarction with subacute myocarditis as the cause. Australia's medical watchdog the Therapeutic Goods Administration later listed Ms Boyce as a fatality linked to the vaccines, one of only 14 Australian deaths linked to the jabs and the sole one linked to Moderna. Deborah Hamilton, Ms Boyce's mother, has become a fierce opponent of jab mandates saying her daughter was pushed into it by a part-time employer and Melbourne's Deakin University that made it a condition of being on campus. 'I hold those pushing vaccines accountable for the death of my healthy daughter,' Ms Hamilton told a parliamentary inquiry in 2023. 'This same GP practice on 24 February this year, nearly a year to the day of her death, insensitively sent me a text to get my booster on 24 February,' Ms Hamilton said. 'Money is obviously more important to them than people's lives. This text caused me severe emotional stress.' When she was 15, Ms Boyce was diagnosed with an uncommon blood clotting disorder that affects about one-in-2000 people. Ms Hamilton said she didn't realise was a potential risk to her daughter from the vaccine. 'I have also since discovered that there were warnings, in November 2021, of the dangers of the vaccine for people with immune compromised conditions,' Ms Hamilton told the Senate. 'If I had known this very real risk, Natalie would never have had another vaccine, and I believe she would still be alive today.' In her 20-minute testimony, which Ms Hamilton later said only six Senators bothered attending, the grieving mother narrated a harrowing tale of her family's suffering. Ms Hamilton said Ms Boyce, who she described as a hard-working student studying a double degree in a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce, fainted the day after receiving a Moderna shot, following her two Pfizer ones, at a chemist. Natalie Boyce, 21, died in March 2022 at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne , five weeks after receiving a Moderna Covid vaccine booster 'I called the COVID vaccine line for help, yet they were totally useless,' Ms Hamilton said. 'Their response was for me to call an ambulance if I thought I needed one.' Ms Boyce began suffering a fever, stomach pain and vomiting', which the GP clinic and later a local hospital misdiagnosed as reflux. With Ms Boyce not improving Ms Hamilton decided to take her to Melbourne's Monash hospital, which she called 'the biggest mistake of my life'. 'This major Victorian public hospital was an absolute shambles,' she said. Despite being triple Covid vaccinated Ms Hamilton was not allowed to accompany her daughter into the wards under the pandemic rules then in place. 'I still have text messages in my phone from her, pleading for me to come and be with her as everyone else was allowed someone with them,' Ms Hamilton told parliament. During her last weeks of life in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital Natalie's heart and kidneys failed 'This still haunts me today, and probably will for the rest of my life.' Ms Hamilton claims Monash hospital left Ms Boyce 'sitting in a chair for eight hours with a drip in her arm and a full vomit bag'. 'She was humiliated and, as it turns out, in serious heart failure, yet she was ignored by staff,' Ms Hamilton said. 'They, too, misdiagnosed her and sent her home after about 16 hours. 'Doctors remarked that they were seeing a lot of these reactions after COVID vaccinations, especially a messy looking liver on an ultrasound. 'Yet still they did nothing for her. They failed to investigate her heart, despite all the signs, and sent her home with a report saying she looked well and to follow up with a GP in a week. ' Ms Hamilton said that 36 hours later Ms Boyce was in extreme pain and was having trouble breathing so she rang triple 0. 'I can't believe how I was treated by the ESTA call operator,' Ms Hamilton told parliament. 'I told her that my daughter has antiphospholipid syndrome, which is a blood clotting condition, and that I thought she had blood clots on her lungs. 'Because Natalie was still conscious, the operator dismissed me and refused to mark the call as a code 1 and to send an ambulance immediately.' The operator told an increasingly frantic Ms Hamilton a paramedic would call her within half and hour to assess whether an ambulance should then be dispatched. 'I then made the decision to drive her to Mulgrave Private Hospital,'Ms Hamilton said. Deborah Hamilton laid out the harrowing story of Natalie's demise before parliament last year She said on arrival with Ms Boyce 'going in and out of consciousness' they still had to follow protocols and wait 15 minutes for a negative COVID test before she could be seen by any medical person. After a doctor 'diagnosed straightaway' that Ms Boyce was in serious heart failure it was decided she needed to go to the Alfred Hospital for intensive care. Ms Hamilton said she was 'disgusted' to learn 'that the highest ambulance service in Victoria did not have the necessary equipment to transport her'. After chasing the ambulance Ms Hamilton arrived at the Alfred around 2:30 am but was told she couldn't stay with Ms Boyce and to go home because of Covid rules. 'I was so distressed because, again, me being vaccinated meant nothing,' Ms Hamilton said. 'I was a mess and had to drive home for about 40 minutes. To this day, I do not know how I got home in the state I was in.' Ms Boyce spent three weeks in the ICU at the Alfred Hospital unconscious while her heart and kidneys were failed and her foot went black from a blood clot. She died while having an MRI on 27 March 2022. During the first fortnight in the ICU Ms Hamilton was only allowed to visit Ms Boyce for an hour on only three days a week but then she was allowed to visit for an hour each day. Ms Hamilton said she was incensed to learn the rules were entirely different for then Victorian premier Danial Andrews Ms Hamilton said she was incensed to learn the rules were entirely different for then Victorian premier Danial Andrews, who was in the same hospital recovering from a stair fall. 'An Alfred nurse told me that Daniel Andrews was allowed visitors whenever he wanted, with no time limits,' Ms Hamilton said. 'My daughter was critically ill, and I was prevented from being there for her, yet the Victorian Premier could always have visitors as long as he liked.' She said communication was appalling from all hospitals involved in the ordeal. 'I was told during my one-hour visits that she had been resuscitated on several occasions, yet not one medical professional had bothered to call and let me know,' Ms Hamilton said. 'Another time, I arrived to find out that they had put Natalie on dialysis, yet nobody from the Alfred had rung to tell me about this either. It was distressing and shocking to arrive and see more machines attached to my daughter.' She said since her daughter's story became publicised she has been contacted by many other people claiming vaccine injuries. Ms Hamilton called for Moderna to be pulled from market 'immediately so no other person should die from it'. 'Natalie's death has destroyed my life and severely impacted her brother, Hayden, and the rest of my family's life,' Ms Hamilton said. 'We were a tight, loving unit that is now shattered.' An investigation into her death could progress to a full coronial inquest. At a mention hearing in court on Wednesday, Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald told the involved parties that she would tighten the reins on expert reports being filed to the court, as mountains of medical information piled up. Moderna Australia lawyer Jesse Rudd said an expert they had been working with required further medical information. The professor had requested information about symptoms observed by a rheumatologist who saw Ms Boyce for her lupus in 2018. Ms Fitzgerald allowed Moderna's request but said she would be reluctant to chase further such material going forward, telling lawyers 'these sorts of requests will be scrutinised'. 'There's lots of paper,' the coroner said of the mounting material filed for the case. Ms Fitzgerald was hesitant to obtain more information and reports 'when we already have so many materials', describing the situation as 'chasing the rabbit down this hole'. 'If this continues on the current trajectory, this could lead to an inquest,' Ms Fitzgerald said. Lawyers for Ms Boyce's family opposed Moderna's request on the grounds the doctor saw the young woman for lupus four years before she died. The matter will be back before the Coroner's Court for another mention hearing in October. An alternative Chinese healer convicted of the manslaughter of a diabetic grandmother is already serving time for killing a six-year-old boy in Australia, it can now be reported. Today, Hongchi Xiao, 61, of Cloudbreak in California, was found guilty of killing Danielle Carr-Gomm at a slapping therapy workshop in Wiltshire in 2016. Xiao congratulated Ms Carr-Gomm, a Type 1 diabetic, when she stopped taking her insulin before she died from ketoacidosis. The workshop promoted a treatment known as 'paida lajin' - in which people slap themselves and each other to expel poisons from the body. But, following his guilty verdict, it can now be reported that 18 months before Ms Carr-Gomm's death, Xiao was also involved in the death of a diabetic child Aidan Fenton in Sydney. Aidan Fenton, pictured with mother Lily and father Geoff, before he died at one of Xiao's slap therapy workshops Hongchi Xiao 'congratulated' Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, when she stopped taking insulin at his four-day retreat Mrs Carr-Gomm, a follower of Xiao's who wanted to get rid of her type 1 diabetes, fell gravely ill over the course of the October 2016 workshop Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels leading to horrific injuries such as those pictured above Seven-year-old Aidan died after Xiao told his parents to stop giving him insulin after attending a 990 slap therapy workshop in Hurstville, New South Wales in April 2015. The court heard how, shortly after the start of the workshop Xiao told Aidan's parents Lily and Geoff 'to stop his insulin injections'. 'Such an instruction is clear evidence of how strongly held the defendant's views were, for example, as to insulin being poison,' Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury. But by day three, the youngster started to become seriously ill and started 'vomiting black liquid', which Xiao put down 'to just part of self-healing body adjustment'. Despite this, Xiao continued to 'instruct' Mrs Fenton to continue withholding her son's insulin, and his health continued to deteriorate. Aidan Fenton with his mother Lily before his death in April 2015 Aidan could not be revived after falling unconscious in the Ritz Hotel in Hurstville, Sydney What is paida lajin? Inside dangerous world of slap therapy The art of slap therapy is claimed to be a method of self healing which promises to improve blood circulation and release toxins from the body. But the seemingly painful practice has been linked to a number of deaths worldwide and has also seen practitioners covered in deep cuts and huge swollen bruises. The practice involves participants slapping parts of their body with their hands until they begin to swell and turn red, supposedly ridding the blood of so called toxins which cause organs to 'become sick'. It has amassed a cult like following around the world, with one website claiming there are 'millions of practitioners in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Germany, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Australia'. Those who practice paida laijin believe it can remove blockages of toxins, known as 'sha', in 'microcirculations' that are present in all internal organs. Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels. Advertisement By the fifth day he was required to be pushed in a pram because he could not walk or stand to dress himself and started to 'vomit yellow and black liquid', the court heard. Mrs Fenton confronted Xiao and told him: 'Look at this picture, last night he vomiting black stuff, all these things'. Xiao replied: 'Is the detox. All the bad stuff come from - come out from his body, his organ. It's just part of self-healing body adjustment.' Four days later, the boy was accompanied by his grandmother in his room when he began vomiting black liquid and had a seizure. As the grandmother went for help, she locked herself out of the room and hotel staff arrived who found the boy on the bed motionless, the court heard. Mr Atkinson said that Xiao also returned and began 'slapping the boy's inner elbows' until paramedics arrived. But they were unable to resuscitate him and he died as a result of diabetic ketoacidosis, the same condition as Ms Carr-Gomm. Mr Atkinson told the jury: 'The defendant was ultimately prosecuted for and convicted of (the boy)'s manslaughter. 'It follows that there can be no question but that the defendant owed (the boy) a duty of care whilst he was an attendee at his workshop, and that he breached that duty. 'He deprecated and deterred the use of conventional medicine even when he knew that to do so risked very serious consequences which could in turn be life-threatening. 'He advocated a course that he knew was not medically justified and was contrary to medical experience, and a boy died as a result. Hongchi Xiao, during a visit to South Africa, sits cross-legged as he gives an interview about the merits of paida lajin The boy died at a 990 slap therapy retreat held at the Ritz Hotel in Hurstville, Sydney, in 2015 Court sketch of Xiao at Winchester Crown Court during the latest court case against him A significant purple bruise, appearing as though made with the palm of a hand, appears on a paida lajin participant's tummy Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, who had diabetes, ended up dead from the consequences of Xaio's unorthodox methods A person covered in red marks across the backs of their legs after taking part in paida lajin 'His actions towards Danielle Carr-Gomm occurred when the very real, obvious and serious risk of death had become all the more real and all the more obvious. 'They involved similar conduct, congratulating a Type 1 diabetic who replaced insulin with Paida Lajin, and taking no action to secure her help despite the cruel lesson that ought to have been provided by the boy's untimely death.' He was pronounced dead five days later at Sydney's St George Hospital. Xiao was found guilty of the manslaughter of Aidan in October 2015. His parents and grandmother were also charged with manslaughter in 2017, but found not guilty. In December 2019, Xiao was sentenced to at least seven years and six months in prison for manslaughter. A New South Wales District Court judge said his parents were clearly led to believe their son would be cured of diabetes through participating in the workshop. When Xiao was found guilty of Aidan's death in 2019, he listened to the heartbreaking victim impact statement of the agony his parents had endured. 'He was becoming my best friend,' Mr Fenton told a court in Sydney. Meanwhile, Mrs Fenton revealed her 'immense pain, as if someone stabbed me in my heart.' The alternative healer showed no remorse for his role in Aidan's death, later telling his YouTube followers that it was 'purely an accident' and the boy had 'many diseases'. An alternative healer was today convicted of manslaughter after a diabetic grandmother died at his slap therapy workshop. Hongchi Xiao, 61, had an 'unshakeable' belief that Western medicine is 'evil' and refused to call for help while Danielle Carr-Gomm lay dying. He had 'congratulated' the 71-year-old when she stopped taking insulin at his four-day retreat where he performed paida lajin, a Chinese holistic therapy which involves slapping patients. Mrs Carr-Gomm - a follower of Xiao's who wanted to get rid of her type 1 diabetes - fell gravely ill during the 2016 course and was heard 'howling in pain' before dying of diabetic ketoacidosis on day four. Xiao ignored medical evidence that diabetics needs lifesaving insulin and 'evangelised' his slap therapy course as a 'cure' for diabetes. He was extradited for the trial from Australia, where he had previously been prosecuted over the death of a six-year-old boy who also died after his parents withdrew his insulin medication after attending the defendant's workshop in Sydney. Hongchi Xiao, 61, has been found guilty of the manslaughter of Danielle Carr-Gomm Mrs Carr-Gomm, a follower of Xiao's who wanted to get rid of her type 1 diabetes, fell gravely ill over the course of the October 2016 workshop Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels leading to horrific injuries such as those pictured above Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Mrs Carr-Gomm had sought alternatives to her insulin medication for type 1 diabetes because of her vegetarianism and fear of needles. She had first joined a Paida Lajin workshop, which means 'slap and stretch', run by the defendant in Bulgaria in July 2016. What is paida lajin? Inside dangerous world of slap therapy The art of slap therapy is claimed to be a method of self healing which promises to improve blood circulation and release toxins from the body. But the seemingly painful practice has been linked to a number of deaths worldwide and has also seen practitioners covered in deep cuts and huge swollen bruises. The practice involves participants slapping parts of their body with their hands until they begin to swell and turn red, supposedly ridding the blood of so called toxins which cause organs to 'become sick'. It has amassed a cult like following around the world, with one website claiming there are 'millions of practitioners in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Germany, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Australia'. Those who practice paida laijin believe it can remove blockages of toxins, known as 'sha', in 'microcirculations' that are present in all internal organs. Many medical practitioners have criticised the practice, saying that it causes bruises and results in broken blood vessels. Advertisement She became seriously ill after stopping her insulin medicine before she restarted and subsequently recovered. Mr Atkinson described how Mrs Carr-Gomm went on to attend another of Xiao's workshops in Wiltshire in October of that year. The court had heard how Xiao said 'well done' to Mrs Carr-Gomm, after she told the group she had stopped taking her insulin at the week-long retreat, and she became seriously ill. Mr Atkinson said that by the third day 'she was vomiting, tired and weak, and by the evening she was howling in pain and unable to respond to questions'. A chef at the workshop, Teresa Hayes, told jurors Mrs Carr-Gomm was 'delirious' and 'frothing at the mouth' before she died, adding that she wanted to call an ambulance but trusted those with more experience of the holistic healing method. Mr Atkinson described how the defendant failed to get medical help for Mrs Carr-Gomm before she died in the early hours of the fourth day. The prosecutor said: 'Those who had received and accepted the defendant's teachings misinterpreted Mrs Carr-Gomm's condition as a healing crisis.' He said that Xiao had been an 'exponent' of Paida Lajin for 10 years and had written a book on it. Mr Atkinson said: 'It is said to be a method of self-healing in which 'poisonous waste' is expelled from the body through patting and slapping parts of the body.' He added: 'He does not have medical qualifications or training. 'In a book that he wrote about Paida Lajin, the defendant asserted that the taking of insulin leads to liver and eye problems, and that in contrast the Paida Lajin was 'safer and more reliable than existing healing practices' which would result in 'significant improvement' or full recovery in 90% of cases, including cases of diabetes.' He added that Xiao also wrote in the book that 'doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs'. The 71-year-old, who had diabetes, ended up dead from the consequences of Xaio's unorthodox methods A significant purple bruise, appearing as though made with the palm of a hand, appears on a paida lajin participant's tummy Xiao claims these horrific marks left on the skin show the presence of toxins in the body The court heard that Mrs Carr-Gomm had provided a testimonial for Xiao, describing him as a 'messenger sent by God' who was 'starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of health care'. Mrs Carr-Gomm was born in France and moved to the UK aged 21. Speaking after her death, her son Matthew Carr-Gomm, who lives in New Zealand, said: 'She was always keen to try and find alternative methods of treating and dealing with her diabetes, and was very interested in alternative and holistic medicine and therapies. 'I know she was desperate to try and cure herself of this disease. 'She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was adamant that nothing would stop her from living a full life. 'In recent years, mum was in a great place with a partner, a lovely home and was travelling the world. 'She had a lot of life left in her.' He said the death of Mrs Carr-Gomm had come as a 'huge shock' to the family. Giving evidence during the trial, Xiao said he would 'never' persuade someone who needed insulin not to take it, adding that insulin is 'useful'. On his attitude towards medication at his workshops, he added: 'First of all, I said I'm not a medical doctor, so everyone is responsible for their own medication. 'Secondly, I'm not fully against medicine, what I'm concerned about is the side effect of the medicine.' Xiao claimed slap therapy could cure people from immune diseases such as diabetes , arthritis and even cancer and autism Court sketch of Xiao at Winchester Crown Court A person covered in red marks across the backs of their legs after taking part in paida lajin Xiao, at a workshop in 2015, is pictured performing his paida lajin slapping and stretching method on a willing participant Thanking the jury for their 'record' number of questions, the judge said: 'You are a shining example of why the jury system we have is something this country we can be incredibly proud of.' Rosemary Ainslie, head the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Hongchi Xiao knew the consequences of Danielle Carr-Gomm's decision to stop taking insulin could be fatal, he had seen it before. 'Hongchi Xiao was the man in charge, yet he failed to respond to Mrs Carr-Gomm's worsening condition with tragic consequences. 'His failure to take reasonable steps to help Mrs Carr-Gomm substantially contributed to her death and amounted to gross negligence. Wiltshire Police's Detective Constable Dave Topp said Mrs Carr-Gomm had 'put her trust' in the 'extremely convincing' Hongchi Xiao. The mother and grandmother had a 'love for travelling' before her tragic death in 2016. Speaking outside Winchester Crown Court, he said: 'Xiao had no medical qualifications or experience but claimed to be a self professed master in paida lajin - an ancient Chinese method for self-healing which involves slapping and stretching techniques to cure conditions such as diabetes. 'However Danielle's health deteriorated whilst in the care of Xiao and she sadly died. 'A major investigation launched into her death and Xiao was arrested." He continued: 'Despite having no medical qualifications Xiao actively encouraged those attending his workshops to stop taking medication, knowing full-well the consequences. 'Danielle put her trust in Xiao, he was extremely convincing and confident in his beliefs. 'This has been an extremely complex investigation with a high level of medical expertise sought before Xiao could be extradited and put before the courts. 'The passage of time which as been out of our control has added further challenges and complications to our investigation. 'Xiao's not guilty plea has only shown the little remorse he has over Danielle's death and has made an extremely difficult and upsetting process for Danielle's family even more prolonged and distressing. 'Danielle was a mother and a grandmother who enjoyed life and had a love of travelling. 'Her death came as a huge shock to her family and friends and our thoughts are very much with them at this time.' Xiao will be sentenced on October 1. Worklessness due to long-term sickness has soared six-fold in parts of Britain since pre-Covid, analysis suggests. Currently 2.8million people are off work ill, according to Government estimates, up by around 700,000 before the pandemic rocked the country. Spiralling rates of mental ill health has driven the 'economic inactivity crisis', which Labour has promised to tackle as part of its plans to give the economy a boost and save taxpayers billions on welfare hand-outs. Young people are now just as likely to be out of work because of long-term illness as people in their 40s, according to the Resolution Foundation. MailOnline analysis of official statistics shows more than 14 per cent of the working age population of Dover are now estimated to be 'economically inactive' because of a long-term illness, or 9,700 people. For comparison, the figure was nearly 2.5 per cent in 2019-20. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Cambridge saw the second biggest rise, following Dover. It went from almost 1.5 per cent of 16- to 64-year-olds off work due to long-term sickness in 2019/20 to 6 per cent in 2023/24. About one in 15 local authorities have seen rates at least double over the same time-frame, according to data from the ONS Labour Force Survey. The figures are estimates, based on self-reported cases of long-term illness. Blackpool, meanwhile, has the highest rate across Britain, with 16 per cent 12,900 out of 80,800 people of its residents unemployed due to illness. Millions more are out of work across the country for other reasons, such as studying at university, being retired or looking after their family. Total economic inactivity in Britain now exceeds 9.5m, according to the ONS. Before the Covid pandemic it stood at around 8.4million. Being a student used to be the leading cause of economic inactivity, but long-term sickness overtook it in late 2021. Nearly 30 per cent of economically inactive people are so because of long-term sickness, up from 25 per cent before the pandemic. Across England, Scotland and Wales the number of people out of work because of a long-term illness rose by nearly 20 per cent between 2019 and 2024. Of those economically inactive due to long-term illness, depression, bad nerves or anxiety has consistently been the most common primary or secondary cause. The numbers rose by nearly 390,000 or 40 per cent, from around 965,000 in 2019 to around 1.35million in 2023, ONS figures show. This is the greatest total rise of all reported conditions. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Louise Murphy, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation think-tank, said: 'This lays bare the scale of the economic inactivity crisis Britain is facing, with rising ill-health blighting too many people's jobs and career prospects. 'But the ill-health problems we face today are different to those of the past. 'Mental health problems are driving much of the recent rise in inactivity and are concentrated among young people, who are now just as likely to be out of work due to long-term sickness as people in their 40s.' Labour's health advisor this week suggested workers on long-term sick leave should face benefit sanctions if they fail to seek employment. Alan Milburn, who was health secretary under Tony Blair, said that getting millions of people who are economically inactive on medical grounds back into work would cut welfare costs. Mr Milburn said 'scrutiny, conditionality and sanctions' would be needed to get those who refuse to work into a job. But he also criticised the UK's 'perverse' welfare system, which 'pays to be classified as incapable of work rather than actively seeking it'. Your browser does not support iframes. Mr Milburn said: 'Those who are classified as officially seeking work are offered some support to do so but also face harsh conditionality and lower benefit payments than those who are classified as unable to work. 'By contrast, the latter economically inactive group get little support to find work but face no conditionality and receive higher payments than those actively seeking work. 'Solving this problem will require action across public services from schools, colleges and the NHS to job-centres.' A survey included in the report also concluded that the most common barrier to work for those who want to was a disability or health issue, with 62 per cent saying this was an issue for them. Half said a barrier was family or caring commitments and more than two in five said there was too much competition and that they lacked recent experience. Labour Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall this week promised she would get two million more people into work. In her first speech in the role, she slammed the 'dire' situation that meant Britain is 'the only G7 country whose employment rate still hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels'. But she indicated the Government would abandon the tough approach of the Tories and vowed to end 'divisive rhetoric about strivers versus scroungers'. Ms Kendall said the Department for Work and Pensions needed 'fundamental reform' to 'shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work'. Women and children are among those raped, killed and decapitated in an outbreak of horrific violence on Australia's doorstep. The violent attacks on three remote villages in the Angoram district of East Sepik, in Papua New Guinea's (PNG) north, has likely killed 26 people, including 16 children, while several people were forced to flee after attackers set fire to their homes, the United Nations said. 'I am horrified by the shocking eruption of deadly violence in Papua New Guinea, seemingly as the result of a dispute over land and lake ownership and user rights,' U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said in a statement released on Wednesday. The death toll could rise to more than 50 as PNG authorities search for missing people, Turk said. More than 200 people had to flee their homes after it was torched in the attacks that happened in the East Sepik province on July 16 and 18. About 33 men from a youth gang called 'I don't care' burned houses before killing an elderly man and a five-year-old boy in the Angrumara village on July 17, news.com.au reported. The village of Tambari was also attacked the following day while most of the villagers were sleeping, with women and young girls raped and killed, and some male villagers also murdered. Acting East Sepik Provincial Police Commander Senior Inspector James Baugen told the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier that mothers nursing their babies were decapitated and the bodies of the victims mutilated. The violent attacks on three remote villages in the Angoram district of East Sepik, in Papua New Guinea's (PNG) north, has likely killed 26 people, including 16 children, while several people were forced to flee after attackers set fire to their homes, the United Nations said 'Most of the bodies were found, their heads were chopped off. Some are mothers who were trying to save their children from being slaughtered,' he said. 'The crime scene is rotting with dead bodies. Some of the bodies were seen floating down the Sepik River and taken by crocodiles.' One woman told PNG newspaper The National about how she clung to a log to avoid the attackers. 'I could hear women wailing in pain, children crying out. I was lucky the men didn't see me,' she said. 'Three of my sisters were raped but escaped while another seven are missing. Three mothers with infants were killed and the babies taken away.' Mr Turk urged PNG authorities 'to work in and with the affected communities to address the root causes of land and lake disputes, and so prevent recurrence of further violence'. Home to hundreds of tribes and languages, the Pacific nation to Australia's north has a long history of tribal warfare. However, violence has ratcheted up over the past decade as villagers swapped bows and arrows for military rifles and elections deepened existing tribal divides. Eight people were killed and 30 homes torched in fighting in the Enga province in May, while at least 26 men were killed in an ambush in the same region in February. The escalation of violence comes as the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Albanese government are believed to be finalising a deal to establish an NRL team in the country. The proposal is expected to be supported by $600million in Federal government funding over 10 years. Rugby league, considered the national game in PNG, is seen as a vehicle for 'sports diplomacy' to counter the growing influence of China in the small nation. EXCLUSIVE Accused killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon has been moved to Australia's most top secret jail as his mental health continues to decline after almost six months in strict segregation. Lamarre-Condon was recently transferred to a clandestine unit within Sydney's Long Bay prison complex called the Special Purpose Centre (SPC) which houses NSW's most vulnerable inmates. The SPC currently holds about 30 of the state's 13,000 prisoners and is so far off-the-grid most Corrective Services staff cannot access information about who is in there. Sometimes known as The Kennel because of the number of 'dogs' - or informers - it accommodates, once inmates step inside the SPC's walls their whereabouts no longer appear on the Corrective Services computer system. Instead of being referred to by name or the Master Index Number (MIN) every prisoner receives when they are first go into custody, SPC occupants are identified internally by a number following the letter P. 'It's basically for inmates who can't be put anywhere else because they'd be killed,' a prison source told Daily Mail Australia. Mark Standen, the onetime assistant director of the NSW Crime Commission who was jailed over a $120million drug plot, spent most of his 16 years behind bars at the SPC before his release in June. Lamarre-Condon is charged with murdering former Studio Ten presenter Jesse Baird and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies at Paddington on February 19. Accused killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon (above) has been moved to Australia's most top secret jail as his mental health continues decline after almost six months in strict segregation He was previously in protective custody at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC) at Silverwater in Sydney's west before being shifted to the SPC about six weeks ago. Earlier this month, the 28-year-old was hit with an additional charge of aggravated break and enter and the murder charges were specified to be related to domestic violence. Lamarre-Condon's solicitor John Walford said his client was struggling to adjust to his situation as his legal team waited for the rest of the prosecution's brief against him to be served. 'I can say in general terms he's feeling overwhelmed,' Mr Walford told Daily Mail Australia. 'His mental health issues are declining. 'He's frustrated because he can't say anything at the moment. He's feeling very frustrated. He wants to be able to say something. 'I can say that to you at the moment, he's not doing well. He's declining.' Mr Walford only learnt of the fresh charge, and that police were officially alleging the deaths of Mr Baird and Mr Davies were acts of domestic violence, through media reports. While the case makes its way through the courts Lamarre-Condon can expect to stay in his present location. Beaue Lamarre-Condon is charged with murdering former Studio Ten presenter Jesse Baird (right) and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies (left) at Paddington on February 19 Whereas Supermax at Goulburn contains prisoners who represent a danger to staff and other inmates, the SPC warehouses those who are at extreme risk of physical harm. It sometimes even takes offenders smaller states cannot keep safe, such as Perth bikie Sid 'Snot' Reid, who turned on his Gypsy Joker bikie comrades. Reid became perhaps Australia's most infamous supergrass after he was arrested over the 2001 car firebombing murders of former Western Australian CIB boss Don Hancock and his friend Lou Lewis. A retired senior prison officer who had never been inside the facility despite working in the NSW jail system for decades said few Corrective Services employees were familiar with the place. 'All the inmates are referred to by a number, not by name,' he said. 'I always thought of the place as an "upmarket boneyard". It's basically a very expensive protection unit.' Wayne Astill, who is serving a maximum 23 years for raping 14 female inmates when he was a prison officer at Dillwynia Correctional Centre, has called the SPC home since shortly after his arrest. Former Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld did time at the SPC after being convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice for claiming a dead woman was driving his car when he received a speeding fine. Despised rapist and prison informer Fred Many spent his final years of incarceration at the SPC, while gangster Neddy Smith had a long stint there after cooperating with ICAC in the early 1990s. Swedish model Charlotte Lindstrom, who tried to hire a hitman to kill two witnesses giving evidence against her drug-dealing fiance, was another notorious SPC resident. Lamarre-Condon was recently transferred to a unit within Sydney 's Long Bay prison complex called the Special Purpose Centre which houses NSW's most vulnerable inmates. Stock image Lamarre-Condon is accused of shooting Mr Baird, 26 and Mr Davies, 29 with his service pistol at Mr Baird's home and then dumping their bodies two days later in the Southern Tablelands. Mr Baird and Lamarre-Condon were previously engaged in what police described as an 'off and on' romance but Mr Baird had not wanted to pursue a relationship. Investigators have alleged Lamarre-Condon displayed 'predatory' behaviour in the lead-up to the killings. Lamarre-Condon, who used to regularly post pictures of himself with international stars on social media, turned himself in to police at Bondi four days after Mr Baird and Mr Davies were shot dead. Following a brief court appearance that afternoon, Lamarre-Condon was transferred to the MRRC, where he was placed in protective custody due to his status as a policeman. Jail authorities also deemed him potentially at risk because he was accused of extremely serious offences, had attracted saturation media attention and had never previously been in prison. Detective spoke to Lamarre-Condon at the MRRC on February 24 after he received legal advice from Mr Walford. Lamarre-Condon was previously in protective custody at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater (above) in Sydney's west before being shifted to the SPC Police subsequently located the bodies of Mr Baird and Mr Davies on a property at Bungonia, about 180km south-west of Sydney. The former senior constable was sacked by the NSW Police Force on March 22 and is listed to appear in court again on August 13. Lamarre-Condon has undergone a preliminary psychiatric assessment and his lawyers are awaiting a secondary report. Mr Walford, a former detective who spent 20 years in the NSW Police Force, said once the Director of Public Prosecutions had served a full brief of evidence he could seek proper legal instructions from Lamarre-Condon. 'We're desperately trying to get everything served on us,' Mr Walford said. 'I'm hoping we can get this thing wrapped up and into court sooner rather than later to be honest.' Mr Walford has previously said the murder charges 'could be' defendable and that Lamarre-Condon's mental health would likely feature in any case he presented in court. 'Mental health is something we expect to come into play,' he said in March. 'It certainly seems there are things we have to look at in that way.' A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said the department did not comment on an individual inmate's circumstances. The number of children being seriously hurt by knives in England and Wales rose 47 per cent in just 10 years, a new report has found. The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) warned in its latest report that serious violence involving knives has increased significantly in recent years, impacting some of Britain's most deprived communities the most. The London-based non-profit noted that police have 'failed' to solve most crimes, investigating only nine per cent of cases successfully, down from 25 per cent ten years ago - as funding for essential resources aimed at prevention have dried up. The report notes spending on young people's services has 'more than halved' since 2012-13, with many more children finding themselves in care, in absolute poverty or being referred to mental health services - weakening the 'safety nets' in place to support the most vulnerable. Black children were more than six times more likely to be murdered compared to their share of the population in 2022-23 - a difference that has 'narrowed' recently, but remains worse than it was ten years ago. Police are investigating fewer cases as funding has been cut, the report found Nottinghamshire has seen the highest rate of violent offences by children per capita While hospital admissions have been coming down, they remain higher than a decade ago The harrowing report claims that while homicides, hospitalisations for knife assault and violent offending by children have all fallen below their pre-Covid levels, the rates remain high compared to where they were in the early 2010s. In 2023-23, 99 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 were victims of homicide, up from 87 in 2012-13. This follows a wider uptick in violence since the start of the last decade, correlated closely with a drop in funding for vital services designed to help young people away from violent crime. Homicides of 16-24 year olds spiked in 2017-18, up 69 per cent from 2012-13's figures. The number of 0-17 year olds admitted to hospital for knife assault likewise rose significantly through the late 2010s, nearly doubling from 2012-13 to 2018-19. While the overall trend shows figures falling in the last couple of years, the YEF raises concerns that homicides and hospital admissions remained higher than they did 10 years ago - up 14 per cent and 47 per cent respectively. Boys are disproportionately affected by the violence, remaining mostly unchanged. In 2022-23, men accounted for 83 per cent of children cautioned or convicted for violent offences. 91 per cent of all children being admitted to hospital for knife assaults were young boys in this period, the report found. While London recorded the highest sheer number of violent offences committed by children between 2021-22 and 2022-23, Nottinghamshire recorded the most per 100,000 people. Population-dense London recorded 320 violent offences by children in the period - behind North Wales (324/100,000), West Yorks (363/100,000) and Notts (383/100,000). 'Although London ranks highest for the total number of young people involved in violence, it's shown relatively greater decreases in recent years compared to other areas,' the authors noted. 'In 2022/23, proven violent offending by children in London was 38% down compared to the year before Covid-19 (2019/20) a larger decrease than almost three-quarters (74%) of all police force areas.' Your browser does not support iframes. Of immediate concern - with absolute poverty and inequality increasing since the pandemic towards 'Victorian Age' levels - knife crime appears to hit the poorest areas of England and Wales the hardest. Children living in the most deprived police force areas are 2.5 times more likely to be exposed to violent crime than those in the least deprived areas. While stopping short of pronouncing causation, the report correlates the concerning trends with the unavailability of safety nets designed to protect children from violence. 'There are signs of stretched services, financial pressures and increasing numbers of children in need of support,' the report concludes, pointing to a dearth of resources in the youth sector, education, health and children's services. Spending on services for young people in England has halved in the last decade, down by more than 500,000 since 2012-13 in real terms. Jon Yates, executive director at the Youth Endowment Fund said: 'If we want to cut knife crime and ensure that the next decade is safer for our children than the last, we need to focus our efforts and resources on the strategies that we know work. 'With the right support and opportunities, we can make our communities safer and help all children live a life free from violence.' The YEF observes that since Covid, schools are still facing challenges with unauthorised absences. Persistent absence rates reached 21 per cent in 2022-23. More than a million children in England and Wales were also referred to mental health services - a figure that jumped sharply after the pandemic. 'Unfortunately, NHS services are struggling to cope with demand, leading to longer waiting lists and children being unable to access support when they need it.' Police, notably, have had less success investigating related crimes. In 2012-13, one in four recorded crimes led to a charge, summons or out-of-court disposal. But ten years on, the figure had fallen to just nine per cent. The YEF concludes there is 'growing evidence about what works to prevent violence', despite the trends, and urges use of approaches 'such as mentoring, therapies and hot spot policing' to prevent violence. They suggest children committing low-level or first-time offences would benefit from targeted and timely support rather than criminal records to prevent reoffending. The harrowing report comes as the Met Police arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of murder on Wednesday after 15-year-old Pharrell Garcia was found collapsed on the ground in Hackney, London having suffered fatal stab wounds on Tuesday. The horrific incident took place on the grounds of a block of flats next to Benthal Primary School, where Pharrell had been a pupil before going on to secondary school. Two friends from his school told of how Pharrell had been visiting a friend who lives in the area, and was about to leave on a Lime bike he had rented when someone 'tried to rob him'. They said Pharrell had tried to run, but the robber 'banged him on the head' before stabbing him in the lungs, causing him to suffocate. It is understood he had gone to the area to pick up his sister from the primary school, before then meeting his friend. Yvette Cooper arrives in Downing Street to attend weekly Cabinet meeting in London, July 16 Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has blamed the rising trend of knife crime on the former Tory government, promising things will change under Labour. 'We can't carry on like this. This Labour government will put neighbourhood police back on the beat in our town centres, with stronger laws on knife crime, shoplifting and assaults on shop workers to keep our communities safe,' she said. Ms Cooper previously put forward a new 'tough love' youth programme targeting those most at risk and delivering support for young people struggling with mental health issues. The policy 'will draw' on a fund of up to 100mn a year to identify those most at risk, develop a national network of Young Futures hubs, and to reinforce existing measures deemed effective. The Crest think tank estimates as many as 200,000 children are vulnerable to serious violence, a record number. Separately, the ONS found this week that knife-enabled crime recorded by police in the year ending March 2024 had increased by four per cent (50,510 offences) year-on-year (up from 48,409 offences). Hundreds of texts between members of a faith-healing group in the week a young girl lay dying from her diabetic condition have been revealed in court. Fourteen members of the religious circle known as The Saints are on trial charged with the death of Elizabeth Struhs, who was found dead in her Rangeville home in early 2022. It is alleged the Toowoomba girl's parents - Jason Richard Struhs, 52, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49 - and members of The Saints withheld the girl's insulin from January 3 that year in line with their group's hard line beliefs in the healing power of God. Elizabeth's condition worsened until she died between January 6-7 from diabetic ketoacidosis. Jason and Kerrie Struhs are charged with their daughter's murder and manslaughter respectively. Elizabeth's elder brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and Keita Courtney Martin, 22, are all charged with manslaughter. The Saints' leader Brendan Luke Stevens, 62, is charged with murder alongside Jason. The court has been told Jason made the decision to withdraw Elizabeth's insulin to prove his faith in God after being baptised into The Saints in August 2021. Elizabeth Struhs died between January 6 and 7, 2022 at her family's home in Rangeville, Toowoomba, from diabetic ketoacidosis. Picture: Supplied Zachary Struhs (top row, 2nd from right) is among 14 members of the religious group The Saints accused of fatally withdrawing Elizabeth's insulin several days before her death. Picture: Court Sketch / NewsWire On Friday, Brisbane Supreme Court was shown hundreds of texts exchanged between members of the group dating back as far as 2019. During the week of Elizabeth's death, Jason texted Brendan Stevens that he was struggling after seeing his daughter become unwell. Members of The Saints attended the Struhs home over the following days and continued to share messages encouraging Jason to stay firm in his faith. One message from Ms Martin to Andrea Stevens reads: 'God won't give Jason more than he can bear.' In another, Andrea texts Ms Martin: 'Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit this mountain shall be removed.' Members of The Saints attended the Struhs home while Elizabeth was sick and continued to share messages encouraging Jason Richard Struhs (pictured) to stay firm in his faith. Supplied, Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs (pictured) are both charged with the murder and torture of their daughter Elizabeth Rose Struhs. Supplied On January 7 - the day Elizabeth died - Camellia Stevens tells her brother Alexander the girl doesn't appear to be breathing. She then says: 'We will see this miracle.' A text sent by Therese Stevens to Camellia and Acacia Stevens was also read onto the record. 'There is nothing to be afraid of, the Lord is with us. Elizabeth is alive. Be comforted,' her text read. The court was told Ms Schoenfisch and Therese also exchanged messages in 2021 after Ms Schoenfisch was baptised into the group. Ms Schoenfisch tells Therese over text that she was doing a 'clean out' of all 'unnecessary' medication. She said she was throwing out her creams and ointments, describing them as 'witchcraft'. 'Needless to say there are many vitamins, sleeping tablets and painkillers all on their way to the dump this afternoon. Praise God,' Ms Schoenfisch says in her text. Therese responds by recommending salt water as a replacement for antiseptic and to apply honey 'if a wound is clean'. Recorded interviews with the defendants are also expected to be played over the coming weeks. In one, played on Thursday, Zachary Struhs tells police he is 'disgusted' his parents were being investigated for murder and people would be 'judged' for it. The court was told he was interviewed at Toowoomba Police Station several days after Elizabeth's death. Zachary tells officers that he did not regret calling anyone to seek medical attention for his sister. He goes on to say his sister had the full support of their congregation when the decision to stop administering her lifesaving insulin medication in the days prior, before slamming the investigation into his family. 'I'm very disgusted this is a murder investigation,' Zachary told officers at Toowoomba Police Station. 'All of those involved will be judged based on what's in their heart and what they've done today.' The judge-alone trial continues. The world is full of injustices, but none apparently quite so bitter as the decision by sandwich chain Pret A Manger to water down its 'coffee subscription' service. Nearly four years after the scheme was launched, instead of a 30 monthly fee allowing them up to five free drinks a day, subscribers to Club Pret were told last week they will soon have to pay 10 a month in return for just a 50 per cent discount. Club Pret's fans are appalled. Ever since the change, which will take effect in September, was announced in a letter signed off 'with love' from UK managing director Clare Clough social media has been frothing like a cappuccino machine gone haywire. Pret's coffee subscription offered customers up to five drinks a day for just 30 a month 'You are making a huge mistake,' warned one user on X. 'There is time to rectify it, otherwise I am cancelling my subscription and will never set foot into any of your stores (which will quickly shut down, one by one, from September) ever again.' Another echoed the thought: 'Can't wait to never set foot in Pret again because of this change.' Others calculated the brutal economics of the new rules. At the moment, any Club Pret member with the caffeine-tolerance to gulp down five coffees per day for a month currently pays 30 to do so. But in future, such a habit will set them back 280, instead of 540 at full price. So if the Club was hugely popular, and got people through the doors to buy sandwiches and other things, why has Pret dropped it? Some experts have suggested the offer was simply too generous. They say it has been an enormous own-goal, rather like Hoover's infamous 'free flights' deal in 1992, when the vacuum-cleaner company was nearly brought to its knees after it offered two free return plane tickets to New York for anyone spending more than 100 on a Hoover. Eagle-eyed travellers noticed that the value of the free tickets was around 600 six times the cost of the vacuum cleaner. Understairs cupboards filled up with surplus Hoovers while their owners enjoyed a jaunt to the Big Apple. The fiasco ended up costing the company an estimated 48 million. Like the Hoover deal, Pret's coffee subscription was born out of desperation to boost business. When it launched on September 8, 2020, with the economy struggling to recover from the first Covid lockdown, the service offered five drinks a day including teas, hot chocolates, smoothies and frappes for an initial price of 20 per month. When it launched in 2020 the service had an initial price of 20 per month, which has gradually increased It was the same week the 'Rule of Six' was announced, and Britain began to be carved up into a bewildering number of 'tiers', all with their own constantly changing rules on social distancing. Millions of workers had yet to return to the office and Pret's 450 UK shops around three-quarters of which are in London were hurting badly. 'How Long Can Pret A Manger Hold Out While Brits Still Work From Home?' asked a headline in the Grocer magazine. That was in spite of efforts by Rishi Sunak, then the chancellor, to give the hospitality sector a boost by temporarily lowering VAT to 5 per cent, and posting a cheery picture of himself buying lunch with the caption: 'Making the most of Pret's price cut in response to the VAT reduction.' The chain also benefited from Sunak's 'Eat Out To Help Out' wheeze, in which the Treasury (ie the taxpayer) paid half the cost of food and drink consumed on premises (up to 10 per person) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during August 2020. Pret's coffee subscription scheme was an immediate success, attracting 16,500 subscribers on its first day, far more than expected. By April 2023, the chain was dishing out over 1.25 million coffees a week under the subscription, to an estimated 180,000 customers. Pret was left with a headache: the scheme was rapidly becoming unaffordable, but how should they handle customers now accustomed to coffee that was apparently free at the point of delivery and who were bound to squeal if the offer was withdrawn? Pret was having to make many more coffees as customers tried to max out their subscriptions. Non-subscribers, meanwhile, were understandably miffed at having to wait in queues behind 'freeloaders' aka subscribers who were paying far less for drinks. By April 2023, the chain was dishing out over 1.25 million coffees a week under the subscription In 2023, the chain phased out fruit smoothies and frappes, available via the subscription, because they were expensive and time-consuming to make. That same year, Pret let slip that the average subscriber was visiting its shops 28 times a month almost every day. Assuming they were having a coffee on each occasion, that meant they were getting each one for just over 1. Yet for non-subscribers, Pret was charging anything from 3 for an espresso to 4.25 for a 'Matcha Latte'. According to insiders, High Street coffee shops typically make a profit margin of 10 per cent, with rent and staff accounting for a far bigger chunk of costs than the raw materials of coffee beans and milk. That means customers need to pay roughly 2.70 for Pret just to break even on an espresso the company was thus losing 1.70 on every one handed out under the Club Pret rules. Pret was putting on a brave face. In 2022, it returned to profit for the first time since 2018, and claimed that subscribers were spending almost 30 per cent more per transaction than non-subscribers. But, it's difficult to see how it can be making anything other than a thumping loss on every cup of coffee it serves under the scheme. What's more, didn't the need for the Club arguably disappear as more workers returned to the office? Retail analyst Natalie Berg says: 'You can't fault Pret for experimenting. They had to find a way to lure customers back into their stores post-lockdown. 'But for any subscription model to work, both the customer and the business need to be getting value from it. Pret's problem has been that some customers were arguably getting too much value.' When it raised the price of the monthly subscription from 25 to 30 in 2023, Pret threw in a 20 per cent discount on food. But there was no hiding the fact that while appearing to lose money from its more active subscribers, Pret was marking up the cost of other products. Even allowing for a cost-of-living crisis, for non-coffee drinkers like me, a visit to Pret looks anything like good value for money. A bottle of still water, which cost 1.10 in August 2020, now costs an astonishing 2.20 according to Prets website. As for a tuna baguette, 3.15 in 2020, I paid 5.25 for one in London a fortnight ago Pret says it will now bring down many of its prices. And yes, there are signs of that happening. A butter croissant is available for 1.99 (down from 2.30) and Arabica filter coffee for 99p (from 1.80). Pret says it will bring down many of its prices. Arabica filter coffee now costs 99p (from 1.80) Pret is in good company when it comes to making over-generous offers. As well as the Hoover fiasco, McDonald's made a blunder with its 'When the US wins, you win' promotion during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Scratchcards offered customers free food and drink if the U.S. won a medal in particular events. A gold was worth a Big Mac, a silver a portion of fries and a bronze Coca-Cola. McDonald's had based its sums on the 1976 Montreal Olympics, when the U.S. won 94 medals, 34 of them gold. But the boycott of the 1984 Olympics by the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist nations paved the way for a gargantuan American haul of 174 medals, 83 of them gold. The fast food giant took a hit. Then there was the promotion by the US frozen food chain Healthy Choice in 1999 offering $1 worth of air miles for every eligible product. David Phillips, a California civil engineer, discovered a chocolate pudding on sale for just 25 cents and went on a buying spree. Cutting out the barcodes from 12,150 puddings yielded him 1.2 million air miles. It's a tale that embodies the consumer dream of using a flawed promotion to get one over on a company. For Club Pret's subscribers, that dream will now seem even more elusive. Kamala Harris was all smiles when she arrived at Joe Biden's former Delaware campaign headquarters on Monday. She was there to lift the spirits of blindsided staffers, who after 15 months of toiling to re-elect the president, suddenly found themselves working for her. 'It is my great honor to have Joe's endorsement in this race,' she boasted to cheers from a crowd who were now on her payroll. But as the assembled readily applauded, some must have harbored private concerns. For, behind the recent public self-branding of Harris as a kindly, jovial 'Momala', she has earned a nasty reputation as an alleged 'soul-destroying' workplace 'bully'. Only four of the initial 71 staffers hired by Harris during her first year in office still remain in a job. The rest either quit or were fired, according to analysis by non-partisan watchdog Open The Books. Behind the recent public self-branding of Harris as a kindly, jovial 'Momala', she has earned a nasty behind-closed-doors reputation as an alleged 'soul-destroying' workplace 'bully'. Kamala Harris was all smiles when she arrived at Joe Biden 's former Delaware campaign headquarters on Monday. That translates to a 92 percent staff turnover rate and, say critics, is a likely sign that the issues on Team Harris have more to do with her than anyone else. During research for my recent Harris biography ('Amateur Hour', published in January), the horror stories I heard from many of her former employees and read about in numerous reports shocked me. As far back as the 2010s, when Harris served as California's Attorney General, she was allegedly known for running a 'toxic' workplace. Barbara O'Connor, a professor at California State University, Sacramento claimed that students who worked for Harris as interns frequently came back to her crying and saying that they 'felt they weren't valued.' After Harris was elected in 2017 to represent California in the US Senate, working conditions reportedly did not improve. Analysis showed her office had the ninth-highest staff turnover rate out of the 114 senators who served between 2017 and 2020. Congressional sources told the Mail that she would berate subordinates in expletive-laden tirades. Even those working for Republican lawmakers allegedly got caught in the crossfire. In one instance, reported in my book, sources described how Harris lashed out at a room full of Senate staffers during the highly contentious 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh. On September 28 of that year, as Kavanaugh's nomination moved forward despite liberal outrage over allegations he'd sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford three decades earlier, Harris and her colleagues staged a walkout from the hearings. Harris lashed out at a room full of Senate staffers during the highly contentious 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearings of U.S. Appeals Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Barbara O'Connor (above), a professor at California State University, Sacramento claimed that students who worked for Harris as interns frequently came back to her crying and saying that they 'felt they weren't valued.' Later, Harris was said to explode in anger outside the main Judiciary Committee room. Witnesses recalled Harris cursing and ordering around staffers who did not even work for her. 'Anyone who's staff, get the f*** out of here!' she allegedly yelled. Harris's campaign did not respond to requests for comment on these allegations. Years later, amid the dramatic and rapid collapse of Harris's 2020 presidential bid, this allegedly troubling behavior began to be leaked to the public. In a sensational resignation letter shared with the New York Times in November 2019, Harris's then State Operations Director Kelly Mehlenbacher slammed her boss, saying: 'I have never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly.' She continued: 'It is not acceptable to me that we encouraged people to move from Washington, DC to Baltimore only to lay them off with no notice.' 'Morale has never been lower,' she added, saying there was no 'real plan' for how Harris might win, but that she hoped her departure 'might result in some serious consideration of [] our internal communications'. In a sensational resignation letter shared with the New York Times in November 2019, Harris's then State Operations Director Kelly Mehlenbacher slammed her boss, saying: 'I have never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly.' But as Harris's failed campaign then descended into nasty blame-shifting and finger-pointing, Biden threw her a political lifeline, tapping her to be his running mate and effectively saving her skin. Just a few months into Biden's administration, troubling stories about her management style surfaced once again. In June 2021, Politico spoke to 22 individuals familiar with Harris's VP office who all claimed that her team was experiencing 'low morale, porous lines of communication and diminished trust among aides and senior officials.' 'It's not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s***,' one source said. A Biden administration official claimed Harris was responsible: 'It all starts at the top.' That sentiment was shared by Gil Duran, an ex-aide to Harris who worked in her Attorney General's office and quit after five months. 'What is the common denominator through all this?' he said, 'It's her.' Harris's then-press secretary, Symone Sanders, tried to defend her boss, accusing complaining staffers of being soft. 'We are not making rainbows and bunnies all day,' Sanders told Politico. 'What I hear is that people have hard jobs and I'm like "welcome to the club".' Just five months later, Sanders, a political veteran who had once worked for infamously cantankerous Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (no relation), left Harris's office as well. 'I'm so grateful to the VP for her vote of confidence from the very beginning,' Sanders said. 'We are not making rainbows and bunnies all day,' Sanders (above, right) told Politico. 'What I hear is that people have hard jobs and I'm like 'welcome to the club'.' But then the dam broke. Multiple staffers who worked for Harris before she was Vice President told the Washington Post in December 2021 how she'd reportedly refuse to prepare for public appearances and blame her aides when she then underperformed. 'It's clear [with Harris] that you're not working with somebody who is willing to do the prep and the work,' one ex-aide said. 'With Kamala you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her own lack of confidence. So you're constantly sort of propping up a bully and it's not really clear why.' In the summer of 2021 and reported by CNN Harris was said to have been 'prepped extensively by her team' on how she could respond to questions about why she'd not yet visited the southern border, despite her role as White House 'border czar'. But when the time came to deliver her answer, Harris botched her interview with NBC's Lester Holt. 'We've been to the border,' she told Holt in June of that year. 'You haven't been to the border,' he replied. 'I haven't been to Europe,' Harris clapped back with an awkward laugh. 'I don't understand the point that you're making.' The flippant response resulted in one of the most damaging public appearances of her entire White House tenure. She didn't do another one-on-one interview for nearly a year. 'I haven't been to Europe,' Harris clapped back with an awkward laugh. 'I don't understand the point that you're making.' (Above) Harris's interview with NBC News in June 2021 A Biden administration official claimed Harris was responsible: 'It all starts at the top.' That sentiment was shared by Gil Duran (above), an ex-aide to Harris who worked in Harris's Attorney General's office and quit after five months. At other times, and perhaps as a result of the Holt disaster, Harris reportedly began to over-prepare for some events. In April 2022 having been invited to a salon-style dinner at the home of David Bradley, a heavyweight DC media mogul she was said to be so anxious about that she held a 'mock dinner' with staffers who acted out the roles of dinner guests, Axios reported. Speaking exclusively to the Mail, political strategists who have previously worked for Harris say the root of her problems is that she overly relies on a trusted, though under-qualified inner circle that includes her sister Maya Harris and brother-in-law Tony West, a former Obama Justice Department official. Neither are professional political strategists. Team Harris appears to now be leaking to the media that attempts are underway to bring former Obama adviser David Plouffe and ex-Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on board. But, in truth, I'm told the efforts appear to be more wishful thinking to reassure donors rather than a reality. On Monday, Harris announced that Biden campaign chief Jen O'Malley Dillon would remain on duty as would senior Biden advisor Julie Chavez Rodriguez who previously worked for Harris in her Senate office and on her 2020 presidential race. In a May interview on actress Drew Barrymore's talk show, Harris played the magnanimous boss. 'It's really important to be around people who love you, who are about you and who are going to be honest with you,' she said. As she now prepares to tackle the monumental task of running a presidential campaign in just four months, the question for Harris will surely be whether she's prepared to listen to that honest feedback. Joe Biden's doctor gave a puzzling response when asked if he was the president's physician after being ambushed on the White House lawn. Kevin O'Connor was walking along the driveway trying to get around anti-Israel protest blockades when reporters asked if he was the president's doctor. 'I dont know. I dont know,' O'Connor replied while briskly walking toward the White House. The former US Army medic then said Biden's health and mental cognition were 'excellent' and he saw no need to give the president a cognitive test. O'Connor, known to Biden and others around the White House simply as 'doc', has been a part of the president's life for more than a decade and was a central figure to the family when Biden's son Beau was dying of cancer. Joe Biden's doctor Kevin O'Connor said Biden's health and mental cognition were 'excellent' and he saw no need to give the president a cognitive test He answered in very few words on Thursday as he tried to figure out how to pass the heightened security during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit. The elusive doctor has never given an interview or press conference since Biden took office in January 2021, or even before that, and rarely makes statements. When confronted by the New York Post on Thursday and asked if he was Biden's doctor, he initially replied 'I don't know. I don't know' before confirming he was. Smiling as he said 'It's excellent' when asked how Biden's health was, he then added that he would 'probably not' brief the press about it. 'I hope not,' O'Connor replied when asked if that could change before the end of Biden's term in January. The reporter asked: 'Is there a reason you didn't perform a cognitive test on him?' to which O'Connor explained, 'We don't need to. He's here every day.' O'Connor said there was no truth to speculation that the president was suffering from Parkinson's disease, insisting 'No, he's good'. Biden walks along the Colonnade at the White House with O'Connor in August 2023 He also denied White House visits by Parkinson's specialist Kevin Cannard had anything to do with concerns Biden may have the condition. 'He's seen him three times, my letter was clear,' he said, referring to two weeks ago when he explained Cannard only saw Biden for yearly physical exams. 'Dr Cannard was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals,' he wrote in the letter. 'President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.' Cannard came to the White House residence clinic eight times between July 2023 and March 2024, meeting with Megan Nasworthy, who coordinates health checkups for the presidential family seven of those times. O'Connor has never given an interview or press conference since Biden took office in January 2021, or even before that, and rarely makes statements His eighth visit was to speak with O'Connor and Dr John Atwood, a cardiologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Medical Center, where Cannard also works. 'Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, he has held regular neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations,' O'Connor wrote. 'Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Cannard regularly visits the WHMU as part of this General Neurology practice.' Speculation about Biden's health increased after his disastrous June 27 debate performance against Donald Trump while he battled a bad cold. Subsequent public events did not allay concerns and on Sunday he dropped out of the race but vowed to stay in office until his term ended. President Joe Biden, in an Oval Office address, revealed why he decided to step down as the Democratic nominee Doctors who watched Biden 's address to the nation on Wednesday night pointed out that the speech was relatively short - just 11 minutes - and the president read exclusively from a teleprompter, This made it difficult to make a definitive assessment of his mental and physical well-being. Dr Ernst von Schwarz, a cardiologist in California, said Biden's 'dry mouth, fixed stare, very little... hand movements and gestures... could be signs of cognitive decline' caused by his age, or 'a neurodegenerative condition' such as dementia. But they could also be due to medication, the doctor told DailyMail.com. This Sunday Anthony Albanese will announce the changes being made to his ministerial lineup, in the wake of two cabinet ministers stepping aside ahead of retiring from politics altogether at the next election. But don't make the mistake of thinking that the Labor prime minister gets to decide for himself who moves into his cabinet. No, no, no, that's not how things work in the Labor Party. In case you didn't already know this, the factional bosses sit down and determine who from within their faction gets to enter the Labor ministry. There are 30 ministerial positions all up, most in Cabinet, some in the outer ministry. The Right faction is allocated roughly half the positions, the Left faction gets the rest. The PM gets handed a piece of paper with exactly who will be part of his ministry by each faction. After that, he is given some power: he chooses the portfolios for everyone other than the deputy PM, Richard Marles, who as deputy has the right to choose his portfolio. Because the two retiring ministers, Linda Burney and Brendan O'Connor, are from the Left, that faction will pick two new entrants to the ministry to replace them The word is that one will be the assistant minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. The other is a choice between three other assistant ministers: Patrick Gorman and Senators Tim Ayres and Jenny McAllister, and one junior minister Stephen Jones. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the Labor prime minister gets to decide for himself who moves into his cabinet. No, no, no, that's not how things work in the Labor Party Before we go any further, assistant ministers are NOT part of the ministry. They are on the frontbench, technically, but they are outside the 30 ministerial roles. The rules say that parties in government can pick a further 15 MPs and Senators to take up 'assistant minister' roles. The PM gets to choose these positions for himself, free from being dictated to by the factions. As an aside, assistant ministers used to be called 'parliamentary secretaries', until the title was changed because some within their ranks expressed frustration at being mistaken for the minister's secretary rather than an important member of the team. I've always thought one's secretary is THE most important working for you, given that they keep you organised, but some politicians took exception to cases of mistaken identity so the title of parliamentary secretary is no more. Getting back to Sunday's reshuffle...Senator McCarthy, Indigenous herself, is a natural fit for the Indigenous affairs portfolio Burney is vacating. Both sides of politics have now embraced the benefit of - where possible - appointing an Indigenous politician to look after the Indigenous portfolio. Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is widely tipped to take Linda Burney's Indigenous affairs portfolio Dr Andrew Charlton, wasting away on the backbench, holds a PhD in economics Albo's good mate, Senator Tim Ayres, is mooted to secure a promotion While there are four possibilities to take up the other vacant cabinet role, there are really only two choices being considered: Senators McAllister and Ayres, with Ayres the frontrunner to secure the promotion, largely because he and Albo are good mates. McAllister is still a chance because she's in the Left (like the rest of the options) and she's a senator (like Ayres). Apparently team Labor is keen to boost the number of senators holding ministerial portfolios. Currently there are only four, but if the two retirements are replaced by a pair of senators that number jumps to six, which makes the business of the Senate easier apparently. Too bad that both Gorman and Jones are the better qualified of the four for promotion: Jones because he's at least had junior ministerial experience; Gorman because he was a senior adviser to a PM and the state secretary of the WA Labor Party when it won a historic election victory with Mark McGowan. Stephen Jones, the assistant treasurer, is also a possibility for promotion Oh well, in Labor, talent rarely wins the day. Which is also why the two best replacements for the soon to be vacant assistant ministerial roles won't go to the two most qualified options: Andrew Charlton and Daniel Mulino. Remind me, are we in a per capita recession? Yes we are. Is cost of living the central issue at the moment? Yes it is. Does this government need to find ways to improve its economic management credentials and talent on its frontbench? You bet it does, the only member of the powerful expenditure review committee of cabinet with an economics degree is Albo himself. Charlton and Mulino, currently wasting away on the backbench, hold PhDs in economics from Oxford and Yale universities respectively. Their economic knowledge and experience - in government and working in the private sector - is second to none. It is certainly more formidable than Treasurer Jim Chalmers skill set. Dr Chalmers has a PhD in politics...studying the leadership of Paul Keating. While there is always an outside chance that Albo does the right thing and promotes one or two of this pair, the odds are staked against them both because they are in the wrong faction. The two likely promotions from the assistant ministerial ranks into cabinet are both from the left faction. Charlton and Mulino are in the right. So once again the stupidity of Labor's factional structure is likely to thwart doing the right thing and rewarding talent. Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles must be a little nervous that his head is on the chopping block, giving the utterly woeful job that he's done in his portfolio. He has released criminals into the community who re-offend, having changed the rules after taking over so that such an abomination became possible. On the chopping block: Immigration Minister Andrew Giles Home Affairs minister Clare O'Neil's future is up in the air But he need not worry. While he might get shuffled into another portfolio he can summarily also no doubt stuff up without consequences, Giles is unlikely to get dumped because his faction will protect him. And even if they don't, Albo probably will, given that he used to be the kingpin of Labor's Left and Giles is a close mate. If Giles does get shuffled off to another role my suggestion is Veterans Affairs, moving WA MP Matt Keogh into Immigration in a direct swap. Keogh's electorate in WA isn't as diverse as some Labor seats, so him taking a tougher line in immigration won't cause as much blowback in his seat or state as it could for others. Giles can then get on with finding a way to create problems in the veterans affairs portfolio. Which only leaves home affairs minister Clare O'Neil to consider. Does she also get shifted sideways to another portfolio given the problems she has had? It is a firm maybe from me. Either way, she also need not worry: her right-wing faction will look after her and ensure she remains on their list to stay a minister, even if Albo had the courage to dump her, which let's face it, he doesn't. There could be other minor changes up and down the list of 45 ministers and assistant ministers, including name changes to portfolios because that always gives the false impression of change when there really isn't any. But given that Albo is seeking to make a virtue of the fact he hasn't made changes to his ministry in his first two years - spruiking his inaction in the face of failure as a strength - I'm tipping minimal changes rather than a major reshuffle. A Christian teacher who was banned from the classroom over 'misgendering' a pupil has lost a High Court appeal against the decision. Lawyers for Joshua Sutcliffe argued it was 'perverse' to expect him to use the child's preferred pronouns, which had no basis in law. In a hearing in May, they also said it was an 'unjustified interference' with his right to freedom of speech and religion. The 34-year-old maths teacher was banned last year after the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found him guilty of 'unacceptable professional conduct'. He had said 'well done girls' to a transgender pupil who identified as male, and a friend, while working at The Cherwell School in Oxford in 2017. Maths teacher Joshua Sutcliffe, who was banned from the classroom over 'misgendering' a pupil, has lost a High Court appeal against the decision Mr Sutcliffe later did not use the pupil's preferred pronouns during an appearance on ITV 's This Morning He later did not use the pupil's preferred pronouns during an appearance on ITV's This Morning. All of this was before the Tories' draft guidance last year on transgender children, which stated teachers should not be made to use 'preferred pronouns'. Mr Sutcliffe believes that the TRA would not have banned him had the guidance been in place at the time. However yesterday, Mr Justice Pepperall dismissed the appeal, concluding that Mr Sutcliffe 'fails to understand or accept the harm that he caused vulnerable children in his class'. In a written ruling, he said Mr Sutcliffe had to balance his religious convictions against his professional duties to 'treat children with dignity and respect and to safeguard their wellbeing'. And he said the teacher had 'deliberately used female pronouns to refer to a transgender male pupil' in a way that he 'would be 'outed' without regard for the child's 'distress.' He said that Mr Sutcliffe had to 'respect and celebrate the pupils' personal autonomy' and added: 'Just because misgendering a transgender pupil might not be unlawful, does not mean that it is appropriate conduct for a teacher'. After the ruling, Mr Sutcliffe, who is being supported by Christian Concern, said: 'I still stand by my Christian convictions that it is harmful and detrimental to affirm gender confused children. Mr Sutcliffe had said 'well done girls' to a transgender pupil who identified as male, and a friend, while working at The Cherwell School in Oxford in 2017 'This is the belief I am fighting for which is shared by not only Christians but many who do not believe in harmful transgender ideology. 'I have been a marked man ever since I dared to express my Christian beliefs in a school.' The original TRA panel concluded he did not treat the transgender student with 'dignity and respect' by failing to use his 'preferred pronoun'. It also found against him because he had expressed Christian views about homosexuality and had not provided a balanced view regarding a video he shown pupils about masculinity. The ban was due to be reviewed two years after it was made. Michael Phillips, representing Mr Sutcliffe, said in written arguments that the teacher believed 'one's biological sex is an immutable and essential aspect of one's personhood and to tamper with it is a denial of something sacred.' Mr Sutcliffe, who has a young child, was found not to have acted 'maliciously', was a 'competent' teacher and showed 'high standards' in his personal life, the court was told. It is understood he now hopes to take the case to the Court of Appeal, Kevin Spacey's $5.6 million Baltimore home has been sold at a staggering discount just weeks after he claimed he was being forced to sell up due to the cost of his high-profile sexual assault case. The actor sobbed as he recently told talk show host Piers Morgan that his Charm City home was being put up for auction to help cover his millions of dollars' worth of legal fees. Now it has emerged the 9,000 square foot property has been sold to an anonymous businessman for $3.24 million. 'It is an iconic property in Baltimore,' Compass Realtor Sam Sheibani told the Baltimore Sun. 'We were very interested in getting it, obviously not under the circumstances that it's being sold, from whom it's being sold.' The two-unit, waterfront condo last sold in 2017 for over $5.6 million to Clear Toaster LLC. Kevin Spacey sobbed as he recently appeared on talk show host Piers Morgan's Uncensored that his Charm City home was being put up for auction to help cover his millions of dollars' worth of legal fees. Spacey's Baltimore home is located in the city's Inner Harbor seaport and sold for $3.24 million at auction No images were available of the property at the auction, which was sold in 'as is' condition. Spacey has twice dodged bankruptcy since being cut off by Hollywood after allegations of sexual misconduct were first made against him in 2017. Last year, the double Oscar winner was cleared of nine sexual offences against four men over a 20 year period following a highly publicized trial in the UK. Spacey has strenuously denied the claims, but he still faces a further civil trial brought by one of the accusers. Last month, he appeared on Morgan's Uncensored program where he said he is virtually penniless and owes 'many millions'. 'Well I mean, you have some sense of legal bills,' he said. 'I still owe a lot of legal bills that I have not been able to pay.' Spacey's manager had previously appeared tried to cast doubt on whether the property was owned by the star. Views on two: Tax records show that the home was purchased by Clear Toaster LLC for $5.65 million after being listed at $6.25 million However, court records showed he had a significant amount in back payments. The home, located in the city's Inner Harbour seaport, was secretly lived in by Spacey while he was filming the Netflix hit House of Cards, with its ownership listed under Clear Toaster LLC. The sprawling riverside property was listed for sale after the actor fell behind on mortgage payments in the wake of his sexual misconduct scandal, which saw streaming giant Netflix drop him for breach of contract. in 2021, an arbitrator ordered him to pay nearly $31 million to the studio that made the hit Netflix show, House of Cards, after it was revealed that he allegedly acted inappropriately towards someone on the set of the show. When asked by Morgan about what he considered bad behavior, Spacey said: 'Pushing the boundaries'. 'Being too handsy, touching someone sexually in a way that I didn't know at the time they didn't want. I personally, I have caressed people, I have been gentle with people, that is the way that I am. But in February, he agreed a settlement with Media Rights Capital (MRC) to pay $1 million. The home was reportedly where Spacey holed up ahead of his sexual assault trial Tumbling down: The price of the property has tumbled in the two years since it was purchased Kevin Spacey (pictured in 2016) was one of the most recognized faces in Hollywood until allegations of sexual misconduct were made in 2017 Last month, he emotionally vowed that he 'won't give up on acting' after fresh allegations were made against him in a bombshell documentary by the UK's Channel 4. The star accused the broadcaster of 'having an agenda' in deciding to go ahead with airing its two-part film, Spacey Unmasked. The documentary featured previously unheard testimonies about the actor's alleged inappropriate behavior. At the peak of his career, Spacey was worth almost $77 million with a property empire spanning the US and London. The identities of the two pilots who died after their helicopters collided shortly after take-off in Western Australia's Kimberley region have been revealed. Peter Ritter, 29, and Gavin U'Ren, 30, lost their lives at Mount Anderson Station in Camballin while cattle mustering at about 6.20am local time on Thursday. At least one of the helicopters caught fire after it crashed to the ground. Emergency services took about 45 minutes to arrive at the crash site because of the station's remote location. The men worked for Broome-based helicopter company Pearl Coast Helicopters. 'Pearl Coast Helicopters is deeply saddened to report the tragic loss of two of our valued and highly experienced pilots in a helicopter accident on Mount Anderson Station earlier today. 'The accident is devastating and we express our condolences to the family and friends of the pilots involved, as well as our team, who are profoundly impacted by this loss. Just weeks before the tragedy, Mr U'Ren spoke out about his love for helicopters in an interview with Farm Weekly. Helicopter crash victim Gavin Uren Helicopter crash victim Peter Ritter 'Watching them work, and getting to ride in the helicopters occasionally made me realise that was what I wanted to do,' Mr U'Ren said in his recent interview. 'Becoming mates with a few pilots, seeing the life they live, moving around and seeing some pretty cool countryside just concreted it.' WA Police will prepare a report for the Coroner. 'This is a tragic incident that's happened today, everyone deserves to go to work and come home again safe and sound, but unfortunately, two young men, aged 29 years and 30 years respectively, have lost their lives,' WA Police Superintendent Steven Thompson said. 'On behalf of the WA Police force, I want to express my condolences to the family, friends, loved ones and colleagues of those who lost their lives today I can only imagine what pain and suffering they are going through. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will also conduct an investigation into the incident and will send a team of investigators to the crash site. 'They will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities including wreckage examination and site mapping, and will recover any relevant components for further examination at the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said. Two pilots have died after two helicopters collided shortly after take-off near Mount Anderson Station (pictured) in Western Australia's Kimberley region on Thursday morning The crash site location near Mount Anderson Station at Camballin in WA is pictured 'Investigators will also seek to interview witnesses and collect relevant recorded data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records and weather information.' Mr Mitchell said an interim report would be released in about two months, with a final investigation due later. 'However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken,' he said. The Kimberley Agriculture and Pastoral Company runs the Indigenous-owned cattle station, which is about 120 kilometres south of Derby. The number of calls to Centrelink that went unanswered almost doubled in the year to March 31, 2024, to more than 11million. The shocking figure has been revealed in Services Australia data, as Centrelink also issued an urgent warning about payments made to huge numbers of Aussies. The new figures revealed there were a massive 11,268,048 congestion messages, up from 6,997,300 in the previous 12-month period, on Centrelink's social security and welfare lines. Congestion messages are the automated recordings that tell people on hold in the phone queue that staff are too busy to answer them. Those trying to get through to a person are referred to online services and then the call abruptly disconnects. Nearly two million of those dropped calls were to the disabilities, sickness and carers line, and those who did get through still had to wait an average of 47 minutes. And those huge numbers do not even include unanswered calls for Medicare and Centrelink aged care clients, who were hung up on more than a million times. That figure was a disturbing 27,500 per cent increase on the previous year's figure when just 4,067 people were hung up on. The number of calls to Centrelink that went unanswered almost doubled in the year to March 31, 2024, to more than 11million (stock image) Disgruntled Centrelink clients have vented their frustrations at the situation on social media. 'It's really fun that Centrelink keeps emailing to say ... we need to call them. Even more fun that I've tried calling them every day for the last week, and it just hangs up,' one person wrote, sarcastically. Another said: 'It's like Centrelink is unaccountable via phone, but I will lose my payments if I don't talk to someone. I can't just take a potential week off (work) just to try to hopefully get through.' A third person, who had an issue 'that can't be fixed in the Centrelink app or website', was also furious at being hung up on. 'Your solution is to call that number? And do what? Keep calling and getting hung up on again until I go insane?' they tweeted. 'There's no queue, there's no callback service. It puts the responsibility for fixing a Centrelink mistake on me, and then demands that I use hours of my time to fix it.' Thousands of extra staff have been hired to work with Centrelink, and by April they had been trained to take calls and process claims, Services Australia said. Its general manager, Hank Jongen claimed the 'use of congestion messaging has halved since January' and that wait times are down. 'Overall, Centrelink call wait times have fallen from an average of 31 minutes in January to about 25 minutes in June, depending on the day,' he told 7News. The new hires and their colleagues have a huge backlog of claims to get through, though, and the situation is still very difficult for vulnerable people. 'In some cases, people are calling because their payments have been reduced or cut off, preventing them from paying their rent or buying food,' Australian Council of Social Services (ACoSS) acting CEO Edwina MacDonald said. 'Long call wait times are a big problem because that means people who need support cannot get the help they need. 'It's of huge concern that there were over 11million congestion messages, which block the caller, telling them to try again another time because the lines are too busy.' Ms MacDonald said ACoSS welcomed the investment of $1.8billion to hire 3,000 new staff, but 'many are still waiting far too long'. 'The government must continue to invest in Services Australia including by employing and retaining skilled staff, after many years of cuts to this essential service.' Meanwhile, people getting Centrelink benefits who are heading overseas have been warned to tell the government about their plans. 'There are rules covering how travelling outside Australia may affect your payment or concession card,' the agency said, depending on 'the payment or concession card you get'. Welfare recipients have been reminded that if they leave Australia, their payments may be adjusted or even completely stopped. Centrelink clients are advised to check their account regularly through the myGov website and to tell the agency about their travel plans. 'If you can't tell us online, you can tell us by calling us on the phone number that relates to your affected payment,' Centrelink said. Before leaving Australia, recipients must report their income on the last business day before going abroad, even if their reporting day falls on or after they leave. They should also let the government know if they are travelling overseas to see a partner while getting benefits as a single person. 'If you're going overseas to visit your partner ... we need to review your payment before you leave, otherwise we may pay you too much,' the agency said. If Centrelink tries to get in touch with a recipient while they're abroad but can't, their payment or concession card could be stopped and may not be restored until the client is back in Australia. There were a massive 11,268,048 congestion messages, up from 6,997,300 in the previous 12-month period, on Centrelink's social security and welfare lines. A queue at a Centrelink office is pictured People getting Centrelink benefits who are heading overseas have been warned to tell the government about their plans. A queue at a Centrelink office is pictured If you are travelling out of Australia for less than a year, eligible payments will continue every two weeks as usual, so long as Centrelink is aware of the person's plans. If they are out of the country for more than a year, payments will be made every four weeks instead. Those monthly payments can be paid into an overseas bank account in the local currency or US dollars depending on where the person is travelling. If a serious issue, such as an illness or natural disaster, affects a person's ability to get home to Australia, payments may be extended, but the client will have to contact Centrelink International Services. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to drop Britain's objection to an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, it was reported last night. The Prime Minister will reportedly abandon the Government's legal challenge to the the International Criminal Court's case against the Israel's premier. It would in effect endorse the ICC's decision to pursue Mr Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders, for war crimes in Gaza, where around 39,000 people have died. Under former PM Rishi Sunak, the UK issued a legal challenge questioning the ICC's jurisdiction over Israeli citizens. But a Downing Street spokesman confirmed that the Labour government was 'looking' at the previous Tory administration's stance after The New York Times reported that Britain would drop its objections to the prosecution by the end of the week. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to drop Britain's objection to an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu by the end of the week It would in effect endorse the ICC's decision to pursue Mr Netanyahu (seen in Washington yesterday) and his defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders, for war crimes in Gaza Following advice from Attorney General Lord Hermer KC, Sir Keir is expected to let the filing deadline for arguments pass tomorrow without issuing any challenge to the case, The Times reports. Hermer who worked with Sir Keir as a barristers at Doughty Street Chambers was one of several Jewish lawyers who signed an open letter to the Financial Times calling on Israel to comply with humanitarian law after the October 7 massacre. A spokesman for the Jewish Leadership Council criticised Labour's move and said Israel was a 'key ally' of Britain. Labour has taken a tougher stance on Israel since winning a landslide election victory, despite losing four seats to pro-Palestinian activists. David Lammy has restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency amid claims that workers participated in the October 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people. And the Foreign Secretary is rumoured to be publishing legal advice on halting some arms to Israel as early as next week. Mr Netanyahu was in Washington last night meeting Joe Biden in an effort to close the remaining 'gaps' in the push for a ceasefire deal, the White House said. She is preparing to launch a new lifestyle brand of her own but it seems that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is still willing to do a favour for a friend. It can be revealed that the Duchess has been promoting a new make-up range by her friend, mogul Victoria Jackson, who is part of her Montecito Mafia. Jackson has just relaunched her iconic Eighties cosmetics brand, No Makeup Makeup. Meghan wore it at the ESPY awards, pictured, where husband Prince Harry was controversially the recipient of the prestigious Pat Tillman Award. Her make-up artist Daniel Martin shared her support of the brand on Instagram. Sources close to the Duchess say shes plugging it purely out of friendship, and that no money is changing hands. She and Victoria have been friends for years, I am told. She loves the product, and this wasnt a paid promotion. Meghan (pictured) wore her pal's makeup at the ESPY awards, pictured, where husband Prince Harry (pictured) was controversially the recipient of the prestigious Pat Tillman Award Victoria Jackson (pictured) has just relaunched her iconic Eighties cosmetics brand, No Makeup Makeup Jackson wrote on her Instagram: You look stunning, Meghan! Thank you @danielmartin so much for your support with No Makeup Makeups red carpet debut! Xo Victoria. Entrepreneur Jackson, 68, loaned Meghan her home for a photoshoot with The Cut in 2022 and is one of the key members of the former actresss inner circle. The pair were introduced by feminist icon Gloria Steinem. Meghan celebrated her 41st birthday at Jacksons ranch in Santa Barbara, near Montecito. The entrepreneur made a fortune with Victoria Jackson Cosmetics, which she began selling first via an infomercial and then on QVC. But she stepped away from the business after her daughter was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition and set up a charity which funded research into treatment and cures. Sources close to Meghan (pictured in September 2023) say shes plugging it purely out of friendship In 2021 she launched age-positive skin creams under the Kind Science banner with another close pal Ellen DeGeneres who happens to be another good friend of Meghans. Meanwhile, the Duchess is set to launch her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, later this year, with a cooking series on Netflix and a branded rose wine the first ventures. Further homewares and food items will follow. Harvey Weinstein has been rushed to hospital with a 'myriad of health conditions' including Covid and double pneumonia just days after he appeared wheelchair- bound in court. The convicted rapist, 72, was transported to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward, New York Corrections Department records show. His representative said his ailing client is suffering from Covid-19, as well as pneumonia on both lungs. The diagnoses paint a perilous picture for the disgraced movie mogul, who is 'still afflicted on a daily basis' with a host of conditions, including 'diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, fluid on his heart and lungs', his spokesman Craig Rothfeld told DailyMail.com. Weinstein has been pictured looking increasingly gaunt in recent days, including at a July 19 court appearance in New York, where he had to be wheeled in and out of the pretrial hearing. Harvey Weinstein has been rushed to hospital with a 'myriad of health conditions' including Covid and double pneumonia just days after he appeared wheelchair bound in court on July 19 'We continue to express our gratitude to the officers, doctors and nurses at DOCS, CHS, and NYC H+H who saw to it that Mr. Weinstein was immediately transferred to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward and will continue working hand in hand with them to ensure Mr. Weinstein receives proper medical treatment,' Rothfeld said in a statement to DailyMail.com. Weinstein was convicted in New York and Los Angeles for a string of sex offences and had been serving a 23 year sentence on the east coast. In the New York case, he was found guilty of sexual assault against former production assistant Miriam Haley and rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann. However, the charges were overturned earlier this year after a state appellate judges ruled that he did not receive a fair hearing. The New York Court of Appeals determined that women who made allegations about Weinstein, but did not form part of the criminal complaint, should not have been allowed to testify at the trial. A tentative new date was set for a retrial at the July 19 appearance, with jury selection set to begin on November 12. Weinstein remains in prison as his conviction in Los Angeles for rape and sexual assault still stands. The convicted rapist, 72, was taken to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward, New York Corrections Department records show just days after the appearance at Manhattan Criminal Court on July 19 The ailing producer was previously spotted leaving hospital in a wheelchair back in April He was given a 16 year sentence for three counts of sexual assault against Russian model Evgeniya Chernyshova, for which he has filed an appeal. At the height of his powers, Weinstein was the most influential man in Hollywood. But his world came crashing down in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct first reported in the New York Times, which went on to form the basis of the #MeToo movement. In recent court appearances, the ailing producer has been wheelchair bound, looking sickly and pale. In April, he was sent to Bellevue for a barrage of medical tests. At the time, his lawyer described him as a 'train wreck health-wise'. Arthur Aidala said his client's problems were all physical, adding that mentally he is 'sharp as a tack. Feet are firmly planted on the ground.' The lawyer said Weinstein was 'not treated well' by prison staff. In addition to his new diagnoses, Weinstein has a raft of pre-existing conditions including 'diabetes , high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, fluid on his heart and lungs' Weinstein was convicted in New York and Los Angeles for a string of sex offences and had been serving a 23 year sentence on the east coast. Pictured: Weinstein with (L-R)Taylor Swift, Este Haim, actress Jaime King and Lorde in 2015 The New York case saw him convicted for the sexual assault of Miriam Haley (left) and rape of Jessica Mann (right) but has since been overturned by an appeals court. Weinstein remains in prison in connection with his LA conviction 'They refused to give him even a sip of water, no food, no bathroom break,' Aidala said. 'He's a 72-year-old sickly man.' Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg vowed to do 'everything in our power' to retry the case, adding his office, 'remains steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.' If his second appeal against his Los Angeles conviction is successful, the shamed film boss could walk free. A man has been arrested after a horror smash on Scotlands busiest motorway left three people, including a police officer, fighting for their lives. Two on-duty officers and five other men were taken to hospital after the crash closed the eastbound lanes of the M8 in Glasgow at around 1pm on Wednesday. Police said a 27-year-old had been arrested in connection with the collision and is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court today. It comes after a Mercedes A45 is alleged to have ploughed into an unmarked Volvo S90 police car and a Mercedes CLS, which were parked on the hard shoulder. Two officers, aged 38 and 48, and two men from the Mercedes CLS, aged 31 and 43, were taken to hospital. The 48-year-old officer and the 43-year-old man remain in a critical condition. The other injured officer and the 31-year-old man were later discharged after treatment. A man has been arrested after a horror smash on Scotlands busiest motorway left three people, including a police officer, fighting for their lives Two on-duty officers and five other men were taken to hospital after the crash closed the eastbound lanes of the M8 in Glasgow at around 1pm on Wednesday Two officers, aged 38 and 48, and two men from the Mercedes CLS, aged 31 and 43, were taken to hospital Three men, aged 27, 33 and 39, were in the Mercedes A45. The 27-year-old and 39-year-old left the scene but were later traced nearby. They were taken to hospital for treatment. The 39-year-old is in a critical condition, while the 33-year-old is being treated for serious injuries. The other man was discharged and then arrested in connection with road traffic offences. He was released pending further inquiries but has since been arrested and charged in connection with an unrelated matter. Police Scotland said the incident had been referred to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner. Bolt threatened to leave News Corp if James Murdoch took over Energy Minister Chris Bowen has taken a shot at Sky News host Andrew Bolt after he threatened to quit News Corp if James Murdoch took over. Billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch is locked in battle with three of his children after he went to change the terms of his family's trust - moving the bulk of his empire to his eldest son and News Corp chairman, Lachlan Murdoch. His three eldest siblings, James, Elisabeth and Prudence, will go to court over the matter in September. James resigned from the News Corp board in 2020 citing strategic decisions and editorial content he did not agree with. On Thursday, Bolt unleashed on the youngest Murdoch son, saying: 'James could sack me if he did take over, but he wouldn't need to. 'I wouldn't be the only one who wouldn't work for him.' Hours later, Federal MP Chris Bowen shared Bolt's resignation threat on X - with the sarcastic comment: 'How would we cope?' Bolt responded to Mr Bowen's post on Friday afternoon. 'Chris Bowen would actually cope much better without me around to point out the lunacy of his net zero schemes,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Mind you, many Australians are now waking up to him themselves.' Climate and energy minister Chris Bowen is pictured at the National Press Club last week Lachlan Murdoch could inherit the bulk of News Corp once his father dies. He is pictured with his wife, Sarah. On Friday, Chris Bowen responded to Andrew Bolt's threat to leave News Corp if James Murdoch took over Users hit back at Mr Bowen's post, with one saying: 'Why do you care? Oh that's right, because he calls you out.' Another wrote: 'Good one, what a cabinet minister should be doing, diving straight into the gutter.' But not everyone was critical, with some expressing excitement over the idea that Bolt could resign. A third user said: 'Come on James! You can do it.' Someone else wrote: 'There is a very good chance we will manage.' The minister's post follows years of mud-slinging between the pair. Last week, Bolt penned a scathing column about Mr Bowen in News Corp papers - slamming the minister as an 'idiot' and a 'liar' over comments he made in the National Press Club. Mr Bowen had said: 'Open climate change denial is now less fashionable than it was ten or 15 years ago in the public debate.' 'Andrew Bolt still does it, but most other people don't bother with it.' The conservative commentator argued he is not in denial about climate change, he just doesn't believe the situation is 'catastrophic' like Mr Bowen says it is. Bolt has consistently attacked Mr Bowen's plans to transition from fossil fuels to wind and solar farms, labelling him as someone in 'total denial' who 'cannot hear the truth'. He also once claimed Mr Bowen was 'the most dangerous person in government' after the minister asserted green energy was getting cheaper. Conservative columnist Andrew Bolt (pictured) once called the climate minister a 'threat to Australia' Rupert Murdoch is pictured, centre, with his two sons Lachlan, left, and James, right In return, Mr Bowen has called for Bolt to be sacked for saying the energy minister was 'kowtowing to the primitive' by opening a speech in Dubai with a modified Acknowledgement of Country. The minister said Bolt has crossed the line, labelling the comment 'racist and disgusting'. 'Like most Australians, I usually ignore Andrew Bolt,' Mr Bowen wrote. 'But on this occasion, I won't. His attack on First Nations people as 'primitive' is racist and disgusting. News Ltd should sack him.' Bolt labelled Mr Bowen's gesture as 'brainless posturing' and 'race-based tribalism with its ruinous crusade against oil and gas'. 'Everyone in Australia is surely linked to some indigenous peoples somewhere on the planet from 'millennia' past,' he argued. 'Is Bowen seriously demanding 'profound' respect for the 'indigenous knowledge' of every Celt from England, every Saxon from Germany, every Gaul from France, or every Roman from central Italy? 'Or are the 'indigenous people' he's flattering only people who aren't white? 'In fact, Bowen's little homily is not just racist but anti-science, which makes him a threat to Australia'. Bolt argued that indigenous people in Europe and Asia had 'left their indigenous knowledge behind because they used science to work out better ways to live without dying early and poor'. An Army officer who was repeatedly stabbed in a street attack could return to work in the future, sources claim as he remains in hospital in a 'serious but stable condition'. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton is still receiving active medical treatment after he was set upon by a knife-wielding assailant outside his home in Gillingham, Kent, on Tuesday evening. The 47-year-old, who has served in the Armed Forces for 24 years, was wearing his uniform 200 metres from Brompton Barracks when he was attacked by a moped rider. His wife Eileen rushed from their house to his aid, with witnesses describing how she tackled the man who was stabbing her husband, likely saving Lt Col Teeton's life in the process. Last night the father-of-two remained in hospital, with Army sources claimed that despite no change in his condition being expected in the coming days, in the long term is hoped he will return to work. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton pictured with his wife Eileen, who may have saved his life by running out to pull his attacker away Lt Col Mark Teeton is reported to have joined the Army 24 years ago and has been awarded a long service and good conduct medal Anthony Esan being led into Medway Magistrates Court this morning (left) and leaving (right) after being charged with the attempted murder of Lt Col Teeton Police on the scene of an alleged attack on a British Army officer in Gillingham on Tuesday evening The highly-respected officer had reached the same rank as his older brother Andy in the same corps, before becoming a course manager at the Royal School for Military Engineering, which is based at Brompton Barracks. He was officially named yesterday as family, friends and neighbours paid tribute to him and his wife. It came as a 24-year-old man appeared at Medway Magistrates Court in Chatham charged with attempted murder. Antony Esan, of Rochester, confirmed his name but challenged the magistrate over why he should provide his date of birth. He confirmed the information when pressed by district judge Stephen Leake. Prosecutor Rajni Prashar said a man was seen running up behind a soldier, pulling him to the ground and stabbing him with a 'large knife or machete'. Ms Prashar added: 'He [the assailant] got on to a moped and drove off. Witnesses took down the registration number and it was traced.' She said police found a set of kitchen knives in a black cardboard box on the moped. Two of them had been used. Three were still inside protective sleeves, suggesting they had not been used. Esan did not enter a plea. He was remanded in custody until August 22 when he will appear at Maidstone Crown Court. His barrister said his client's fitness to stand trial will be assessed by psychiatrists. Lt Col Teeton, a course manager for the Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment for almost six years, ran 44 miles just last month to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and to raise money for veterans' mental health support Lt Col Teeton in his military uniform with his wife. He is believed to have been walking in a military uniform when he was attacked A sketch of Anthony Esan, 24 (right), in court today accompanied by police officers. He is yet to enter pleas to the charges of attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon Forensic officers have been at an address in nearby Rochester, where a man was arrested and subsequently charged with attempted murder Mrs Teeton was a member of an Army wives' choir and once appeared on the ITV chat show Lorraine alongside other military mums. She is also a stalwart of the Armed Forces community in Medway, where her highly-respected husband belongs to the Royal School for Military Engineering at Brompton Barracks. According to Army sources Mrs Teeton has been at her husband's side throughout his career, enduring the challenges that come with being a services wife. But nothing could possibly have prepared her for the horror that confronted her on Tuesday evening. Her anguished cries were inadvertently recorded on a neighbour's doorbell camera. 'What are you doing?' she screamed. Then she turned and appealed for help, telling passers-by that her husband, who was wearing his uniform, had been stabbed and could bleed to death. Last night friends said Mrs Teeton was a 'lovely lady', who is part of the Brompton and Invicta Military Wives Choir. She appeared on ITV to discuss belonging to a services choir four years ago. A Facebook post from the time paid tribute to 'Our amazing Eileen you were fabulous! We are so proud of you!' Mrs Teeton is also a familiar face at the local community centre and could be relied upon to support other Army families. And her husband is as respected as he is popular, the Mail has been told, prioritising the welfare of personnel and veterans. Earlier this year he ran 44 miles on the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy to raise 3,000 for military charity Combat Stress. China, Russia can maintain communication, coordination on East Asia cooperation: Chinese FM Xinhua) 14:04, July 26, 2024 VIENTIANE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov here on Thursday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that China-Russia relations are mature, stable, resilient and independent, with solid political mutual trust, deepening strategic coordination, broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation, vibrant people-to-people exchanges and productive international cooperation. Wang noted that in the face of the volatile and complex international situation and external disturbances and obstacles, China is ready to work with Russia to uphold the original aspiration of everlasting good neighborliness and friendship, firmly support each other, safeguard each other's core interests, and remain each other's good partner for development and revitalization. China and Russia, both important countries in the Asia-Pacific region and dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), can maintain communication and coordination on East Asia cooperation, said Wang. China is ready to work with Russia to uphold the ASEAN-centered, open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture, promote the existing East Asia mechanism to deepen cooperation consensus, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, the Chinese foreign minister added. For his part, Lavrov congratulated on the successful conclusion of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, saying that this world-renowned event is not only of great significance to China's own development, but also to the global economic recovery. Lavrov said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Russia and China have maintained close communication, strengthened strategic collaboration, jointly upheld a fair and just international order, practiced genuine multilateralism, and injected positive energy into the building of a multipolar world. Russia will work with China to support the centrality of ASEAN and prevent the interference and infiltration of external forces, he noted. The two sides expressed the willingness to strengthen cooperation within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS. Wang said China fully supports Russia in fulfilling its responsibilities as the rotating chair of BRICS and preparing for the upcoming Summit scheduled to be held in the Russian city of Kazan. Lavrov said Russia fully supports China in assuming the rotating presidency of the SCO. The two sides also exchanged views on major issues concerning peace and security, believing that the victory and a correct view of World War Two should be jointly safeguarded. Lavrov congratulated China on successfully promoting the signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity by Palestinian factions, saying that Russia will work together to restore peace in the Middle East. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (45) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) A Missouri family was left heartbroken after a sheriff's deputy shot and killed their emotional support dog - a two-year-old chocolate lab named Nala. Dianna Dollins said the deputy had arrived at her and her husband's Farmington property on Sunday to ask them whether they had any doorbell camera footage of a robbery that occurred across the street earlier that day. But when the deputy arrived unannounced on their porch, he encountered Nala - whom the family had recently bought as an emotional support dog for Dianna's husband, Scottie, who has been recovering from brain tumor surgery - and fired his weapon. 'It's just devastating, there are no other words for it,' Dollins told KSDK. The family now argues the deputy should not have been on their property in the first place - noting that he did not have a warrant and was not invited onto their land. Nala, a two-year-old Chocolate Labrador who was Scottie Dollins emotional support dog, was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy on Sunday They said they did not even know the officer was on their property until Scottie heard the shooting, Dianna shared in a July 21 Facebook post written by her husband. 'My husband heard the shots and came running around, and there she lay,' the couple recounted, telling how the dog was found lying in the gravel driveway with a gunshot wound in her head. 'He had already shot her. He immediately started saying she bit me. He was already back at his car in his car door.' The St. Francois County Sheriff's Office now claims the Labrador bit the deputy's wrist and elbow - prompting the officer to fire his weapon. Sheriff Daniel Bullock said the deputy is receiving rabies shots, claiming that the family did not have up-to-date immunization records for their dog. The dog had been by Scott's side as he recovered from surgery to remove a brain tumor They found the dog lying on the gravel driveway with a gunshot wound to the head The St. Francois County Ambulance District's administrator also said an ambulance was dispatched to the Dollins' residence, but was then told there was no patient at the scene. Yet the family says Nala 'would not hurt a fly,' and even if she had, it 'didn't warrant shooting [their] dog dead.' 'She'd never bit anyone,' Dianna said, as her father, Ronald Widner, noted that 'Nala welcomed everybody. 'But the way they do it is they jump on you and their tongue is wagging,' he said. 'They greet people like that. I'm sure that's what happened, and if he has a mark on him, he's got a scratch mark.' The dog was adopted to be emotional support for Scottie, who had been recovering from brain tumor surgery, and was considered part of the family. 'Nala had been there with him through all of that,' Dianna said. 'She slept with us every night.' The family is trying to seek justice for their beloved dog Nala recently had 10 puppies and was wearing a shock collar that prevented her from leaving the property at the time of the shooting The family is now calling for justice for their beloved animal, who had recently had 10 puppies and was wearing a shock collar that prevented her from leaving the property at the time of the shooting. 'After it happened, there was no remorse,' Dianna said. 'It was still "I did what I had to" with a bad type of attitude. 'I don't know if he's a good man or if he's a bad man, but he's a scared man with a gun,' she added. 'And I don't think that we need scared men with guns protecting our country.' She went on to say that the deputy should have had his lights on or honked to let the family know he was there before he showed up at their property. 'That man does not need to have a gun,' Dianna said. 'This does not need to happen to anyone else.' The sheriff's office is now investigating the shooting, with Sheriff Bullock saying his office is waiting on reports from the Farmington Police Department, which had officers respond. Both former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. The Harris campaign released a video early Friday morning showing the likely Democratic presidential nominee taking a call from the political power couple where they reveal they're endorsing her. The video was filmed Wednesday in Indianapolis, where Harris traveled to address the Zeta Phi Beta sorority. The couple's decision to stay silent for days on Harris's candidacy had fueled speculation they weren't supportive of her bid. An source close to Biden's family claimed the former president is 'very upset' about Harris' candidacy, even claiming that he 'knows she can't win' against Trump, 78. However, a Democratic official told DailyMail.com that the endorsement announcement was held off to not overshadow President Joe Biden's Oval Office address Wednesday night. 'Kamala!' the brief clip begins, with President Obama's distinct voice coming over the VP's cell phone. 'Hey there!' chimes in Michelle. The Harris campaign released a video early Friday morning that shows former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama calling Vice President Kamala Harris to endorse her presidential run As Harris walks through the event venue toward her SUV, she gushes, 'ohh hi, you're both together. It's good to hear you both.' 'I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala, I am proud of you,' Michelle says. 'This is going to be historic.' 'We called to say, Michelle and I, couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,' the former president chimes in. There were some questions about why the Obamas didn't immediately back Harris as other top Democrats got in line. The Democratic official told DailyMail.com that the former president wanted to do something 'more than a statement.' A source familiar also confirmed earlier this week that an endorsement would come soon, but the former president, while very impressed with Harris' work, thought it was important to let Democratic delegates go through their process. Just days after Biden had dropped out, Harris announced she had secured enough delegates to become the presumptive Democratic nominee. In a separate lengthier statement also released Friday, the Obamas said Biden choosing Harris was 'one of the best decisions hes made' and touted her resume as a former prosecutor and senator before becoming vice president. 'But Kamala has more than a resume. She has the vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands,' the statement said. 'There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people. At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope.' Ahead of the endorsement announcement, the Trump campaign pushed the narrative that Obama was displeased that the party coalesced around Harris, with enough delegates endorsing her Monday night she had locked up the nomination. 'There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party - namely Barack Hussein Obama - that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone 'better,'' said Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung Thursday night. Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and former President Barack Obama (right) attend an event at the White House in April 2022 celebrating the Affordable Care Act, also known as 'Obamacare' President Barack Obama (right) is seen leading President Joe Biden (center) offstage at the star-studded fundraiser in June with George Clooney, an appearance that led Clooney to encourage Biden to leave the race The broader intent of the statement was to say that Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, would not finalize a debate schedule until 'Democrats formally decide on their nominee.' The Democratic nomination process, which will take place virtually ahead of the Chicago convention, will wrap up by August 7. In the short video, Harris told the Obamas she was looking forward to seeing them out on the campaign trail. While the former president appeared at several high-dollar fundraiser on behalf of Biden - including the infamous one with George Clooney - Michelle has yet to set foot at a campaign event. She had privately expressed frustration that the Biden family had largely exiled her close friend Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Biden's first wife, and mother of his three adult children, according to a report last month from Axios. But it appears with Harris at the helm, Michelle's at the ready. Harris thanked both Obamas before she got off the phone. 'I just want to tell you that the words you have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all these years mean more than I can express,' she said. 'So thank you both, it means so much.' 'And we're going to have some fun with it too, aren't we?' she asked. Michelle chimed in, 'Indeed!' 'Well ... look, you're a happy warrior,' the former president said. 'And the country needs a happy warrior,' Michelle added. This is not the first time the Obamas have delayed making an endorsement later than other prominent Democrats in the presidential race. In 2020, despite Biden being the only Democratic candidate left in the race by April, President Obama did not officially endorse his former vice president for several months. In August, he made it official also with a video endorsement ahead of the Democratic National Convention that year. The heartbroken family of an Australian man stabbed to death at a tourist hotspot in Thailand is mourning the loss of their 'beautiful, gifted' brother and son. Liam Michael Ross, 35, was found with stab wounds to his abdomen, leg and arm at Ao Nang Beach in Krabi early on Monday. He was rushed to hospital but later died as a result of the injuries. Mr Ross's family issued a brief statement through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday morning. 'We are heart broken at the loss of our beautiful, gifted, much beloved Liam,' they said. 'The world is a poorer place for his passing. Thanks to family, friends and colleagues for their support. 'We requested that all family members be allowed to mourn Liam's passing in private.' Ao Nang Police arrested US national Randall Owen Johnson over the stabbing and he was charged with physically injuring another person causing death. The heartbroken family of an Australian man stabbed to death at a tourist hotspot in Thailand is mourning the loss of their 'beautiful, gifted' brother and son. Liam Michael Ross is pictured Ao Nang Police arrested US national Randall Owen Johnson (above) over the stabbing and he was charged with physically injuring another person causing death Witnesses reported that both men had been drinking at a nearby restaurant before the incident and reportedly had a disagreement. They reportedly encountered each other again as the Australian man walked back to his hotel, which allegedly led to a confrontation. Initially, the two exchanged words, but the situation soon escalated into a physical fight. Johnson, 43, allegedly drew a knife and inflicted several stab wounds on Ross. Photos from the scene showed it happened adjacent to the conch shell sculpture at the southern end of the beachside road, outside the entrance to the Holiday Inn resort. Ao Nang is a popular tourist destination located in the Krabi Province in southern Thailand. It is known for its nightlife and beaches. Liam Michael Ross, 35, was found with stab wounds to his abdomen, leg and arm at Ao Nang Beach in Krabi early on Monday Johnson allegedly drew a knife and inflicted several stab wounds on Ross Mr Ross's sister had previously posted on social media about the death of her brother. 'As you may already know, we have lost Liam to a tragic incident in Thailand and jour hearts are broken,' she wrote. 'We appreciate your ongoing consideration while we grieve and continue to process this.' Mr Ross's family was being provided with consular assistance, according to a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment,' the spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. Donald Trump has slammed the FBI as the agency confirmed it is probing whether he was actually hit by a bullet during an assassination attempt. The presidential hopeful blasted the bureau's director Christopher Wray, after he suggested that it could have been shrapnel which grazed Trump's ear following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI has since confirmed it is examining fragments found near the stage to determine what caused the Republican nominee's injuries, after Wray told a congressional hearing there is 'some question' over what really happened. The agency is hoping to interview Trump as part of its investigation, the New York Times Reports. However, the former president has remained defiant in his account of events, stating it was a 'bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard'. Donald Trump has slammed the FBI as the agency confirmed it is probing whether he was actually hit by a bullet during an assassination attempt In a furious post on Truth Social, Trump blasted Wray's suggestion and took aim at his judgement on other topical issues - including Biden's mental state. 'FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress yesterday that he wasnt sure if I was hit by shrapnel, glass, or a bullet (the FBI never even checked!),' he fumed. 'But he was sure that Crooked Joe Biden was physically and cognitively uneventful - Wrong! Thats why he knows nothing about the terrorists and other criminals pouring into our Country at record levels. 'His only focus is destroying J6 Patriots, Raiding Mar-a-Lago, and saving Radical Left Lunatics, like the ones now in D.C. burning American flags and spray painting over our great National Monuments - with zero retribution. 'No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. 'The hospital called it a bullet wound to the ear, and that is what it was. No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!' Wray was updating Congress about the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler on Wednesday when he made the explosive statement. 'With respect to former President Trump, theres some question about whether or not its a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,' Wray said. FBI Director Christopher Wray cast doubt on whether Donald Trump was actually shot during the attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania political rally 'I don't know right now whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have landed somewhere else.' Wray was addressing security failures that allowed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire. Crooks, 20, killed firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, and injured two others including Trump during the shooting. The presidential hopeful has since given extensive accounts of the moment he was shot and was seen sporting a bandage over his ear. 'When I went down, bullets were coming over my head and you hear them, it's like a zip, zip,' he said. The former president claims his Secret Service detail 'thought it was over when I went down' because of 'a lot of blood coming' after his ear was grazed. Trump, 78, argued with his agents, telling them how he was 'not going on a stretcher' and instead vowed to 'get up'. He added that a last minute turn of the head to glance at a screen is what saved him from the bullet. 'I'm supposed to be dead. The most incredible thing was that I happened to not only turn, but to turn at the exact right time and in just the right amount,' he added, saying he survived 'by luck or by God'. Some initial reports on the day of the shooting speculated that Trump may have been struck by a shattered piece of glass when a bullet struck the teleprompter. The teleprompter theory, however, was debunked when photos showed that both glass screens were intact after the attack. Trump tuned into Wray's testimony, which also saw him detail how Crooks had researched the assassination of President John F. Kennedy prior to the shooting. The gunman did a Google search one week prior of 'How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?' according to Wray, who said the suspect he said had taken a keen interest in public figures but had otherwise not left behind clear clues of an ideological motive. The July 6 online search, recovered from a laptop the FBI says is tied to Crooks, is a reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter who killed Kennedy from a sniper's perch in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Wray said his understanding was that a bullet or some shrapnel 'is what grazed his [Trump's] ear' during the attempted assassination in Butler on July 13 'That's a search obviously that is significant in terms of his state of mind. That is the same day that it appears that he registered' for the Trump rally, Wray told the House Judiciary Committee. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism. The investigation has thrust the bureau into a political maelstrom months before the presidential election, with lawmakers and the public pressing for details about what may have motivated Crooks. 'We do not know the motive. That is obviously one of the central questions in our investigation, and it's been very frustrating to us that a lot of the usual kind of low-hanging-fruit places that we would find that have not yielded significant clues about his motive,' Wray said. The hearing had been scheduled well before the shooting as part of the committees routine oversight of the FBI and the Justice Department. Questions about the shooting dominated the session, but other topics included the FBIs diversity efforts, election interference, the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol and whether Wray had personally observed any cognitive decline in meetings with Biden prior to his decision to withdraw from the election. His answer that he had not witnessed any issues with the president's mental state left Trump unimpressed, with the Republican nominee calling for Wray to resign. 'I watched the Congressional Hearing today as Christopher Wray was asked the question whether or not he noticed any Cognitive Degeneration in his many conversations with Crooked Joe Biden,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. Members of the crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania rushed to his aid following the shooting The presidential hopeful has since given extensive accounts of the moment he was shot and was seen sporting a bandage over his ear 'Wray should resign immediately from the FBI, and stop 'sweet talking' Congress every time he goes up, which he loves to do, because anybody can see that Joe Biden is cognitively and physically challenged. 'And if you can't see that, you sure as hell can't be running the FBI - Unless, that is, you want to illegally lead the Raid on Mar-a-Lago. Wray has to resign, and NOW, for LYING TO CONGRESS!' The FBI was not involved in ensuring security for the rally and has therefore avoided the same level of scrutiny directed at the Secret Service over the lapses that preceded the event. On Tuesday, Kimberly Cheatle resigned as the agencys director amid mounting questions over her the colossal security failures at the rally. Cheatle took responsibility for the catastrophic lapses after she was lambasted by Republicans and Democrats alike when she appeared before Congress on Monday. The security chief had faced mounting questions over why an agent was not stationed on the roof from where Crooks opened fire on the former president, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage even when a threat was detected. Crooks had been identified as a suspicious person hours before the shooting took place. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has dramatically announced her resignation after the massive security failures that led to the attempted assassination on Donald Trump Wray's testimony before Congress touched on security failures which allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire despite being identified as a suspicious person on the day of the shooting He was shot dead by a sniper but not before he was able to discharge a volley of bullets into the crowd. Wray said Crooks used mechanical equipment on the ground and vertical piping, to hoist himself up onto the roof of a squat manufacturing building that was within 135 meters (157 yards) of the stage. He fired eight shots from an AR-style rifle before he was killed. The Warren Commission report that analyzed the Kennedy assassination assessed that Kennedy had been shot through the neck at a range of 174.9 feet to 190.8 feet. A mayor in far north Queensland has copped vile abuse after her council refused to change a local place name that some say is a reference to the rape of Indigenous women. Burdekin Shire councillors, including mayor Pierina Dalle Cort, rejected a request from the state government to rename Yellow Gin Creek as part of a 'program of review of place names which may cause offence or harm'. In a 6-1 vote on July 9, the council passed a motion to 'provide feedback to (the) Department of Resources' about why it would not be changing the name 'due to the creek's local historical significance to the region'. The state government has focussed its program of changing offensive names on places with the word 'Gin' in them as in the past, the word had been used to describe Aboriginal women, particularly those who had been sexually abused by white men. Queensland councils that are home to 16 Black Gin Creeks and 14 other creeks with Gin in the name have been sent letters asking for them to be renamed. This included Burdekin's letter over Yellow Gin Creek, which some locals believe refers to a woman of mixed Aboriginal and white heritage. 'I'm not racist,' Ms Dalle Cort told Daily Mail Australia on Friday. 'I love the black community we have here.' She said a poll had shown that 92 per cent of people agreed with not changing the name. Burdekin Shire councillors rejected a request from the state government to rename Yellow Gin Creek (pictured) as part of a 'program of review of place names which may cause offence or harm' The mayor also said that since the vote, she had been contacted by a local Indigenous woman who told her 'the Jura elders are wanting to keep (the) Yellow Gin Creek (name)' because it was named for one of their ancestors. Ms Dalle Cort said she is aware of the sensitivities around race in Queensland and elsewhere. 'I know it's an issue everywhere ... I've had some hate mail (about the Yellow Gin Creek issue), but that goes with the job.' She said she had experienced racism herself when she was younger. 'My background is Italian and Sicilian, and growing up I was called a wog ... 'We can't change history, but what we do in the future is what counts as well,' the mayor said. Ms Dalle Cort also said the place name could be referring to a drink called yellow gin, 'which was distilled by early pioneers as a form of inexpensive alcohol'. Ultimately, despite the state government's fears, there is no historical documentation indicating the reason the name was chosen, 'so you don't know which is right, which is wrong'. In a 6-1 vote on July 9, the council passed a motion to 'provide feedback to (the) Department of Resources' about why it would not be changing the name 'due to the creek's local historical significance to the region'. The councillors are pictured, with mayor Pierina Dalle Cort in front Queensland's Place Names Act of 1994 was updated in April 2024 to make it easier to rebrand place names considered racist or offensive, but the state government still requires local councils to make many of the changes. The state can rename roads or bridges with problematic names, but not creeks. In 2016, Queensland's Transport Department renamed Yellow Gin Creek Bridge to 'Youngoorah Bridge' after the Juru word for 'women'. Ms Dalle Cort said she has been told the local Aboriginal elders were 'happy to talk' to her about the issue of Yellow Gin Creek's name. Donald Trump has backed out of debating Kamala Harris citing Democratic party 'chaos' - after promising to the showdown 'anytime, anyplace.' The former president had initially said on Tuesday he would 'absolutely' debate Harris after Joe Biden dropped out of the race - as his vice president, Harris, was likely to replace him. But on Thursday night Trump backed away from the September 10 faceoff which he already had scheduled with Biden, or organizing a new one - at least until Harris is confirmed as the Democratic nominee. 'What happened to "any time, any place"?' Harris wrote on Twitter immediately after Trump backed out. Steven Cheung, the campaign's communications director, claimed Democrats were in too much 'chaos' since Biden abandoned his reelection bid. Donald Trump has backed out of debating Kamala Harris at least until she is confirmed as the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, pictured during her 2020 debate with then-vice president Mike Pence, said she was ready to go for a debate against Trump 'Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,' he said. 'There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party - namely Barack Hussein Obama - that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone 'better.' 'Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.' The Democratic National Convention on August 19 to 22 will officially determine the party's nominee for president, but Harris has already secured enough delegates. Biden and Trump agreed to two debates during the presidential campaign, on June 27 on CNN and September 10 on ABC. However, the first debate was such a disaster for Biden that it sparked three weeks of chaos that ended with him backing out of his campaign. Harris mocked Trump after his campaigned announced debate planning was on hold for at least the next few weeks Harris said she was keen to stick to the agreed schedule, but said earlier on Thursday that it appeared Trump wasn't locked in. 'I have agreed to the previously agreed upon September 10 debate, he agreed to that previously. Now it appears he's backpedaling,' she said. 'I think that the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage. I'm ready. So let's go.' Harris then mocked Trump after his campaigned announced debate planning was on hold for at least the next few weeks. 'What happened to "any time, any place"?' she wrote in reply. Trump in a press call with reporters on Tuesday insisted he would 'absolutely' debate Harris was was open to adding another one to the calendar. 'I agreed to debate with Joe Biden. But I want to debate her and she'll be no different because they have the same policies,' he said. 'I would be willing to do more than one debate actually.' Trump said debating Harris would be 'probably similar' to Biden. 'She's the same as Biden, but much more radical. She's a radical left person, and this country doesn't want a radical left person to destroy it,' he claimed. The first debate was such a disaster for Joe Biden that it sparked three weeks of chaos that ended with him ending his campaign Trump said though he committed to the ABC debate, he would prefer it be hosted by another network, such as Fox News. 'I'm not thrilled with ABC. I guess they committed but I have at least equal say, and I don't like the idea of ABC,' he said. Fox, which has been more friendly to the former president, earlier said it was interested in hosting a debate and Trump said it was mutual. 'Now that Joe has, not surprisingly, has quit the race, I think the debate, with whomever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on FoxNews, rather than very biased ABC,' he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday. Australian tourists have reported losing all of their belongings after a major fire destroyed 16 villas in a Bali resort. The huge and destructive blaze was reported at around 10.30pm on Thursday night in Seminyak, an area which is very popular with Aussies. Western Australian man Bailey was staying in one of the villas and told Perth radio station 6PR he and his friends have lost nearly everything. 'We were out for dinner and on our way back we could see flames in the distance. As we were getting close we realised our villa was on fire,' he said on Friday. 'I lost everything apart from my passport and cash, most of us did. A couple of them lost passports and a couple have (lost) everything.' Bailey said he and his mates are going to go to the Australian consulate to try to 'get some new passports ... 'And then we're going to have to find some new accommodation somewhere.' Australian tourists have reported losing all of their belongings after a major fire (pictured) destroyed 16 villas in a Bali resort Western Australian man Bailey was staying in one of the villas and told Perth radio station 6PR he and his friends have lost nearly everything. The fire is pictured He said that reports of people stealing items from the compound as the fire raged were probably not true. 'They were wheeling safes and mattresses out of the place. I don't know that they were being stolen. 'They were just being taken out of there so that nothing got damaged,' he told Millsy and Karl on 6PR. A former PepsiCo executive who claims he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos while working as a janitor is suing the company for 'destroying his career'. Richard Montanez spent decades telling anyone who would listen that he came up with the hugely popular flavor in 1991 and pitched it to executives. His rags-to-riches story spawned a bestselling book, $50,000-a-pop on the speaking circuit, and a Disney+ film before it was debunked in 2021. Frito-Lay, manufacturer of Cheetos, found 'the facts do not support the urban legend' and the flavor was instead crated by a team in Plano, Texas, in 1989. Richard Montanez spent decades telling anyone who would listen that he came up with the hugely popular Flamin' Hot Cheetos flavor in 1991 and pitched it to executives Montanez, the son of a Mexican immigrant who grew up in a migrant labor camp, began working for PepsiCo as a janitor at its Frito-Lay plant in Ranch Cucamonga, California, in 1977. His story is that one day, a machine in Montanez's plant broke down, leaving a batch of unflavored Cheetos. Montanez said he took the batch home and dusted them with chili powder, trying to replicate the flavor of elote, the popular grilled seasoned corn served in Mexico. He claimed he asked for a meeting with PepsiCo chief executive Roger Enrico to pitch his spicy Cheetos, confident they would be a hit with the Latino community. Enrico granted the meeting in 1991, liked the presentation, and directed the company to develop spicy Cheetos, according to the lawsuit. Montanez said PepsiCo sent him on speaking engagements and actively promoted his story. But Montanez claimed that, in the meantime, the company's research and development department shut him out of its discussions and testing. Montanez and his wife are pictured at a 2014 gala celebrating the contributions of Latinos PepsiCo introduced Flamin' Hot Cheetos in 1992 and Montanez said he continued to develop spicy snacks, like Flamin' Hot Popcorn and Lime and Chili Fritos, and in 2000 he was promoted to a business development manager in Southern California. He eventually became PepsiCo vice president of multicultural marketing and sales. Montanez said demand for speaking engagements was so great that he retired from PepsiCo in 2019 to become a motivational speaker full time. He published a memoir in 2021 and his life story was made into a movie, Flamin' Hot, in 2023 that was even screened at the White House. But according to the lawsuit, PepsiCo turned on Montanez in 2021, cooperating with a Los Angeles Times piece that claimed others in the company were already working on spicy snacks when Montanez approached them, and that they - not Montanez - came up with the name, Flamin' Hot. Montanez said PepsiCo's about-face has hurt his speaking career and other potential opportunities, including a documentary about his life. He is seeking damages for discrimination, fraud and defamation in the lawsuit that was filed July 18 in California Superior Court. PepsiCo said it has no comment on the lawsuit. His life story was made into a movie, Flamin' Hot, in 2023, starring Jesse Garcia (pictured) as Montanez A junior employee named Lynne Greenfeld was assigned to create the brand and came up with the name, the company said. Greenfield alerted Frito-Lay of Montanez's claims in 2018 and an internal investigation ensued. 'None of our records show that Montanez was involved in any capacity in the Flamin' Hot test market,' Frito-Lay said at the time. 'We have interviewed multiple personnel who were involved in the test market, and all of them indicate that Richard was not involved in any capacity in the test market. 'That doesn't mean we don't celebrate Richard, but the facts do not support the urban legend.' Montanez subsequently spoke with Variety saying he was disappointed that Frito Lay publicly denied his story. 'I was their greatest ambassador,' he stated. 'But I will say this, you're going to love your company more than they will ever love you, keep that in perspective.' Montanez (pictured in 2017) said PepsiCo's about-face has hurt his speaking career and other potential opportunities, including a documentary about his life Montanez's rags-to-riches story spawned a bestselling book (pictured), $50,000-a-pop on the speaking circuit, and a Disney+ film before it was debunked in 2021 However, Frito Lay's parent company PepsiCo soon after backed up its ex-executive, without disputing that he hadn't been involved in creating Flamin' Hot Cheetos. 'The information we shared with the media has been misconstrued by some, which resulted in confusion around where we stand, a range of emotions among our employees and consumers and a strain on our valued friendship with Richard Montanez and the Latino community,' the statement read. 'Far from being an urban legend, Montanez had a remarkable 40-plus-year career at PepsiCo and made an incredible impact on our business and employees and continues to serve as an inspiration today. 'His insights and ideas on how to better serve Hispanic consumers were invaluable and directly resulted in the success of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. 'To be clear, we have no reason to doubt the stories he shares about taking the initiative to create new product ideas for the Cheetos brand, and pitching them to past PepsiCo leaders.' The company claimed there were 'different work streams tackling the same product without interacting,' and that Montanez may possibly have had some part in the invention of Flamin' Hot Cheetos without their awareness. A suspected pedophile killed himself moments after admitting to watching heinous child porn to a predator hunter who confronted him at his home. Donald Letcher, 60, was seen on camera describing his viewing habits in graphic detail to Predator Poachers' Alex Rosen. Rosen coaxed him into admitting his crimes after appearing at his home in Canova, South Dakota. He then called the cops, but before Letcher could be detained, he went back into his house and shot himself in the head. 'The cop turns his back on him, Letcher goes in the home and we hear a pop,' Rosen explained to talk show host Breanna Morello. Suspected pedophile Donald Letcher (right) killed himself during a confrontation with predator hunter Alex Rosen (left) moments after admitting to watching heinous child porn 'It didn't really register what it was because it wasn't a loud shot, it was a .22 I think he had and then the cop break the door down.' Rosen's team caught the aftermath on camera, which showed police frantically trying to get inside the property. 'The camera man goes around the side of the building and sees him with a hole in his head bleeding out, a few hours later he was airlifted to hospital where he was pronounced dead,' Rosen added. The pedophile hunter said he first connected with Letcher via messaging app Telegram, where the suspect was 'acting pretty sexual' and requesting nude photos of what he believed was a 12-year-old girl. Rosen explained he got Letcher to admit to viewing child pornography involving children as young as infant age in a bid to secure a conviction, as the state's law was hazy around solicitation of porn from a fictional child. He was unaware that Letcher had previously been convicted of two counts of sexually molesting his girlfriends nine-year-old daughter in Bridgewater in 1995. However, the charges were overturned due to a technicality and Letcher was exonerated a year later. It was not his only brush with the law however and in 2022, Letcher was convicted of the hit-and-run of a six-year-old girl. Letcher shot himself in the head at his home in South Dakota before police could detain him Letcher was given just 25 days in jail for the offense which occurred while he was drunk behind the wheel. Rosen posted his interaction with the creep on X, where the video has been viewed more than 18 million times. 'I am a firm believer that all human lives have value. Except for pedophiles,' one viewer wrote. 'All's well that ends well #Justice,' another person added. But the clip has also sparked backlash. 'The fact that there was not a real child that he was talking to and that they tricked him into thinking he was talking to someone that actually a decoy, they will be charged for something now for his death,' one person responded to the post. 'Alex should be arrested,' another wrote in response to a post about Letcher's suicide. 'I hope you get charged idiots,' a third person wrote. During an interview with Morello, Rosen revealed that he was detained by police after the incident but ultimately released. Rosen's team caught the aftermath of the sting on video and shared on their X profile He was then inundated with critics claiming he should be arrested for his role in Letcher's death He remained confident about his behavior and claims Letcher has nobody to blame but himself. 'It couldn't have happened to a worse guy,' he told Morello. 'I know it's still a human life and all that but when we say death penalty for pedos we mean it. 'Somebody has to be the one to experience it, so screw him. 'There is really no good reason to attack us for approaching an individual like this. We never go up to anyone where we don't have great reason to believe they are hurting children.' He added that although he was talking to a decoy, Letcher was still 'being a predator' by soliciting explicit photos from what he thought was a minor. 'If he's getting off on infants being tortured then screw him,' Rosen said. Rosen's group is just one of many who engage in anti-pedophile activism and stings such as the one against Letcher. Rosen was detained by police but said he was ultimately released and has stood by his actions Rosen told talk show host Breanna Morello he has no regrets about his behavior Some have suggested that their tactics actually hinder police work and potentially violate human rights around privacy due to the fact they often live stream their efforts online. Although such vigilantism is not illegal, activists can be charged if they break the law in the course of their actions. In 2021, Illinois pedophile hunter Kyle Swanson was indicted on felony charges of unlawful restraint and obstructing justice over his stings. The charges were ultimately dropped, but the case highlights the potential legal issues such activists can run into. A paramedic has been banned for making unwanted sexual advances towards a teenager after working at the Bathurst 1000 motor race, claiming he was led on by the term 'Netflix and chill'. Craig Davies admitted professional misconduct over touching and 'grinding' the 17-year-old boy in shared accommodation after working at the car race in regional NSW in October 2020. He admitted sending the teenager an explicit TikTok video and a photo of a patient, while also making inappropriate comments like 'aren't you a pretty cute innocent boy' in the weeks afterwards. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Davies guilty of the misconduct on Friday and cancelled his registration. The teenager had made it 'abundantly clear' the touching was unwelcome, but Davies' insight into his behaviour remains limited, the tribunal found. Davies, then 27, worked for St John Ambulance at the race on October 17 and returned to his accommodation to watch an episode of the Netflix show Money Heist with the teenager. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found St John Ambulance paramedic Craig Davies guilty of misconduct on Friday and cancelled his registration While the pair sat on a bed watching on a laptop Davies stroked and rubbed the teenager, who used his elbow to push him away, the tribunal was told. When the 17-year-old became upset and curled up in a ball on another bed, Davies hugged and 'grinded' him and suggested sex, which the teenager refused. Davies told the tribunal the teenager had made several references to 'Netflix and chill', wrongly leading him to believe he was open to sex. Under cross-examination, Davies admitted the teenager may have only used the phrase once. The term is commonly used to refer to casual sex. Even if the teenager used the phrase, his moving away and becoming upset demonstrated Mr Davies' conduct was unwanted, the tribunal found. After Davies returned to Sydney, he sent the teenager a TikTok video of two people engaged in a sex act, followed by an explicit photo of a patient. Davies said he didn't realise the video was on his social media feed, while the photo was sent to generate clinical discussions. Craig Davies worked as a St John Ambulance paramedic at the Bathurst 1000 The tribunal found the sending of the photo for professional reasons was 'glaringly improbable'. After Davies was suspended from St John Ambulance in December 2020 over the complaints, he did not inform NSW Ambulance or health regulators as required. Davies was initially convicted of sexually touching a person without consent in the local court in 2021, but the NSW District Court quashed the conviction on appeal the following year. His solicitor argued any further action against Davies would be unjust after the successful legal appeal. But the tribunal said there was little evidence Davies had taken steps to address his behaviour. 'It is simply not possible to say when, if ever, Mr Davies will be able to establish that there is no real and material risk that the misconduct might be repeated,' the judgment said. A local hero plumber has revealed how he chased two alleged gunmen through residential streets after being woken by gunshots. Father-of-three Daniel Klinsic spoke of the terrifying incident that occurred on Thursday night in Austral, a south-western Sydney suburb. Around 11.05pm on Thursday night police were called following reports of gunshots on Sixteenth Ave. At least six shots were fired at a family home. A short time later, they received further reports a vehicle had crashed on Craik Avenue, before two men ran from the scene. On arrival, they found bullet casings and a fuel cannister inside the abandoned vehicle which had been reported stolen. Mr Klinsic told reporters he was home asleep with his wife when they were woken by a loud bang. Wearing only his pyjamas with no shoes, Mr Klinsic gave chase to the alleged offenders. 'So I bolted down the stairs, straight out,' he said. Local hero tradie Daniel Klinsic (pictured) revealed how he chased two alleged gunmen through residential streets after being woken by gunshots CCTV vision from the scene of the terrifying incident in Austral in Sydney's south-west on Thursday night 'I saw the guy running down there, so I gave chase barefooted. I was about 50 metres away from him, but obviously, being barefooted, I couldn't run any further. 'I could see exactly what he was wearing, I saw the whole lot,' he said. He said chasing after the alleged gunman was a reflex action. 'It was just natural instinct. Get the p**** down on the floor,' he said. Mr Klinsic said the alleged offender was panting. '[I was thinking] 'I'm gonna get ya, I'm gonna get ya. But then I hit gravel. I can't run gravel in barefoot.' He said the alleged offender was on the phone as he was running, 'obviously trying to contact someone to pick him up'. Mr Klinsic admits he was scared, but added he was motivated by protecting his family. 'When it's around my family, I just kick in, I didn't think about guns. If I had... shoes on I would have got him.' Mr Klinsic joked it was 'probably lucky he didn't catch him' as the man he was chasing was allegedly armed. When he later saw the bullets in the alleged offenders' car, Mr Klinsic admitted that's when the realisation kicked in. 'F***, this could've turned nasty real quick,' he said. Neighbours said they are not surprised Mr Klinsic gave chase as it is quite a common occurrence. 'There's been a bit of a nuisance like doing burnouts and all that up the street and speeding up and down the street,' Mr Klinsic said. Police are pictured on the scene at Austral in Sydney's south-west where a barefoot tradie chased an alleged gunman on Thursday night 'So I've chased a couple of people up the road and cars. I just don't think, I just go for it.' Police recovered an empty pistol magazine on Seventeenth Avenue and around 11.35pm located a 30-year-old man on Fourth Avenue. He was taken to Liverpool Police Station and is assisting police with inquiries. On Friday morning police located a silver gun believed to have been used in the incident. Inquiries are ongoing. An alarming increase of sharks in the waters off the East Coast has beachgoers and fishermen on edge. The Long Island Sound - which borders New York City, Long Island, Westchester County and Connecticut - is home to five shark species: the spiny dogfish, the smooth dogfish, the dusky shark, the brown shark and the sand tiger shark. But larger sharks sometimes make their way into the relatively calm waters and have been doing so at an increased rate. In 2022, at least six people were bitten or injured by sharks at New York beaches, and in 2019, a great white was reported off the shore of Greenwich, Connecticut. 'They can be relatively close to shore, depending on where they're feeding and what they're feeding on for certain times of year,' fisheries biologist Jon Vander Werff told the Hartford Courant. The Long Island Sound has seen an increasing number of sharks in recent years 'I dont want to say theyre right off shore like on the beach lines, but if someone was to be fishing and catch a fish, those larger [sharks] are usually the ones that will go after a fish,' he said. 'Theyre not right off shore of the beaches, but they can come in pretty close to shore.' He noted that the conditions in the Sound are becoming ideal for such sharks. 'The water quality is there for them and the ecosystem has been rebounding from years' past, where there hasn't been a lot of sharks,' he told the Hartford Courant. 'Some people might not think it's a good. But as a fisheries biologist, I look at this as an excellent thing because the ecosystem is rebounding, and now there's enough resources for the sharks to be surviving in [the] Long Island Sound.' 'Theyre the apex predator, so theyre at the top of the food chain,' he added. 'They need a lot of resources to keep themselves going.' There is now ample prey for the sharks to eat in the Sound as a result of conservation efforts to clean up rivers that flow into the ocean. In 2022, at least six people were bitten or injured by sharks at New York beaches 'Seeing sharks in our local ecosystem is extremely important, and it's a sign that the environment around us is healthy,' Chris Paparo, a shark expert at Stony Brook University in Long Island said in a series of Twitter videos. David Molnar, of Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, also attributed the rise in shark sightings to more pups as sand bar sharks become more common. 'Some of it's their biology,' he said. 'It takes between one and three years to have pups, and they only have a couple of pups when they do. 'We only see them in the summertime. They're here now, they're popping.' 'Weve had young pups caught there by accident by fishermen, and they tend to follow wherever the bait,' he noted. 'So right now, theres a lot of bunker in Milford, New Haven. So Im sure there are sharks out there feeding on them.' Molnar added that smooth dog fish are also present in the Long Island Sound, but will move out when the waters cool in the fall and winter. But professors Oliver Shipley and Michael Frisk at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook told DailyMail.com said they can't conclusively say there is one specific reason why the sharks are swimming so close to shore. 'This is not a cut-and-dry cause-and-effect scenario,' Shipley said. 'This is something that's extremely complex and we have to be really careful about attributing single things, like pollution, to why we may see more of certain animals in certain areas than we did before.' Experts recommend avoiding drop offs in the water where sharks can make 'sneak attacks' Still, experts say the odds of getting bitten remain low, with seasoned diver John Langlois, the owner of Enfield Scuba and Water Sports, putting them at 264million to one. 'When you look at how many, they get a bad reputation, because as soon as somebody gets bit, it sounds like hundreds of people are getting bit, but they're not,' he told the Courant. 'And there's so few bites that what makes them so bad, of course, is the publicity.' But if provoked 'like for example, you're swimming and you kick one, they might come around [for] an exploratory bite,' Vander Werff warned. To avoid any bites, Langlois recommends avoiding areas that drop off to 20 to 30 feet 'because that would be the sneak attack, where sharks would be below, see something moving and just come straight up to you. 'Obviously avoid water if youre bleeding,' he added. 'There is an increased risk of shark attack. Sharks can sense tiny molecules of blood from long distances. Especially in brackish or low-visibility water a shiny object can look like a bait fish. 'So you want to leave your shiny jewelry on the beach blanket. Wellwishers have donated thousands of pounds to a charity fundraising page launched by an Army officer who was repeatedly stabbed in a street attack as he remains in hospital in a 'serious but stable condition'. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton is still receiving active medical treatment after he was set upon by a knife-wielding assailant outside his home in Gillingham, Kent, on Tuesday evening. The 47-year-old, who has served in the Armed Forces for 24 years, was wearing his uniform 200 metres from Brompton Barracks when he was attacked by a moped rider. Now a fundraising page for charity Combat Stress, an organisation which supports veterans' mental health, set up by Lt Col Teeton has reached more than 8,000. The soldier took part in the D-Day challenge to raise money, which consists of either a 22-mile walk, a 22-mile run or a 44-mile ultra-run on the beaches of Normandy, ending at Pegasus Bridge. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton pictured with his wife Eileen, who may have saved his life by running out to pull his attacker away Anthony Esan arrives at Medway Magistrates' Court in Chatham, Kent, where he is charged with the attempted murder of Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton The solider has far exceeded his target, so far raising more than 8,500 He had originally set a target of raising 1,750 but with the help of celebrity support, donations have soared to more than 8,500. The page has been widely shared online, including by comedian Al Murray, a long time supporter of the Armed Forces. Taking to social media, Mr Murray wrote: 'Lt Col Mark Teeton RE ran in aid of @CombatStress for the D-Day 80th anniversary. 'Here's the link to sponsor him and show support at this horrendous time for him and his family.' After the horror attack, Lt Col Teeton's wife Eileen rushed from their house to his aid, with witnesses describing how she tackled the man who was stabbing her husband, likely saving his life in the process. Last night the father-of-two remained in hospital, with Army sources claimed that despite no change in his condition being expected in the coming days, in the long term is hoped he will return to work. The father-of-two completed the D-Day challenge in Normandy earlier this year to mark the 80th anniversary of the landings Lt Col Mark Teeton is reported to have joined the Army 24 years ago and has been awarded a long service and good conduct medal Anthony Esan being led into Medway Magistrates Court this morning (left) and leaving (right) after being charged with the attempted murder of Lt Col Teeton Police on the scene of an alleged attack on a British Army officer in Gillingham on Tuesday evening The highly-respected officer had reached the same rank as his older brother Andy in the same corps, before becoming a course manager at the Royal School for Military Engineering, which is based at Brompton Barracks. He was officially named yesterday as family, friends and neighbours paid tribute to him and his wife. It came as a 24-year-old man appeared at Medway Magistrates Court in Chatham charged with attempted murder. Antony Esan, of Rochester, confirmed his name but challenged the magistrate over why he should provide his date of birth. He confirmed the information when pressed by district judge Stephen Leake. Prosecutor Rajni Prashar said a man was seen running up behind a soldier, pulling him to the ground and stabbing him with a 'large knife or machete'. Ms Prashar added: 'He [the assailant] got on to a moped and drove off. Witnesses took down the registration number and it was traced.' She said police found a set of kitchen knives in a black cardboard box on the moped. Two of them had been used. Three were still inside protective sleeves, suggesting they had not been used. Esan did not enter a plea. He was remanded in custody until August 22 when he will appear at Maidstone Crown Court. His barrister said his client's fitness to stand trial will be assessed by psychiatrists. Lt Col Teeton, a course manager for the Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment for almost six years, ran 44 miles just last month to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and to raise money for veterans' mental health support Lt Col Teeton in his military uniform with his wife. He is believed to have been walking in a military uniform when he was attacked A sketch of Anthony Esan, 24 (right), in court today accompanied by police officers. He is yet to enter pleas to the charges of attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon Forensic officers have been at an address in nearby Rochester, where a man was arrested and subsequently charged with attempted murder Mrs Teeton was a member of an Army wives' choir and once appeared on the ITV chat show Lorraine alongside other military mums. She is also a stalwart of the Armed Forces community in Medway, where her highly-respected husband belongs to the Royal School for Military Engineering at Brompton Barracks. According to Army sources Mrs Teeton has been at her husband's side throughout his career, enduring the challenges that come with being a services wife. But nothing could possibly have prepared her for the horror that confronted her on Tuesday evening. Her anguished cries were inadvertently recorded on a neighbour's doorbell camera. 'What are you doing?' she screamed. Then she turned and appealed for help, telling passers-by that her husband, who was wearing his uniform, had been stabbed and could bleed to death. Last night friends said Mrs Teeton was a 'lovely lady', who is part of the Brompton and Invicta Military Wives Choir. She appeared on ITV to discuss belonging to a services choir four years ago. A Facebook post from the time paid tribute to 'Our amazing Eileen you were fabulous! We are so proud of you!' Mrs Teeton is also a familiar face at the local community centre and could be relied upon to support other Army families. And her husband is as respected as he is popular, the Mail has been told, prioritising the welfare of personnel and veterans. Earlier this year he ran 44 miles on the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy to raise 3,000 for military charity Combat Stress. A UK flight headed for Italy was forced to make an emergency stop in Germany after a young child suffered most severe type of burns from a cup of tea. The young boy, aged nine, had been enjoying his hot beverage on flight from London. But after he accidentally spilled drink upon himself his burns were so severe the plane had to make an emergency stop at Allgau Airport in Memmingen, 73 miles outside of Munich in the southern German state of Bavaria. The boy was then rushed to hospital by rescue helicopter, which doctors confirmed he had third degree burns. After the stopover, the plane finally took off again at around 11 am and landed at its actual destination of Brindisi in southern Italy at around 12.30 pm, a good hour and a half late. His burns were so severe the plane had to make an emergency stop at Allgau Airport in Memmingen, 73 miles outside of Munich (pictured) Officers from the Memmingen border police then took over the incident. According to the police, the investigation revealed 'that the incident was not the fault of a third party and that the boy had scalded himself through carelessness'. Third-degree burns, or 'full-thickness burns', are the most severe type, affecting all layers of the skin, including the epidermis, dermis, and underlying tissue. These burns destroy nerve endings, so the affected area may not feel pain initially, and instead leaves the skin appearing white, charred, leathery, or waxy. But this is all dangerously deceptive as healing requires medical intervention, often even involving skin grafts. These burns can also lead complications like infections and fluid loss, and also very serious long-term consequences such as scarring. This is not the first time, however, that children have been injured by food and drink served on board an aircraft. It is not the first time that children have been injured by food and drink served on board an aircraft (file image) The parents of a six-year-old girl sued United Airlines for 75,000 dollars in damages after a traumatic flight from Tel Aviv to Newark in 2022. Here their daughter allegedly suffered severe burns from an 'inappropriately hot' meal and was left horribly disfigured. The parents accused the airline of failing to properly maintain the aircraft, causing the child's tray table to malfunction and the hot food to slide onto her lap. After the accident, the child allegedly also did not receive adequate medical care and suffered for the remaining twelve hours of the flight. The Prime Minister of New Zealand has been dramatically rushed out of a press conference by his security detail over fears pro-Palestinian protesters would confront him. Christopher Luxon had been promoting a new policy of getting more police officers on the streets during a media stop at Albert Street in Auckland's CBD on Friday. He was joined by his Police Minister Mark Mitchell, who is a former officer, the Associate Police Minister Casey Costello and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. But as Mr Luxon was answering one of the final questions, a member of his security team rushed to him and prematurely ended the press conference. 'We gotta go,' the security service officer is heard saying in a video shared by The New Zealand Herald. The bodyguard then tapped the Prime Minister on the shoulder and ushered him through the rest of the officers adding: 'We need to leave right now, sir.' Mr Luxon and his team then made their exit from Good To Go mini-supermarket, where the press conference was held, and into waiting transport. It's understood Mr Luxon's team feared he would be caught by pro-Palestinian protesters who were believed to be en route to the press conference location. A member of the Prime Minister's security detail taps Mr Luxon on the shoulder before ushering him outside and away from the location Mr Luxon had been promoting his government's efforts to expand the number of police visible on city streets. Youth crime, particularly gang crime, is one of the major issues affecting New Zealand retailers. Police spokesperson for the rival National Party, Mark Mitchell, said the number of youths joining gangs has skyrocketed over the past five years, 'New information shows there are more than 8,000 gang members in New Zealand - a 50 per cent increase since Labour came to power in 2017. 'The data reveals a concerning trend that new members aged 18-25 have increased by 75 per cent. This is the most significant increase for any age group and clearly shows that gangs are effectively targeting and recruiting young people.' Under Mr Luxon's initiative, the police team in Auckland is expected to increase to 63 officers, while Wellington will see an addition of 17 officers, and 18 more in Christchurch. Mr Luxon's had been talking up a new government policy to expand the number of police visible on city streets 'The Police Commissioner announced they would have more cops on the beat in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and it's amazing within a matter of weeks to see that commitment has been followed through,' Mr Luxon said. He said the expanded number of officers on the force was 'more than a great start' and a 'collaborative effort'. Mr Luxon explained it was important for the government to 'do better' so that people could feel safe, especially with cruise ships coming back to New Zealand. 'Police are obviously at the heart of the whole issue, but they are working really constructively with the security officers from the different retail complexes, with the city council,' Mr Luxon said. 'What we're here to do is to make sure that we have more police out and about on the beat. 'But importantly that we are restoring law and order in New Zealand and that people are feeling safer in their homes, their businesses and communities.' He added more officers on the streets had delivered results since the initiative started, and that business owners have also noticed a change. Kemi Badenoch has slammed 'dirty tricks' in the Tory leadership battle - as Mel Stride became the fourth confirmed candidate. The former Cabinet minister lashed out on social media accusing a rival campaign of circulating a 'dirty dossier' about her. It apparently includes posts made on a online chat room in 2007, when Ms Badenoch criticised Nigerian culture and branded Diane Abbott a 'hypocrite'. Ms Badenoch - who has yet to launch her bid but is seen by many as the front runner to succeed Rishi Sunak - said people were also trying to generate 'petty and puerile' bullying claims against her. 'We can do better than this and I will be saying and writing more about how, in due course,' she wrote. She did not specify which campaign she thought was responsible. Mr Stride announced during a round of interviews this morning that he has secured the 10 MP backers needed to enter the race. Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick are the other contenders formally declared - with Priti Patel and Suella Braverman expected to pull the trigger soon. Kemi Badenoch has slammed 'dirty tricks' in the Tory leadership battle The former Cabinet minister lashed out on social media accusing a rival campaign of circulating a 'dirty dossier' about her Mel Stride announced during a round of interviews this morning that he has secured the 10 MP backers needed to enter the race The outcome could decide the fate of the party after its disastrous election rout, with One Nation and right-wing factions wrestling for control. Mr Stride - who retained his Central Devon seat with a majority of just 61 on July 4 - said he believed he was the right person to 'unite the party'. He said: 'What we know from the General Election is that we're in a very, very difficult place as a party, and I worry about that because I care about my party and I care about my country. 'We've substantially lost the trust of the British people and we've lost our reputation for competence, and I believe that I'm in a very good position to address those issues going forward. 'In terms of trust, I think (the party) needs somebody who is going to be able to unite the party. People are not going to vote for a party that's at each other's throats all the time. 'I am respected, I think, right across the parliamentary party. I was chair of the Treasury Select Committee, the leader of the House of Commons, all of those things are roles about bringing people together.' Contenders need a proposer, seconder and eight other MP backers to stand, with nominations closing at 2.30pm on Monday. Shadow home secretary Mr Cleverly was first to confirm he was running for the leadership, saying he was 'grateful for all the support' and 'looking forward to getting out and about over the next few months'. Mr Tugendhat talked up his experience as former security minister and in the armed forces as he launched his bid, telling GB News he has a 'track record of delivery' for the British people. He said he was willing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and denied that his change of tone on the matter was political opportunism. He said he believed he could turn around the Tories' disastrous result to win an election as leader of the Conservative Party in five years' time but that the party needs to 'be united' and 'regain the trust of the British people'. However, he suffered an embarrassing setback Mr Jenrick's campaign team said the ex-immigration minister has gathered enough support to run. His campaign manager Danny Kruger said Mr Jenrick has the 'energy, temperament and policy agenda to take on our rivals and lead us back to power in five years'. The parliamentary party will narrow the field down to four, who will make their case at the Conservative Party conference, which runs from September 29 to October 2. The final two, picked by the parliamentary party, will then go to a vote of party members in an online ballot that will close on October 31 with the result announced on November 2. A mother who got drunk and let her ex-boyfriend's two XL Bullies off their leads in a park where they mauled three dog walkers and their pets has been spared jail. Amanda Wilkie, 44, had taken her former boyfriend's pets, Mavis and Missy, out for a walk in a park in Merseyside after she had been drinking at a funeral. The powerfully built XL Bullies darted over to one woman and her dog, biting them both and dragging her along the grass. They also attacked two small dogs belonging to Christina Potts and Tracey Hayhurst who were chatting on a park bench. Party loving mother Amanda Wilkie, 44, got drunk and allowed two XL Bullies to maul three dog walkers and their pets during a terrifying parkland rampage She had been looking after the hounds for her ex-boyfriend and sparked terror when she let them off their leashes at Willow Park in Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside Despite leaving two women injured, Wilkie left without the XL Bullies and went home to carry on drinking alcohol. Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday that Wilkie had taken the dogs out for a walk on Willow Park in Newton-le-Willows shortly after 6pm on August 17 last year. Simran Garcha prosecuting said the Bullies attacked one woman and her dogs before approaching Christine Potts and Tracey Hayhurst, who were sitting on a bench. Mavis bit Ms Potts on the face, injuring her lip and finger, as she tried to protect her 17-year-old West Highland terrier, Rosie. Ms Potts also required hospital treatment after the incident. She and Ms Hayhurst picked up their dogs, including a two-year-old Papillon called Mylo, and put them on top of a bin to protect them as the XL Bullies continued their attempts to attack. Wilkie, of Southworth Road in Newton, attempted to move Mavis and Missy away. She said that 'they were not her dogs and did not belong to her' but the 44-year-old was described as 'appearing to be drunk' and 'slurring her words' at this stage. Christine Potts (right) with her friend Tracey Heyhurst tried to save their dogs, a 16-year-old West Highland Terrier called Rosie and a two-year-old Papillon called Mylo A bloodied Miss Potts with her pet Mylo in the aftermath of the attack. She underwent treatment in hospital for puncture wounds to her lip Ms Potts and Ms Hayhurst managed to get out of the area and sought refuge in a nearby van. But the XL Bullies turned their attentions to Jacqueline Mahoney, who 'heard a woman screaming for help' upon entering the park with her own dog. Wilkie warned her not to walk up a set of steps in the park due to dogs being aggressive. Mavis and Missy then attacked Ms Mahoney's dog, a three-year-old Yorkshire terrier-Chi Hua Hua cross called Scooby. One of the XL Bullies grabbed Scooby's neck and flipped it onto its back as Miss Mahoney was injured trying to rescue her pet. She grabbed the XL Bully's leg but she was dragged along and fell downstairs. Mylo pictured with 16-year-old West Highland Terrier called Rosie recovering after the vicious attack. Rosie had punctures around her neck Mylo suffered bites around her head and ear after the XL Bully locked its jaws around the dog She was left with bruising to her knuckles and pain in her back and arm while Scooby was left with wounds to its neck, back and chest. Scooby also ran away as a result of the attack. Police officers later arrived at the park to find that Wilkie had left, leaving both of her dogs behind. When interviewed on January 2, Wilkie told detectives that the dogs 'became free' after which she 'went back home to retrieve strong collars and leads'. But she then 'had a number of alcoholic drinks and did not return to retrieve the dogs'. Wilkie 'accepted possession of the dogs', although she stated that they 'belonged to her ex-partner' Mark Coxhill. Ms Hayhurst was left with bruising to her arms and legs and a chipped tooth as a result of the incident, while her dog 'received bite marks'. Ms Mahoney suffered 'many bruises and scratches', with her dog sustaining 'injuries to the chest and back, including puncture wounds'. In a statement read to the court on her behalf, Ms Potts said: 'I don't take my dogs out now like I used to, and only on the odd occasion. Even then, I find it so hard. 'What used to be a pleasure, being outside and enjoying nature, isn't any more. I don't think my mental wellbeing will ever be the same. 'I have flashbacks and nightmares and often cry out in my sleep. I used to love Willow Park, but I've not been able to go back there since. 'I've been a huge dog lover since I was a child, but now I'm terrified of big dogs. I can't stop thinking the worst that could have happened. 'I used to be a positive person. This incident has taken away my love of the outside and being out in nature with my dog and my sense of feeling safe and secure. 'No one should ever have to go through what I did and feel like I do nine months after it happened. This trauma will have an effect on me for the rest of my life.' One of the XL Bullies grabbed Scooby's neck (pictured) and flipped it onto its back as Miss Mahoney was injured trying to rescue her pet Jacqueline Mahoney (pictured) was attacked while entering the park with her three-year-old Yorkshire terrier-Chi Hua Hua cross called Scooby Wilkie has one previous conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm against Mr Coxhill in relation to an incident on April 14 2023. She stabbed her then boyfriend with a steak knife over claims he was about to cheat on her. This saw her handed a 15-month imprisonment suspended for two years in October last year. She owns three other dogs, a French bulldog called Dolly, Billy the Shih Tzu and a French bulldog Shih Tzu cross named Fifi. Louise Santamera, defending, told the court: 'She says she tried to speak to the police at the time and asked them to make arrangements to remove Missy and Mavis, because they were not her dogs and she was not allowed to contact him. 'On the date of the offence, she had been to a family funeral and returned home in a hurry to take the dogs out for a walk because they had not been walked at all that day. 'She accepts that she had a couple of drinks at the funeral but does not accept that she was staggeringly drunk. 'She picked up some older leads rather than the newer leads, which were much stronger. She took them a short distance to the park to give them a walk. 'As she entered the park, another dog started barking at them and this caused Missy to slip the lead. In fact, the lead snapped. 'The other dog ran off after her. She does accept that she should have been more responsible and she should have put them on the stronger leads. 'She said she left the park after trying to retrieve both of the dogs, trying her best to get them back under control. Realising that she couldn't, she went home because she was afraid. 'She was afraid she would be blamed for what she had seen happen and that she would be arrested again when she was on bail for the other offence. She was ashamed of what she had done in not staying in the park and not doing more in trying to retrieve the two dogs. 'It is true that, at the time, she did have an alcohol problem, but on that particular day she was not staggering around. At the time, she had been in a toxic and abusive relationship with Mr Coxhill. Wilkie pleaded guilty to four charges of having a dog dangerously out of control and faces up to two years jail under sentencing guidelines 'It seems that events in 2023 have brought her to her senses and made her realise that she needed to address her alcohol problem. She has done extraordinarily well, by all accounts. 'She has now been sober for eight months. The previous abusive relationship was the underlying cause of her alcohol problem. 'It would be, in my submission, a great pity if she was now to be sentenced to immediate custody. All of the hard work and effort she has made would be undone. 'She understands that the offences have caused immense physical and mental distress, and she is sorry for any pain she has caused. This incident in the park that day is a one-off incident in her ability to look after and care for dogs.' Wilkie admitted two counts of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog causing injury and two charges of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog. Sitting with her arms folded in the dock and wearing a black, pink and grey striped cardigan with her black hair tied back with a clip, she was handed a 10-month imprisonment suspended for two years with 200 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days. Wilkie was also told to pay 500 in compensation to Ms Potts and 300 to Ms Mahoney. Rulings on whether she will be banned from keeping animals and a destruction order concerning the two XL bullies will be given on August 27 in order to allow Mr Coxhill to make representations to the judge. Sentencing, Judge Brian Cummings KC said: 'I am dealing with not one but two dangerous dogs, two sizeable dogs, and two human victims - not including the dogs who were injured. Your conduct on this occasion represented a catalogue of irresponsibility. 'You are not a big person. You are a slight woman, so far as I can see. 'You went out with two large dogs. You had no proper collars or leads. 'You were under the influence of alcohol and, very seriously, you abandoned the dogs at the scene. You left others to deal with the situation, notwithstanding the fact that there were children in the park. 'You were on crown court bail at the time of this incident in respect of a dissimilar type of offence. You are not in breach of that suspended sentence order because it was imposed more than three months after the present offence. 'I keep in mind that this very serious incident was getting on now for a year ago. During that time, you importantly have not committed any further offences. 'It is only fair to acknowledge that your progress in respect of the community elements of the suspended sentence order has been described as excellent. If you were in breach of the suspended sentence order, of course you would be going to prison. 'There would be no doubt about it, but that is not the position. In my judgement, the balance in this case just comes through in your favour.' A 15-year-old schoolboy who was left severely brain-damaged after flipping from a pier heartbreakingly looked his mother in the eye and begged for 'help' as he spoke for the first time since the accident. Jack Dolan was left in a state where he could not move, speak or laugh after the tragedy on Margate pier in Kent on June 23. The teen, who tried to jump the pier in front of his pals and girlfriend, 'overspun' and 'landed face first on the water'. But after lying in a vegetative state for weeks, he is showing signs of improvement. Photos released by the family show his eyes open, as he is now regaining control of his arms and toes. Jack, from Chatham, was flown to a London hospital where a scan revealed no brain activity. He was put on end-of-life care after having his life support taken away. Jack Dolan (pictured) has spoken for the first time since his accident and is amazing doctors with his progress Jack (pictured) was left in a state where he could not move, speak or laugh after the tragedy on June 23 Lying from his hospital bed, Jack heartbreakingly looked his mother in the eye and said 'help' After lying in a vegetative state for weeks, Jack is showing signs of improvement Jack's stepfather, David Dolan, told MailOnline: 'Jack is blowing everything the doctors said out of the water. 'He is moving his arms, wiggling his toes, holding eye contact and whilst in a lot of pain, he looked his mum in the eye and said 'help'. 'He has beaten a chest infection and re-inflated his collapsed lung with no medical intervention. 'We are putting him in experimental private treatment to see how much of Jack we can get back, so the goalposts have moved, the therapy is 8,000 and the tank for hyperbaric oxygen therapy to have in the home if it shows improvement is 38,000. 'We are doing all we can to fight for him.' The family launched a fund-raising effort which has seen more than 1,000 supporters contributing more than 28,000. Jack with his mother Lisa before the tragic accident off Margate Pier He had done the move dozens of times before, most recently on holiday in Egypt in September (pictured), but this time he landed face first on the water Jack's stepfather Dave said the jump from the Stone Pier (pictured) was three or four metres high but if Jack had landed a quarter rotation one way or the other he would probably have been fine Jack's mother Lisa, an NHS worker, will be giving up her job to care for him full-time but doctors cannot say how long he will live. Since the accident, Jack has suffered from heart issues and seizures along with a chest infection and a collapsed lung. However, while his family expected the chest infection to claim the 15-year-old's life, he was able to fight it off with no medical intervention even reinflating his lung by himself. Mr Dolan also says with spots on his brain, Jack is likely to have a stroke at some point and has suffered two cardiac arrests. John Lewis has been granted planning permission for 'Waitrose Tower' - a high-rise tower block looming above one of its upmarket grocery stores in Bromley. Bromley Council's development committee signed off on allowing the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) - which owns both the department stores and Waitrose supermarkets - to proceed with the plans last night. It comes as JLP looks to expand its business, moving into housing as part of a 500million investment deal with Abrdn that will, the retail giant hopes, see 40 per cent of its profit come from outside the world of shopping. Objectors to the plans said the 135m-tall building will 'dwarf' the area - but planners recommended local councillors should green-light the plans because they make a 'very significant contribution' to the housing supply in the south London borough. The Masons Hill tower will include 30 'discount market rent' flats at London Living Rent rates - a below-average rent rate set by the Mayor of London's office. It is currently an average of 1,267 for a two-bedroom home. An artist's impression of the 353-home block of flats dubbed 'Waitrose Tower' that has been approved in Bromley Three quarters of the flats will be furnished with John Lewis furniture (pictured: a selection of John Lewis home furnishings) The existing Waitrose on Masons Hill in Bromley. Planners have admitted the new development will negatively impact residents of the existing Perigon Heights tower (middle of image) John Lewis is also applying to build almost 430 homes in West Ealing John Lewis says the homes will be energy efficient, and that it will discourage private car ownership by offering car club membership to tenants. Some 75 per cent of the flats will come fully furnished with John Lewis goods. There will be no new parking spaces on the development, and residents will not be able to apply for parking permits on the street under a condition agreed as part of the planning approval - with the exception of Blue Badge holders. The number of spaces at the existing Waitrose store, which will be redeveloped as part of the plans, will also be cut from 199 to 140. Planning officers at the council admitted the development would have a negative impact on those living in the nearby Perigon Heights block. The building does not meet some requirements on flood risks, and planners say the number of London Living Rent flats offered is 'significantly below expectation'. There were also 109 objections to the plans - and 144 notes of support. Councillors for the Bromley Town ward in which the development sits opposed the scheme. The council ultimately said it was supportive of the 'finely balanced case' to permit the development. 'The proposal would make a very significant contribution to the housing supply in the Borough making efficient use of land and would help to address the Council's acute housing delivery shortages,' the report presented last night read. Councillor Alexa Michael, Chairman of Bromley's Development Control Committee, later said: 'This development will make an essential contribution of much-needed housing in Bromley, while also providing a significant boost to the local economy. 'While finely balanced with many factors to consider, the proposal represents a clear net benefit to the borough and enhances local housing supply, which optimises land use on this highly-accessible brownfield site at the edge of Bromley's town centre.' Katherine Russell, director of build-to-rent at JLP, said: 'This now gives us the opportunity to enhance the local area, create vital new housing for the local people of Bromley and deliver a state-of-the-art Waitrose, which sits at the heart of the community.' JLP aims to start work on the site next year and hopes to complete the project by 2029. But it also has its sights set on building houses elsewhere in the capital. In June, it announced it is appealing to Ealing Council on the grounds of 'non-determination' after submitting plans for 428 homes. The proposed homes are near to West Ealing station on the Elizabeth Line and include 83 affordable rental homes. The appeal is due to be assessed by a planning inspector. But the firm has come under fire from a group of Ealing residents - called Stop the Towers - which has urged the council to reject the plans. Elon Musk's fiery feud with his trans daughter Vivian Wilson has deepened after she accused him of berating her for 'having a high voice' when she was young. In an interview with conservative commentator Jordan Peterson earlier this week, Musk said that he was tricked into signing away his 'son' Xavier, using Wilson's former name, to allow her to go on puberty blockers. Referring to Wilson with male pronouns and by her birth name, Musk claimed that his 'son' had been 'killed by the woke mind virus'. Posting on X's arch rival site Threads, owned by Mark Zuckerberg 's Meta, Wilson hit back at his comments, claiming she had no idea 'where he got this from'. Now, the 20-year-old has taken a step further by painting a scathing picture of her father in an interview yesterday by saying he was absent and bullied her for being queer. Vivian Wilson, seen here responding to her father's comments on Threads, has deepened their feud after she accused him of berating her for 'having a high voice' when she was a young boy In an interview, Musk said that he was tricked into signing away his son Xavier, using Wilson's former name, to allow her to go on puberty blockers 'I think he was under the assumption that I wasn't going to say anything and I would just let this go, unchallenged,' she told NBC News. '[But] I'm not going to do [that] because if you're going to lie about me, like, blatantly to an audience of millions, I'm not just gonna let that slide. 'I was in fourth grade. We went on this road trip that I didn't know was actually just an advertisement for one of the cars I don't remember which one and he was constantly yelling at me viciously because my voice was too high. It was cruel.' Discussing his comment that he had been 'tricked' into approving gender-affirming medical care for Vivian, she added: 'He was not by any means tricked.' She went on to describe the puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy she received as 'saving lives'. In a post on X, Musk also said that Wilson was 'born gay and slightly autistic' and that, at age 4, she fit certain gay stereotypes, such as loving musicals. Wilson replied by saying: 'He doesn't know what I was like as a child because he quite simply wasn't there. 'And in the little time that he was I was relentlessly harassed for my femininity and queerness. 'I've been reduced to a happy little stereotype,' she continued. 'I think that says alot about how he views queer people and children in general.' Musk said he had known from a young age that she was gay, saying she 'would pick out clothes for me to wear like a jacket and tell it was fabulous' and loved musicals Musk kisses his then fiancee Talulah Riley as they stand with Musk's twin boys Griffin, left, and Xavier, now known as Vivian. Riley was not their mother Wilson added her father has made up these claims because he wasn't around her as a child in her post to Threads Musk is seen here with his second wife Talulah Riley in 2015 with Xavier (right), now Vivian, and Griffin Elon Musk family continues to grow, 22 years after his first wife, Justine Wilson, gave birth to his first children The father and daughter have long had a contentious relationship, with Musk having called her a 'communist' who thinks 'anyone rich is evil'. When asked about gender dysphoria, he added: 'It's incredibly evil and I agree with you that the people that are promoting this should go to prison.' Musk said that his right-wing awakening has been spurred on by this process and the trickery he claims was played upon him. 'I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that and we're making some progress,' he said. The South African billionaire has fathered a reported 12 children over last 22 years and has spoken publicly about his view that the world is underpopulated. He had his kids with three different women, Canadian author Justine Wilson, the mother of Vivian, musician Grimes and his employee, Shivon Zilis. His youngest child, with Zilis, was born in 2024. Wilson legally changed her gender to female and her name from 'Xavier' to Vivian Jenna Wilson in 2022, while revealing in court filings she 'no longer wishes to be related' to Musk 'in any way'. Vivian filed the petition just three days after her 18th birthday, though the court documents weren't made public until the day after Fathers Day. Britain is set to bake this weekend amid hopes a mini-heatwave could send temperatures hurtling past 30C - making it hotter than parts of South Africa and Brazil. As millions of families embark on their summer getaways, temperatures are set to climb to 27C on 'Frantic Friday', when more than 3 million cars are set to hit the roads. The best of the warm weather is still to come, and after some light showers on Saturday, many can expect sunny spells and dry conditions across large swathes of the UK. But Sunday could see the hottest day of the year so far, as sunseekers hope the mercury sizzles above the 31.9C recorded in St James's Park on July 19. It comes after a disappointing start to July, where the wet and chilly start has barely materialised into the Great British summer many had pinned their hopes on. LONDON: A man basks in the sun while covering his head with a t-shirt earlier this month DORSET: Sunbathers make the most of the sunshine on Weymouth beach A peaceful poppy field near Sturminster Marshall, Dorset during dawn this morning The good weather will continue into next week, with the Met Office predicting highs of 29C on Monday. The hotter spells are thanks to an Iberian plume which is pushing a warm weather front from Europe, where temperatures have been as high as 40C this summer. The south-eastern areas of the country will experience the hottest weather, but most regions are expected to reap the benefits of the high pressure front. Looking ahead, Britons can expect a much drier August with the Met Office predicting a 'warmer than average' period from August 7 to August 21. London and the surrounding areas could see temperatures as high as 31C (89) on August 8. Warm weather is expected to hit Britain this weekend. Pictured: Boaters punt on the River Cam in Cambridge The UK is set for a mini-heatwave this weekend with temperatures hitting the mid-20s Walkers wearing jackets and holding umbrellas during heavy rain at West Bay in Dorset on July 25 A woman uses a paper bag to shelter from the rain while walking on the Strand in London on July 25 The warm weather will be a welcome relief after what has been a wet and shivery July for most of Britain. The average temperature in June sat at 12.9C (55F) and the country has experienced cooler temperatures in July, which has brought its own challenges. On Wednesday, a marooned hiker in Wales had to call mountain rescue after getting hypothermia. The group of walkers were attempting to walk the 15 Peaks until one of the members began to show signs of hypothermia. After struggling to find the path down and knowing they were at risk of straying onto the cliffs, the group stopped in the summit shelter to wait for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation who could safely bring them down. The group set off at 3AM to complete 15 peaks until one began exhibiting signs of hypothermia After confirming their location with the group was brought food and warm clothing The mountain rescuers urged people to check the weather before setting out and if they are properly equipped for all possible conditions. A spokesman for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation said this was 'especially important for long challenges, checking the weather will help you prepare properly for a trip in the mountains.' Those in the area couldn't believe the summer weather as local David Humphries recalling a recent fishing trip near the Crimea Pass where he 'left in July, arrived in April and arrived back home in July.' Elon Musk's transgender daughter last night branded her billionaire father 'uncaring' and 'narcissistic', but the pair's relationship has seemingly been broken for many years now. Vivian Jenna Wilson, called Xavier Musk at birth, launched a blistering attack against her father yesterday - accusing him of being absentee, 'cruel', 'quick to anger', and bullying her for being queer - after he said she was 'not a girl' and figuratively 'dead'. The pair's increasingly acrimonious public row was first thrown into the spotlight two years ago when Vivian, now 20, in a court filing declared she 'no longer wishes to be related' to her father and legally changed both her name and gender. Although Vivian says she has not spoken to her father in four years, Musk, 53, has used their apparently toxic relationship as a catalyst to wage his war against trans activism and gender politics, even publicly branding his daughter as a 'communist'. Vivian has remained relatively quiet, despite her father's public criticisms, until this week when she says Musk 'crossed a line' by claiming that Vivian was 'killed by the woke mind virus' and that he had been 'tricked' into allowing her to transition. Seemingly outraged by being 'reduced to a happy little stereotype', the 20-year-old declared that she would no longer let Musk's remarks 'go unchallenged' and vowed to 'debunk' what she says are claims her father has made up because he wasn't around during her childhood. Elon Musk's transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson (left, pictured this week) has branded her billionaire father 'uncaring' and 'narcissistic', but the pair's relationship has seemingly been broken for many years now. Vivian, born Xavier Musk, and her twin brother Griffin (right, pictured with Elon in 2017) are the Tesla CEO's eldest living children Musk appears to have been somewhat involved in Vivian's childhood, being pictured several times at events with the twins and his then-wife British actress Talulah Riley - although Vivian, now 20, has accused him of being absentee. Musk, Riley and the twins are pictured in 2011 Vivian and her twin brother Griffin are the Tesla CEO's eldest living children, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson. The twins were born in 2004 in California, three years before their younger brothers, Kai, Saxon and Damian, all of whom are now 18. Musk met his first wife, Wilson, while he was a student at Queen's University in Ontario. The pair married in 2000. Wilson previously told Musk biographer Ashlee Vance, that he 'wanted to get married and have kids early on.' She gave birth to their first child, Nevada, in 2002. Tragically, at just ten weeks old Nevada Alexander Musk died as a result of sudden infant death syndrome. In 2004, Wilson gave birth to twins, Xavier and Griffin, followed by triplets, Kai, Saxon and Damian, in 2006. Musk and Wilson divorced in 2008 and agreed to share custody. Wilson wrote in an essay for Marie Clare in 2010 that she had felt more like an 'employee' to Musk than a partner. Following his split from Wilson, Musk began dating British actress Talulah Riley, whom he is understood to have met at a bar in London. Riley - who was a virgin when she began dating Musk in 2008 - first tied the knot with the Tesla architect in 2010. However, their first marriage ended in 2012, when she reportedly walked away with $16 million as part of a divorce settlement. By the following summer, they had remarried. But then, in December 2014, she filed for divorce a second time, only to withdraw her lawsuit the following year. In March 2016, she requested a divorce a third time, and the pair split for good; the couple did not have any children together. However, she appeared to have somewhat embraced her role as a step-mother, having been pictured several times with Musk and his young twins Griffin and Vivian, then-Xavier. Vivian her twin brother Griffin are the Tesla CEO's eldest living children, whom he shares with his ex-wife Canadian author Justine Wilson. The former couple are pictured together Musk (second from left) and Wilson shared five children together. Vivian, then Xavier, is pictured sitting on a couch to CBS Mornings host Norah O'Donnell (right of Musk) in February 2014. She is also accompanied by her siblings Musk and Wilson's five children had largely managed to remain out of the spotlight, but in 2012 the author did refer to all of her children as being autistic. It was further revealed in 2018 that all of boys were being educated at a radical, ultra-exclusive school set up by the Tesla founder at his SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The 'experimental' school, which is called Ad Astra, meaning 'to the stars' in Latin, was set up in 2014. As of 2018, it was being attended by a very small, select group of students, including Elon's five sons and the offspring of several SpaceX employees. All of the Musk children also, at some point throughout their education, attended the wildly expensive Crossroads K-12 school in Santa Monica, where annual tuition costs up to $50,000. Vivian remained out of public sight for much of her late childhood and adolescence, but made headlines in 2022 when she officially adopted her mother's maiden name. Vivian, then 18, filed a petition to change both her name and legal gender, and was quoted in court filings as saying she 'no longer wishes to be related' to her father 'in any way.' A Santa Monica judge issued a new birth certificate that reflected her changed name, and gender, while their ruling simply stated: 'Xavier Alexander Musk to Vivian Jenna Wilson. The gender of the petitioner is changed from male to female.' Vivian filed the petition just three days after her 18th birthday, though the court documents weren't made public until the day after Father's Day that year. In a tweet the night her daughter's petition was granted, Wilson said: '"I had a weird childhood," my 18-year-old said to me.' '"I can't believe I'm as normal-seeming as I am." I said, "I'm very proud of you." "I'm proud of myself!"' Meanwhile, on Fathers Day, Musk tweeted prior to the revelation of her filings: 'I love all my kids so much.' A private woman, she was not spotted in public until several months after her petition was granted. She was seen on a quick shopping trip in Santa Monica, donning a brown T-shirt with a yellow pattern on it, black sweatpants, and a pair of sneakers. She wore a face mask and kept her long, flowing blonde hair loose. Vivian remained out of public sight for much of her late childhood and adolescence, but made headlines in 2022 when she filed a petition to change both her name and legal gender. Vivian, then 18, (pictured in 2022) was quoted in court filings as saying she 'no longer wishes to be related' to her father 'in any way' Musk kisses his then fiancee-Talulah Riley at an event in June 2010, as they stand with his twin boys Griffin (left) and Xavier, (right) now known as Vivian Must spoke out about his painful estrangement from his daughter for the first time last year, calling her a 'communist' and blaming her politics on the expensive private high school she attended. The billionaire was 'generally sanguine' when he first learned of his child's transition, but things changed when Vivian began expressing extreme Marxist views and declared her intention to sever all ties, according to author Walter Isaacson, who authored a biography about Musk. 'She went beyond socialism to being a full communist and thinking that anyone rich is evil,' Musk told the author, placing blame in part on Crossroads, the private K-12 school in Santa Monica where annual tuition costs up to $50,000. Isaacson wrote that when Vivian was 16, which would have been 2020 or 2021, she texted the wife of Elon's brother to come out, writing: 'Hey, I'm transgender, and my name is now Jenna ... Don't tell my dad.' The biographer revealed that Musk's painful rift with Vivian was partly responsible for the billionaire's ongoing obsession with 'woke' ideology, which he views as a threat to human civilization and motivated his $42billion purchase of Twitter in 2022. 'Unless the woke mind virus, which is fundamentally anti-science, anti-merit, and anti-human in general, is stopped, civilization will never become multiplanetary,' Musk told the author. Musk's rift with Vivian 'pained him more than anything in his life since the infant death of his firstborn child Nevada,' who died just 10 weeks old of sudden infant death syndrome, the biographer added. The SpaceX founder further publicized their feud this week by claiming he was 'tricked' by the 'woke mind virus' into allowing one of his sons to become a transgender woman. In an interview Monday, however, Musk has made his strongest comments yet against her decision, calling what happened to the billionaire and his family 'evil'. 'I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys, Xavier,' he said, using Vivian's former name. 'This was really before I had any understanding of what was going on, and we had COVID going on, so there was a lot of confusion. And I was told Xavier might commit suicide,' Musk said. The SpaceX founder further publicized their feud this week by claiming he was 'tricked' by the 'woke mind virus' into allowing one of his sons to become a transgender woman Musk said he had known from a young age that she was gay, saying she 'would pick out clothes for me to wear like a jacket and tell it was fabulous' and loved musicals He added: 'I was tricked into doing this. It wasn't explained to me that puberty blockers are actually just sterilization drugs. 'I lost my son, essentially. They call it "deadnaming" for a reason. The reason they call it "deadnaming" is because your son is dead, so my son, Xavier, is dead, killed by the woke mind virus.' Vivian, 20, has now responded, painting a scathing picture of her father in an interview yesterday by saying he was absent and bullied her for being queer. 'I think he was under the assumption that I wasn't going to say anything and I would just let this go, unchallenged,' she told NBC News. '[But] I'm not going to do [that] because if you're going to lie about me, like, blatantly to an audience of millions, I'm not just gonna let that slide. 'I was in fourth grade. We went on this road trip that I didn't know was actually just an advertisement for one of the cars I don't remember which one and he was constantly yelling at me viciously because my voice was too high. It was cruel.' Discussing his comment that he had been 'tricked' into approving gender-affirming medical care for Vivian, she added: 'He was not by any means tricked.' She went on to describe the puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy she received as 'saving lives'. In a post on X, Musk also said that Vivian was 'born gay and slightly autistic' and that, at age 4, she fit certain gay stereotypes, such as loving musicals. Vivian replied by saying: 'He doesn't know what I was like as a child because he quite simply wasn't there. 'And in the little time that he was I was relentlessly harassed for my femininity and queerness. 'I've been reduced to a happy little stereotype,' she continued. 'I think that says alot about how he views queer people and children in general.' She also took to X's arch rival site Threads, owned by Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, declaring: 'I want to make absolutely clear that I have disowned him and not the other way round.' Furthermore, she used the platform to challenge her father's tweets, including the one in which he claimed that she was born 'gay and slightly autistic'. Musk said he had known from a young age that she was gay, saying she 'would pick out clothes for me to wear like a jacket and tell it was fabulous' and loved musicals. Vivian said: 'There's a lot of stuff I need to debunk, but I want to start with what I find the funniest which is the notorious "slightly autistic" tweet. 'This is gonna be a bit so just bare with me. This is entirely fake. Like, literally none of this ever happened. Ever. I don't even know where he got this from.' The South African billionaire has fathered a reported 12 children over last 22 years and has spoken publicly about his view that the world is underpopulated. He had his kids with three different women - Wilson, the mother of Vivian; musician Grimes; and his employee, Shivon Zilis. His youngest child, with Zilis, was born in 2024 Vivian wrote that she had never loved musicals or theatre and also hit back at his claims about picking out clothes for her father. She said: 'I never picked out jackets for him to wear and I was most certainly not calling them "fabulous" because literally what the f***. 'I did not use the word fabulous when I was four because once again I would like to reiterateI was four. 'Like this is so obvious I don't even think it warrants explanation but apparently people believe this nonsense so here I am.' The South African billionaire has fathered a reported 12 children over last 22 years and has spoken publicly about his view that the world is underpopulated. He had his kids with three different women - Wilson, the mother of Vivian; musician Grimes; and his employee, Shivon Zilis. His youngest child, with Zilis, was born in 2024. The leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Anthony Albanese, alongside Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon, issued the joint statement on Friday afternoon. 'Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hezbollah and Israel,' the statement reads. 'The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.' The trio said they remain 'unequivocal' in their condemnation of Hamas for the 'atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror'. They say Hamas must 'lay down its arms' and release all hostages, with the three leaders saying there is 'no role' for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. Palestinian health authorities have recently said Israel's continued ground and air campaign in Gaza since October last year has killed more than 39,000 people. Most of those killed are believed to be civilians, with 2.3 million residents driven out of their homes and into shelters. Anthony Albanese has called for a ceasefire in Gaza The statement was also signed by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Mr Albanese, Mr Luxon and Mr Trudeau are urging Israel to 'listen to the concerns of the international community'. 'The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law,' the statement said. 'Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. It must end. 'An immediate ceasefire is needed desperately. 'Civilians must be protected, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation.' The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants crossed the border into Israeli communities and killed 1200 people and took 253 locals into captivity in Gaza. The statement from the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian leader comes after US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. The leaders of the United States met with Mr Netanyahu on Thursday at the White House, where it was reported Mr Biden has told the Israeli leader to 'compromise' to achieve peace'. 'We fully stand behind the comprehensive ceasefire deal, outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council,' Mr Albanese, Mr Trudeau and Mr Luxon said in the statement. 'We call on parties to the conflict to agree to the deal. Any delay will only see more lives lost. 'We are committed to working towards an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders.' The trio said this is the only 'realistic' option to achieve peace. They called on Israel to respond to the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion and ensure the accountability for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinian people by extremist settlers. They also called to reverse the record expansion of settlements in the West Bank which are illegal under international law, and work towards a two-state solution. They said they were 'gravely concerned' about the prospect of further escalation across the region. 'We condemn Iran's attack against Israel of April 13-14, call on Iran to refrain from further destabilising actions in the Middle East, and demand that Iran and its affiliated groups, including Hizballah, cease their attacks,' they said. 'We also condemn the Houthis' ongoing reckless acts, including their indiscriminate drone attack in Tel Aviv and ongoing attacks on international shipping.' Palestinian health authorities have recently said Israel's continued ground and air campaign in Gaza since October last year has killed more than 39,000 people Pictured, an explosion occurs following an Israeli air strike on a residential building, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on July 20 The trio said they were 'particularly concerned' by escalating hostilities between terror group Hezbollah and Israel, which has led to the displacement of thousands of Israeli people. 'This escalation in hostilities only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent,' they said. 'We urge all involved actors to exercise restraint and de-escalate. We support diplomatic efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. 'A wider scale war would have disastrous consequences for Israel and Lebanon, and for civilians across the region.' The highly-anticipated Taika Waititi remake of hit 1980s fantasy flick Time Bandits has aired on Apple TV+ - following a row over its casting choices. The new series, an adaptation of the much-loved 1981 Terry Gilliam film, has largely been met with approval with positive reviews from critics. But the remake has faced criticism from the granddaughter of an actor who starred in the original for not casting actors with dwarfism. Production of the series was also marred by controversy after one of the stars alleged that they were subjected to physical and psychological abuse while on set. The highly-anticipated Taika Waititi remake of hit 1980s fantasy flick Time Bandits has aired on Apple TV+ - following a row over its casting choices Abbie Grace took to social media to voice her disappointment that no one with short stature was listed in the initial cast announcement While the series was in production, Abbie Grace took to social media to voice her disappointment that no one with dwarfism was listed in the cast announcement. Ms Grace is the granddaughter of Jack Purvis - who played Wally in the original - and she previously demanded an explanation for why the director is 'tarnishing her late grandfather's legacy'. Abbie, who is also an actress from Scotland, added in 2022 that she feels 'forgotten', after initially feeling excited about the opportunities the upcoming release may offer for actors of shorter stature like herself. While there are some actors in the cast with dwarfism, according to IMDB, it has been noted that the Time Bandits themselves are now made up of able-bodied actors. The 10-episode action drama series stars Lisa Kudrow from Friends and Mr Waititi from Jojo Rabbit. Mr Waititi's production is based on Terry Gilliam's 1981 film of the same name which starred industry Hollywood heavyweights like Sean Connery, John Cleese and Ian Holm. The fantasy movie followed the adventures of a young boy called Kevin, played by Craig Warnock. The original famously featured six actors with dwarfism in key roles, including Abbie's grandfather Mr Purvis, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker (best known for playing R2-D2 in Star Wars), Malcolm Dixon, Mike Edmonds, and Tiny Ross. Speaking in a TikTok video, Ms Grace said: 'When I heard there was going to be a series, I was over the moon. 'I happen to also be an actor, thanks to my grandfather and I finally thought that people like me were going to be represented in my generation and not always have to refer to an 80s film.' She then discussed finding out that 'average height' actors have been cast, feeling 'baffled' by the choice. Defending their casting decisions, co-writer Mr Waititi explained that while they initially wrote the script with some main characters as people with dwarfism, they did not think the film 'should be defined, because of the presence of little people in it'. Co-writer Jemaine Clement said the creative team wrestled with the casting decision, with 'two big sides of this debate'. He added that they responded to the backlash by creating roles for 'smaller actors' after the initial casting news broke and said that, should they receive a second season, these roles would have a more significant presence. The fantasy movie followed the adventures of a young boy called Kevin - played by Craig Warnock - and famously featured six actors of shorter stature in the main cast, including Abbie's grandfather Jack, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Malcolm Dixon, Mike Edmonds, and Tiny Ross Deadline earlier reported that Apple finally greenlit the project which has been in development since 2019. A shot from the original film pictured Lisa Kudrow (left) joins a cast which boasts Kal-El Tuck from Unseeing Evil, House star Charlyne Yi (right) and Martyrs Lane actress Kiera Thompson The granddaughter of Jack Purvis (pictured) - who played Wally in the original - previously demanded an explanation for why the director is 'tarnishing her late grandfather's legacy' The new release is based on Terry Gilliam's 1981 film of the same name which starred Sean Connery, John Cleese and Ian Holm among others Abbie continued: 'Time Bandits is the only film that's ever represented people like me in a way that isn't seen as a goblin or one of Snow White's seven little men. 'This was a film that changed the times and it was ahead of the times to be honest because people like me weren't treated the same as they are now. 'For a generation that is so big on talking about inclusivity and diversity and making sure that everyone's heard, this whole casting choice just seems absurd.' It is not the first time that Hollywood's casting choices have cause controversy. Disney blockbuster Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, faced criticism for removing the seven dwarves from the title and replacing them with CGI characters. Disney said this was done in order 'to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film' and said it was 'taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community'. Meanwhile the 2012 Kristen Stewart film Snow White and the Huntsman also attracted controversy for casting Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and Bob Hoskins in the roles of the dwarves and digitally attaching their faces to the bodies of people of restricted growth. The Time Bandits remake was also marred by controversy after Charlyne Yi alleged they were physically and psychologically abused on the set. The Hollywood actor, 38, who uses they/them pronouns, was cast as Judy in the the fantasy adventure remake. Yi has alleged that while filming in New Zealand in 2022 they were 'physically assaulted multiple times' and 'psychologically abused' by an unnamed male actor. When this cam to light, Paramount Television Studios said in a statement: 'The safety of our cast and crew is very important to us, and we take all concerns that are raised to us very seriously. 'At the time of the complaint, Paramount Television Studios conducted a full investigation regarding allegations that were brought to our attention. 'While all investigations are confidential and we cannot comment on specifics, additional steps were taken to address concerns.' This is the moment a suspected thief was cornered by a horde of angry Asda workers after trying to escape from the supermarket. Footage of the incident was taken at an Asda superstore in Marshall Road, Leyton, east London on Wednesday evening. The alleged crook was held near the sandwich display at the exit while staff members searched the pockets of his coat. Three bottles, understood to be alcohol, were allegedly found on him. During the altercation, one of the employees lifted a shopping crate over his head and appeared to threaten the alleged crook The alleged thief was held near the sandwich display at the exit while staff members searched the pockets of his coat One of the bottles smashed on the floor as one worker passed them to another. During the altercation, one of the employees lifted a shopping crate over his head and appeared to threaten him. One of them said: 'Go, go, go, go, go.' Another added: 'Get him out.' The alleged crook was then frogmarched out of the shop. Local Lee Harvey said: 'The shop workers are fighting back.' Omar Reynolds added: 'Great staff. Three bottles, understood to be alcohol , were allegedly found on the suspected shoplifter The incident comes after a spate of shoplifting across the UK with figures suggesting it is at a 20-year high 'It's a shame your justice system rewards shoplifting.' Another joked: 'Man only wants a meal deal.' A fourth said: 'Brother really wanted the basket shot to the face.' A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Police were called at 11.45pm on Wednesday, July 24 to reports of people shoplifting at a supermarket on Marshall Road, E10. 'Officers attended and found a man in his 30s had been detained by the supermarkets security team. He was given a penalty notice for disorder.' MailOnline contacted Asda for comment. It follows a spate of shoplifting across the UK. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics revealed shoplifting is at a 20-year high. Almost 444,000 crimes were recorded by forces in England and Wales in the year to March, up from 342,428 in the previous 12 months. This is the highest figure since records began in 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics. But industry figures say underreporting means shoplifting is even more endemic than currently thought, with many store owners not bothering to report offences to overwhelmed police and criminal gangs operating without any fear of being caught. Cops are dealing with 50 offences an hour. A security guard tried to prevent a crook from stealing four cans of beer from a BP garage in Northolt on Sunday. On the same day a Poundland worker attempted to block a thief in Greenford. On Wednesday, a shoplifter stole goods from Boots in Barnet despite shoppers trying to stop him. A customer at the store in Barnet tells one of the men 'you need to stop'. He replies 'yeah, I'm going innit' as he continues stripping shelves with no attempt to hide what he is doing A customer at the store in Barnet tells one of the men 'you need to stop'. He replies 'yeah, I'm going innit' as he continues stripping shelves with no attempt to hide what he is doing. Professor Joshua Bamfield Director, Centre for Retail Research, said the rise of shoplifting was being driven by the perception that it was a risk-free crime. He told MailOnline: 'At one time, shoplifting used to be a sort of craft where people didn't want to get caught because they knew they'd be trouble, but now people don't even bother because there's a perception nothing much will happen to you. 'A lot of retail crime now is organised, with people stealing large quantities of products like alcohol, meat and designer clothes. They are linked to other criminals who sell it on elsewhere. 'The fact thefts below 200 are not pursued and there are a lot of demands on officers mean retailers have found it very difficult to get the kind of support they require.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the data illustrated the 'disgraceful dereliction' of the previous government on law and order, as Labour vowed to tackle low-level shoplifting and make assaulting a shopworker a specific criminal offence. Separate data from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) estimates retailers have recorded more than 5.6million incidents of theft over the last year. Eurostar passengers have been urged not to travel from Britain to France today, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. Huge snaking queues have formed at London's St Pancras station after a 'massive arson attack' brought mayhem to France's rail network ahead of the much-anticipated parade involving 10,500 athletes along the River Seine. Several Eurostar trains to Paris have been cancelled and others diverted after 'co-ordinated acts of malice' on French high-speed rail lines. It has thrown the first weekend of the summer holidays into chaos, with 3.2million drivers set to hit Britain's roads today on what has been dubbed 'Frantic Friday' by the RAC. Holidaymakers are already facing tailbacks at the Port of Dover amid a 'weekend of woe', while delays are being felt across the Gatwick Express as families head off on their summer getaways. Eurostar, which runs international services from London St Pancras, has told customers to cancel their trips today if they can - advice which has been backed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The majority of Team GB athletes were arriving at the Games via Eurostar. The British Olympic Association confirmed that only two athletes were scheduled to arrive by Eurostar today and had been subject to only minor delays, but it raises fears others could be affected amid expectations that the delays will last all weekend. Normally, Eurostar passengers would have the option to fly instead. But a no-fly zone being imposed for the opening ceremony means all flights must cease in the late afternoon. ST PANCRAS: Passengers queue at the Eurostar terminal after several French lines were hit by 'malicious acts' ST PANCRAS: Holidaymakers are facing travel chaos across Britain and France ahead of the Olympics ST PANCRAS: A train cancellation on the Eurostar today ST PANCRAS: Passengers sleep at the central London station as they face long delays DOVER: Holidaymakers wait to board ferries at the Kent port as the busy summer travel period gets underway DOVER: Port officials have said that holidaymakers are facing processing times of around 40 minutes DOVER: Long tailbacks are seen as 3.2million drivers hit the roads on Frantic Friday FRANCE: SNCF workers and French gendarmes inspect the scene of a suspected attack on the high speed railway network at Croiselles The Prime Minister has also urged people going to Paris for the Olympics to heed the travel advice. Sir Keir's spokeswoman said: 'Obviously the situation is concerning, and like the statements you've seen from the French, it is also incredibly frustrating for people travelling to attend the Games and the Olympic ceremony. Eurostar delays: What are your rights? Eurostar has warned customers to postpone journeys between London and Paris after French railways lines were hit by a series of arson attacks on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. 'We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible,' it said in a statement. The rail operators said customers were being informed via email, text and on the Eurostar website. Any affected passengers can cancel or refund their tickets or modify their journey free of charge. Normally, Eurostar passengers would have the option to fly instead. But a no-fly zone being imposed for the opening ceremony means all flights must cease in the late afternoon. If you cannot continue your journey on the day of travel, Eurostar says it will consider reimbursing overnight accommodation, food, transport between the station and your accommodation and the cost of calling anyone who was waiting for you at your destination. It won't cover the cost of alternative transport by rail, coach or ferry if passengers were informed of their options within 100 minutes of their schedules departure, if they did not wait for the next available Eurostar train or if they refunded their unused ticket. Eurostar advises passengers to check with their travel insurer first, who will likely cover you for most things. Source: Eurostar Advertisement 'The Prime Minister would urge people to continue to follow the travel advice and the statements from the travel operators.' The spokeswoman added: 'Irrespective of this disruption, it is very clear that both in France, here and around the world, everyone is hugely excited and looking forward to what will be an incredibly successful Olympic Games, and we won't let disruption overshadow that.' French rail company SNCF said a series of incidents overnight had affected travel to and from London beneath the Channel, to Belgium and across the west, north and east of France. Three fires were reported near the tracks of the French Atlantique, Nord and Est high-speed lines by local media. The French sports minister has described the rail attacks across France as 'unacceptable'. Speaking to Sky News, Amelie Oudea-Castera said: 'I condemn them extremely strongly. It's just unacceptable. 'It's probably a large-scale sabotage with some malicious acts, probably co-ordinating. We're still in the process of analysing all the impacts, accessing what we're going to implement as solutions because it's going to have impacts also over the weekend.' Last night, with just hours to go before the opening ceremony on the River Seine, fires were started at key installations, bringing trains to a halt and affecting around 800,000 passengers. Eurostar said: 'Due to co-ordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday July 26. 'This extends the journey time by around an hour-and-a-half. Several trains have been cancelled. 'Eurostar's teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.' The company said customers were being informed via email, text and on the Eurostar website. Any affected passengers can cancel or refund their tickets or modify their journey free of charge. In an update to the earlier statement, the rail operator said: 'We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible.' PARIS: Dozens of Eurostar passengers are pictured surrounding a train amid the delays PARIS: Armed guards in Paris head of the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games PARIS: Eurostar delays at Gare du Nord amid chaos on France's rail lines FRANCE: Employees of SNCF railway company speak to passengers waiting for their trains' departure at the Gare Montparnasse train station MANCHESTER: Passengers queue at the airport on the first weekend of the summer holidays MANCHESTER: Pictures show passengers waiting in long queues as they embark on summer getaways PARIS: Rail passengers wait inside the Gare du Nord train station amid delays after a 'massive arson attack' hit France's rail networks PARIS: Passengers sit on the floor as they wait for updates following a series of attacks PARIS: Police officers patrol the areas after high-speed rail traffic to the French capital was severely disrupted PARIS: Passengers wait inside the Gare du Nord train station on the day that the 2024 Summer Olympics starts in the capital PARIS: Passengers gather around the departure boards at the Gare Montparnasse train station PARIS: Travelers check trains on an electronic board at the Gare de Montparnasse SNCF said the situation should last 'at least all weekend' but teams are already on site carrying out checks and beginning repairs. The operator advised its passengers to postpone their journeys and 'not to go to the station'. Adding to the chaos, an airport located at the Swiss-French border was evacuated due to a bomb alert. Basel-Mulhouse airport's terminals were evacuated on Friday morning and all flights had been suspended. It was later reopened. Eurostar passengers have spoken about the delays caused by arson attacks that have disrupted the French rail network. While most trains going from St Pancras to Paris are running on time, journeys have been extended by 90 minutes because of diversions, Eurostar said in a statement. However, passengers anxious to absorb the atmosphere in Paris during the opening ceremony said they were disappointed their time in the city would be cut short because of the delays. Hadassa Goncalves made the journey from Sao Paulo, Brazil, but missed her 7am train to Paris when she by arriving too late. The 24-year-old now plans on getting a 12.30pm service, which was meant to arrive in Paris for 3.48pm but will now get in at 4.48pm. She told the PA news agency: 'We want to see the opening ceremony. This is bad for us. We don't have tickets but we want to see the fireworks.' In Britain, the RAC has warned of delays all week after schools broke up for the summer holidays and they have dubbed today as 'Frantic Friday' with an estimated 3.2million cars set to his the road. Thousands of cars are descending on the Port of Dover, with border processing times currently taking 40 minutes. Traffic is still flowing on the Jubilee Way overpass from the A2 to the port's Eastern Docks as measures to stop the influx of travellers from being backed up through Dover appear to be working. Port officials and police officers are stationed at the entrance to the Port, at the bottom of the Jubilee Way flyover and along the A20. The officials in high-visibility waist coats are in position in anticipation for long queues which often form on the busiest travel days. Brief spells of freight traffic have caused traffic to be backed up onto the harbourside A20 road. Rail and Tube passengers are also facing travel chaos today, with severe delays on the Bakerloo Line and minor delays on the Central and Elizabeth lines. The London Overground is partly closed between Hackney Downs and Chingford this weekend. Rail passengers outside of London are also facing mayhem, with rail company Northern issuing a 'do not travel' warning for Sunday in parts of North West England due to staff shortage. The chaos follows major travel disruption since last Friday after a flawed IT update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike knocked many global services offline. Congestion on Britain's roads is set to peak on Saturday, with 3.6million journeys expected, according to the RAC. This will be followed by another 2.9million trips on Sunday. A further 4million getaways are planned at some point between Friday and Sunday, meaning a total of 13.8million trips could be made throughout the course of the weekend. The RAC said its records show these three days will form the second busiest summer getaway weekend since 2015. In that time only 2022 has seen more trips made, with 18.8million taking to their cars during the heatwave that came at the end of two years of Covid-related restrictions. Analytics firm Inrix has warned drivers to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm on both Friday and Saturday and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday when the worst delays are forecast. The best times to travel are expected to be after 6pm on Friday and Saturday, or 3pm on Sunday. The single worst queue, of more than two hours, is predicted on Saturday lunchtime on the M5 heading south between junction 15 for the M4 interchange near Bristol, and junction 23 for Bridgwater, as holidaymakers flock to Devon and Cornwall. RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: 'Anyone heading off on holiday on Saturday or Sunday should expect a weekend of woe on the roads with journeys taking far longer than normal. 'If you can't set off really early, then it's highly likely you'll be sitting in traffic for quite some time. 'Our research suggests this year's getaway is set to be busier than average, possibly due to the UK inflation rate having slowed, giving people a bit more confidence to spend. 'However, with our recent bad weather causing an increase in international travel bookings, queues to major airports should not be underestimated. We'd advise drivers to plan their routes well in advance if jetting off abroad this week.' Britons heading to holiday destinations by train also face disruption on certain routes over the coming week due to engineering works. A major project to replace a 150-year-old bridge over the railway near Hackney Downs in East London began over the weekend and will run until Sunday, August 4. This means Greater Anglia services between Bishops Stortford to Stratford will not operate all fortnight. In addition, routes between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge and all Stansted Express trains will divert via Seven Sisters instead of running via Tottenham Hale extending journey times. This means Seven Sisters station is expected to be much busier than usual, with a one-way system in operation at peak periods. Commuters at London Euston railway station last Friday during the global IT outage London Overground services to and from Liverpool Street and Chingford will also be disrupted by the works. Elsewhere, in Kent buses will replace Southeastern trains between Sittingbourne and Sheerness-on-Sea this weekend due to repairs on the Kingsferry Bridge. East Midlands Railway passengers will be affected by works at the weekend, with buses running between Market Harborough, Leicester and Kettering. And buses will also replace CrossCountry trains between Leicester and Nuneaton this weekend. South Western Railway travellers will be also impacted by works taking place between Surbiton and Effingham Junction via Claygate, closing all lines. Those staying at home are set to enjoy a mini-heatwave with temperatures set to hurtle past 30C - making it hotter than parts of South Africa and Brazil. As families embark on their summer getwaways, temperatures could climb to 27C today. But Sunday could see the hottest day of the year so far, as sunseekers hope the mercury sizzles above the 31.9C recorded in St James's Park on July 19. It comes after a disappointing start to July, where the wet and chilly start has barely materialised into the Great British summer many had pinned their hopes on. Her parents are charged with murder and torture An engineer charged with a diabetic girl's manslaughter sent an astonishing email after the child's death accusing his uncle of 'idolatry' for pursuing a university degree. Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch's message to his uncle, Murray, was read to the court on the 13th day of a trial into the death of Elizabeth Struhs, eight, in early 2022. In it, he reveals police had confiscated the pair's phones before going on a wild tangent over his relative's beliefs. Mr Schoenfisch, 34 and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, are among 14 members of the faith-healing group known as The Saints. Both of them are charged with the child's manslaughter. The long-winded email read to the court on Friday is one of hundreds of messages being relied on by the Crown as part of their case against the group. Elizabeth's parents - Jason Richard Struhs, 52, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49 - are charged with their daughter's murder and manslaughter respectively. Brendan Luke Stevens, 62, who is the leader of The Saints, is also charged with murder. Elizabeth Struhs died between January 6 and 7, 2022 at her family's home in Rangeville, Toowoomba, from diabetic ketoacidosis An email sent by Lachlan Schoenfisch (top) to his uncle in the month after Elizabeth's death was read to the court, where he goes on an astonishing rant against his relative The other 11 charged with manslaughter include Lachlan and Samantha Schoenfisch, Elizabeth's elder brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, and Keita Courtney Martin, 22. It is alleged the girl's insulin was withheld from January 3, 2022 in line with their group's hard line beliefs in the healing power of God. Elizabeth's condition worsened until she died between January 6-7 from diabetic ketoacidosis. The court was told in the month after the girl died, Murray emailed his cousin offering help to the young Schoenfisches and saying he misses talking to Lachlan. In a reply email on February 16, 2022, Lachlan - a trained engineer - outlined 'concerns' he has for his uncle and accuses him of 'idolatry' by pursuing a university degree. 'Woe to you shepherds who lead my flock astray,' Lachlan writes. 'Instead of participating in fellowship meetings your children are sent to their rooms to study. 'By now, they should be heavily involved in the meetings, encouraging others and using (their) spiritual voice.' Lachlan claims Murray is not able to be a pastor as he is 'not able to lead his own children in the truth'. 'I pray you are able to be corrected by this rebuke... we will continue to put our trust solely in God,' he continues. Lachlan ends the email with a bible passage: 'Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.' A recorded interview with Jason Struhs on January 8 was also played to the court. He is heard telling police he is 'not sad' at his daughter's passing as she was 'with God' and he no longer feels 'trapped' by Elizabeth's diabetes. One of the officers asks Jason if he has any regrets regarding Elizabeth's death, to which he replies: 'No'. 'I'm happy for her, I'm at peace,' Jason is heard saying.' 'She hated it (the insulin).' Zachary Struhs (top row, 2nd from right) is among 14 members of the religious group The Saints accused of fatally withdrawing Elizabeth's insulin several days before her death Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs are both charged with the murder and torture of their daughter Elizabeth Rose Struhs Earlier in the day, Brisbane Supreme Court was shown hundreds of texts exchanged between members of the group dating back as far as 2019. During the week of Elizabeth's death, Jason texted Brendan Stevens that he was struggling after seeing his daughter become unwell. Members of The Saints attended the Struhs home over the following days and continued to share messages encouraging Jason to stay firm in his faith. One message from Ms Martin to Andrea Stevens reads: 'God won't give Jason more than he can bear.' In another, Andrea texts Ms Martin: 'Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit this mountain shall be removed.' The judge-alone trial continues. A married mother-of-three who had a steamy affair with an inmate behind bars while she was working as a corrective services staffer has avoided jail. Jessica Elguindy, 25, pleaded guilty on Friday to having an intimate relationship with an inmate at Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre in Sydney's northwest. Elguindy, who is the daughter of Corrective Services NSW Superintendent Walid 'Wally' Elguindy, engaged in a four-month relationship with inmate Beau Jones while working at a facility where her father was also the superintendent. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any wrongdoing on Mr Elguindy's part. In agreed facts tendered to the court, the 25-year-old sent illicit pictures and images of sex toys to Jones' contraband phone, the Penrith Press reported. The court also heard Elguindy, who has since resigned from her position at the correctional facility, confessed her love to the inmate. Her former colleague and best friend, Amber Clavell, also allegedly engaged in a relationship with another inmate - armed robber Mark Kennedy. The friends would send each other text messages discussing the difficulty of having extramarital affairs with men behind bars, court document state. Jessica Elguindy, 25, pleaded guilty on Friday to having an intimate relationship with inmate Beau Jones while employed at a correctional facility The married mother-of-three (pictured with her husband Mitch Haden) engaged in a four-month long tryst with the inmate Elguindy and Clavell were both arrested on April 23 when the corrective services handed over an internal investigation to police. Magistrate George Breton described Elguindy's offending as 'very, very serious' and rejected her bid to have the charges dismissed on mental health grounds. However, Magistrate Breton added Elguindy's diagnosis of depression and anxiety did influence her decision to pursue a relationship with Jones. 'The psychological reports and other materials indicated that she was struggling throughout this period but has come out the other end, but there is still plenty of work for her to do', Magistrate Breton said. He said that the 25-year-old acted at Jones' 'behest' and began sneaking in contraband for him after the affair began. Elguindy also asked a third party to access restricted data so that she could progress in her relationship with Jones. The court heard Egluindy allegedly had also pursued another relationship with a different inmate at the same time as her affair with Jones. The affair took place at Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre in Sydney 's northwest (pictured) Magistrate Breton told the court Elguindy's actions were 'deliberate, consistent and persistent' and the affair was a 'breach of trust'. He noted Elguindy showed a considerable amount of remorse and accountability, with the offender acknowledging the harm she caused by engaging in the affair. Elguindy also pleaded guilty to accessing restricted data and misconducting herself as a holder of public office. She was sentenced to 12 month intensive corrections order - which is a prison term to be served in the community. Meanwhile, Clavell pleaded guilty to unlawfully delivering or attempting to deliver anything to an inmate, drug supply and misconducting herself as a holder of public office. She is scheduled to face Penrith Local Court on September 24 for sentencing. Spilt Milk festival has been cancelled in an other blow to Australian music lovers. It is the latest in a series of festivals to be cancelled as the industry endures a tough year. The festivals organisers broke the sad news on Instagram. 'Sorry pookies, we couldn't get you the Spilt Milk you deserve this year. Sooo imma dip for a bit and come back when I can make all ur dreams come true. i miss u xx SPILT MILK,' the statement said. Spilt Milk was last year headlined by Post Malone and Dom Dolla. It is a travelling festival with stops in Canberra, Gold Coast, Ballarat and Perth. It is unclear why the festival has been called off, however others have struggled to sell enough tickets. Splendour in the Grass, Groovin the Moo and Falls Festival were all cancelled this year, as were Sunshine Coast's Caloundra Music Festival, Victoria's Coastal Jam and Adelaide's Vintage Vibes Festival. Spilt Milk festival has been cancelled in an other blow to Australian music lovers The festivals organisers broke the sad news on Instagram. A reveller is seen at the festival The NSW parliament has launched an inquiry into the festival industry to understand the challenges organisers face. Fans were upset to see Spilt Milk cancelled, but were relieved by early signs suggesting it would be back next year. 'I think I'd rather see you guys take a year off than drop a lineup people would be disappointed with. Hopefully you'll come back with a bang next year,' one said. Another was shocked that 'a festival that sells out every year, can't even go ahead'. Another wrote: 'What the f*** is even happening to Australian festivals?' A British man has caught a carp that has earned the title of 'world's biggest goldfish', weighing a hefty 61lb 4oz. Angler Lee Parker was fishing at Bluewater Lakes in France when he caught the much sought-after 'Carrot', one of the most famous ornamental fish. The Brit almost bit off more than he could chew after he was nearly pulled into the lake by the mammoth goldfish. Mr Parker, of Banbury in Oxford, said it took off like an express train as he had to cling firmly to his rod. He also described how he was forced to dig his heels into the lake's bank to avoid behind dragged into the water. Lee Parker, of Banbury in Oxford, pictured alongside what is believed to be the biggest goldfish in the world The staggering fish which is found in France is 4ft long and weighs a whopping 61lb 4oz After a near ten-minute tussle with he steered the goldfish into his landing net and hauled it on to the bank. After that, he weighed it and photographed before slipping the goldfish safely back into the water to fight another day. Far too big to fit into any normal sized fish bowl, the monster checks in at a whopping 4ft long. The gigantic orange specimen, aptly nicknamed The Carrot, is a hybrid species of a leather carp and a koi carp, which are traditionally orange. The Carrot is believed to be over 20 years old and was put in the lake at the fishery in France run by Brit Jason Cowler when it was young. But it has proven an elusive fish to catch over the years and is rarely seen out of the water. Fishery manager Jason Cowler said: 'We put The Carrot in about 20 years ago as something different for the customers to fish for. Since then it has grown and grown but it doesn't often come out. She is very elusive. 'She is in excellent health and condition. Congratulations to Andy on a great catch.' A surgically-enhanced mother gave the finger as she was jailed for selling fake Covid vaccination cards at the height of the pandemic. Jasmine Clifford, 34, flipped the bird after she was sentenced to one to three years in state prison Thursday for forging as many as 250 fake vaccination cards that she sold on Instagram for $200 each. The mother of two arrived in Manhattan court very late on Thursday wearing tight grey shorts, a black t-shirt, black sneakers and a pair of expensive Loewe sunglasses. She kept the shades on throughout proceedings out the proceedings and even while she was taken into custody. At one point, the disgraced mother-of-two tried to hide her face with a sweatshirt wrapped around her head. But at other moments, she scowled at the camera, while letting her middle finger show onlookers exactly what she thought of the legal process. Clifford appears to have undergone extensive plastic surgery on her face and body to dramatically change her facial features and proportions. Her boyfriend accompanied her to court and sat silently while she was arraigned and taken into custody. Jasmine Clifford, 34, gave those present the middle finger after she was sentenced to one to three years in state prison for forging as many as 250 fake vaccination cards Clifford is seen outside the courtroom with her boyfriend on Thursday Last week Clifford's sentencing was postponed after she brought her two young children to court but made no arrangements for them to be taken home. The on Thursday Clifford claimed that she had been confused when she accepted the plea agreement, as reported by the Daily News. 'I was under the impression at the last court case that we were setting a date for trial, she said. 'I was not aware that there was a plea offer.' She added: 'I had seconds to make a decision and the offer was on the table... I really didnt know what to do. In my heart what I wanted to do was to go to trial.' However the prosecution said it was Clifford herself who asked for a plea deal. She tried to hide her face with a sweatshirt wrapped around her head The mother of two arrived in Manhattan court very late on Thursday wearing tight grey shorts, a black t-shirt, black sneakers and a pair of expensive Loewe sunglasses Clifford was then hand cuffed and led out of the courtroom but not before giving the press who where present and taking pictures the middle finger Judge Beller did not accept Clifford's argument and advised Clifford that she could appeal the sentencing. 'I was here, she pled guilty in front of me,' the judge said. 'I have a lot of people who come in front of me who have second thoughts about going to jail.' Clifford was then hand cuffed and led out of the courtroom but not before giving the press who where present and taking pictures the middle finger. Last week Clifford's sentencing was postponed after she brought her two young children to court but made no arrangements for them to be taken home She pleaded guilty to a plot that saw her sell fake US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards before falsely registering buyers in New York. At least 13 people were fraudulently put into the New York State Immunization Information System database as a result, feds said - as the mom-of-two lived high on the hog at her home in Lyndhurst All the while, she maintained a stark social media presence as stripper 5StarJaziii, and on a still-operating Instagram account, she advertised the phony CDC vaccination cards under the name AntiVaxMomma. Clifford, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, was charged with offering a false instrument, criminal possession of a forged instrument and conspiracy The image above shows a screenshot from the Instagram account 'AntiVaxMomma' offering fake COVID-19 vaccination cards for $200 apiece She accepted payments from those interested through CashApp or Zelle. The pseudonym has since been wiped from her social media accounts. For an extra $250, a second scammer would enter a bogus card buyer's name into a New York state vaccination database, which were used to verify vaccine status at gatherings like concerts and sporting events, prosecutors said. Clifford was subsequently charged with Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, Offering a False Instrument for Filing, and Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree at the time of her arrest in August 2021. A foot fetishist who sucked a drunken guest's toe on a 230-a-night super yacht is facing jail for attacking four women. Egyptian hotel worker Ahmed Fahmy, 45, assaulted one of the women in her room onboard the unique Sunborn Yacht Hotel in London's Docklands in March 2022. Fahmy began his spree when he abused a woman at an address in Wembley, northwest London, in 2008, Harrow Crown Court was told. Prosecutor Soma Varapu said: 'He massaged her feet, grabbed her and tried to kiss her.' Fahmy assaulted a second woman at the four-star Sunborn Yacht Hotel on 31 March 2022. Ahmed Fahmy denied the charges but was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault by a jury at Harrow Crown Court, sitting at Hendon Magistrates' Court, for offenses committed between 2008 and 2024 Egyptian hotel worker Ahmed Fahmy, 45, assaulted one of the women in her room onboard the unique Sunborn Yacht Hotel in London 's Docklands in March 2022 Prosecutor Soma Varapu said: 'While she was intoxicated he entered a room with her and sexually assaulted her. 'He sucked her toe.' In January 2024, Fahmy targeted four young tourists at the Anchor Guest Hotel in Golders Green. When three women returned to the hotel in the early hours of January 20 without their room key, Fahmy demanded one of them withdraw 80 from a nearby cashpoint for a different room. Once she complied, Fahmy let her into a separate room, where she fell asleep only to be awakened twice by Fahmy licking and sucking her toes. Later that night, the fourth tourist returned and explained to Fahmy she had lost her room key. Fahmy led her to his bedroom and raped her. The group moved to another hotel and contacted the police, leading to Fahmy's arrest the same day. In January 2024, Fahmy targeted four young tourists at the Anchor Guest Hotel in Golders Green. When three women returned to the hotel in the early hours of January 20 without their room key, Fahmy demanded one of them withdraw 80 from a nearby cashpoint for a different room Fahmy, of Hampstead, northwest London, denied the charges but was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault by a jury at Harrow Crown Court, sitting at Hendon Magistrates' Court, for offenses committed between 2008 and 2024. He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 20 September. Detective Constable James Gomm, who led the investigation, warned Fahmy may have claimed many more victims. He said: 'Fahmy displayed a clear pattern of offending where he abused his position as a hotel worker to get close to his victims and carry out his crimes. 'I want to commend all the victim-survivors for the courage they have shown throughout this investigation. Some of the offences in this case happened a number of years ago and some victim-survivors felt more able to support the investigation now that time had passed since their initial reports. 'I do not underestimate for a moment the impact that reliving what happened will have had on those victim-survivors and I want thank them for supporting this investigation. 'Your bravery has helped put a sexual offender behind bars and protect other women. 'There may be other victims of Fahmy and, if so, I would urge them to get in contact with police immediately - you will be listened to and provided with support.' READ MORE: Horror as car and school bus packed with students collide A grief-stricken mother-of-11 has revealed the heartbreaking final text she sent her husband before he was killed in a horrific car and motorbike accident. Hayden Errol Frank Selby, 31, was killed on July 19 when a car collided with his motorcycle at about 4.10pm on Friday on the M1 Motorway near New Mount Pleasant Road, Mount Ousley, south of Sydney. Mr Selby and his fiancee Katie Powell were preparing to move to the Illawarra this weekend and he was guiding a friend to their new home when the accident happened. His friend, Kirsten Anthony, was behind him driving a Toyota SUV and towing a box trailer when she collided with his motorcycle. The 24-year-old has since been charged with negligent driving occasioning death. Mr Selby's fiancee and mother to their 11 children, Katie Powell shared the heartbreaking final message she sent him before his death. 'Hayden was helping a friend down the coast move on Friday and I texted him in the arvo and said ''I love you, drive safe and take care of each other'',' she told 7News. Ms Powell said she began to worry when a few hours had gone by and she did not receive a reply. Father of 11 Hayden Selby, 31, was killed on July 19 when a car, driven by his friend, collided with his motorcycle in Mount Ousley, south of Sydney She explained at about 6pm she received a phone call from one of Mr Selby's friends who told her the harrowing news. 'Since then it's just been one big blur. I drop my kids off at school each day and after that I don't know what to do,' Ms Powell said. Ms Powell added, the pair share 11 children and two grandchildren, with their youngest an eight-month-old who 'won't even get to know her father'. She described her fiancee as a selfless 'protector' and 'gentle giant' who would always help family and friends in need. 'He was such a teddy bear, a gentle giant, and a protector. He was the one his friends could rely on for anything. There's nothing he wouldn't do for friends and family,' Ms Powell said. Powell shared a touching tribute to her 'amazing' fiancee and created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his funeral while she cares for their children. 'This beautiful man was always the first to jump the second anyone needed help he fought struggled and battled to give my children and I what we have made together,' Ms Powell wrote. 'I just don't know how to do this. I'm a newly single mother with 11 children and two grandchildren. 'The man that took damn good care of all the important things in our lives is gone. 'I just want to give him what he deserves please help me spoil the love of my life and father to my children one last time.' Mr Selby's fiancee and mother to their 11 children, shared a touching tribute to her 'amazing protector' (pictured, Mr Selby with three of his children) At the time of publication, the GoFundMe had received 60 donations totalling $3,755 and has a goal of raising $7,000. Ms Powell revealed she does not know when she will be able to put Hayden to rest as a police investigation into his death is still ongoing. Ms Anthony was granted bail on Saturday and is set to front court later this month. A 16-year-old suspect turned himself after admitting to his parents that he and two others attempted to steal an Ohio teacher's car and run her over. Alexa Stakely, 29, was stuck by the unidentified 16-year-old on July 11 after he panicked when she confronted the group in order to save her child in the backseat during the middle of the robbery, Columbus Police said. Now, the 16-year-old who fatally struck the educator turned himself in, accompanied by his parents, after he admitted to them he had performed the crime. 'Its my understanding that his parents and his conscience got to him a little bit,' Sergeant Joe Albert told WBNS. 'We want to thank his parents...His parents immediately brought him down here to Columbus Police headquarters.' Albert said the teen admitted to hitting Stakely after she 'startled him and he panicked and drove away and struck Ms. Stakely, which caused her death.' The teen - alongside another 16-year-old and Gerald Dowling, 19 - have been charged with murder. Alexa Stakely, 29, was stuck by the unidentified 16-year-old on July 11 after he panicked when she confronted the group in order to save her child in the backseat during the middle of the robbery, Columbus Police said Now, the 16-year-old who fatally struck the educator turned himself in, accompanied by his parents, after he admitted to them he had performed the crime A $10million bond was set for Dowling after he turned himself in to Columbus Police on Wednesday and admitted to his involvement in the tragedy. Both minors are enrolled in the Canal Winchester Local Schools District - the same district Stakely taught as a speech pathologist, according to WBNS. The educator was fatally struck around 1am as she exited her babysitter's apartment complex after noticing the 16-year-old had started to back out of the space. She screamed for him to stop and for her son. The 16-year-old, who was not identified, said he and his friends had been scoping out a car to steal when they saw Stakely's. The teen - alongside another 16-year-old and Gerald Dowling, 19 (pictured) - have been charged with murder. A $10million bond was set for Dowling after he turned himself into Columbus Police on Wednesday and admitted to his involvement in the tragedy Stakely had left her six-year-old son to go get her daughter's belongings. The car then struck her, knocking her to the pavement, causing her to obtain a head injury. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. The boys later ditched her Honda CRV a short distance away and police found the little boy unharmed inside, police said. Canal Winchester Schools posted a heartfelt tribute on Facebook to Stakely, a dedicated speech-language therapist who worked with the preschoolers at Winchester Trail Elementary. 'Its my understanding that his parents and his conscience got to him a little bit,' Sergeant Joe Albert (pictured) said. 'We want to thank his parents...His parents immediately brought him down here to Columbus Police headquarters' 'Ms. Alexa' as she was called by her students, had been with the district for five years. 'Ms. Stakely's family shared that she died heroically while trying to save her 6-year-old son during a carjacking. Thankfully, her son was not injured and is now with family. Please keep Alexa's son, family, and friends in your prayers during this difficult time,' the district wrote in the Facebook post. 'Alexa was passionate about children and speech-language therapy,' the post read. 'She was smart and compassionate, and she cared so much about helping children develop their ability to communicate. She was a great mom who was incredibly dedicated to her son. Ms. Stakely made a difference in the lives of the students and families she worked with and will be missed by so many in our community and beyond.' The IT Crowd actor Richard Ayoade has defended the show's creator Graham Linehan as a 'man of great principle' - after attracting criticism for praising the showrunner's book on being cancelled over his stance on trans rights. Linehan, the award-winning comic writer behind Father Ted claims his career and marriage has been destroyed over his gender-critical views, which he began expressing after an episode of The IT Crowd was criticised as allegedly transphobic. The Irish writer published a memoir last year, entitled Tough Crowd, which featured a positive quote from Ayoade on the cover. But Ayoade, who starred as Maurice Moss in the BAFTA-winning comedy, says Linehan has experienced a 'harrowing time' amid the fall-out from his remarks, adding that he believed a book Linehan wrote about his experiences was 'good'. The actor's quote, featured on the cover of Tough Crowd, said of Linehan: 'His brilliance in prose is equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter.' Richard Ayoade has sought to clarify his remarks on Graham Linehan's book after he was criticised for contributing a cover quote Linehan later praised Ayoade's 'bravery' in praising his memoir - but the actor has since said he thought the book was 'well-written' Graham Linehan wrote Tough Crowd after his marriage and career fell apart as he began expressing his views on transgender rights Ayoade entered the mainstream in his role as Moss on Channel 4 comedy The IT Crowd, written by Linehan (pictured alongside Katherine Parkinson, Matt Berry and Chris O'Dowd) A fuller quote from Ayoade, featured in publicity materials, noted: 'Graham Linehan has long been one of my favourite writers and this book shows that his brilliance in prose is the equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter. 'It unfolds with the urgency of a Sam Fuller film: that of a man who has been through something that few have experienced but has managed to return, undaunted, to tell us the tale.' Ayoade's warm words for the man who gave him the role that made him mainstream prompted criticism from fans. He has now defended his review as being based on Linehan's skills as a writer - not necessarily his viewpoints. Speaking on Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, Ayoade said: 'He's had, I think, a very harrowing time. 'But I wrote (the review) because he wrote an autobiography and his involvement, I suppose, he would frame it in terms of women's rights as opposed to being anti- anything, so I wanted to say I thought his book was well-written and good. 'I think he's a great writer, a brilliant writer, and I think everyone who would know him would know he's a man of great principle, I think.' Linehan's book was also praised by Jonathan Ross, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas author John Boyne, GB News presenter Andrew Doyle and Trans author Helen Joyce. The Irishman later praised his fellow celebrities for their support, noting: 'I'm hoping that their bravery will mean that other people can just say what they think about this subject.' The Father Ted writer says his marriage and career have been destroyed by his unflinching stance on women's rights. Since his account was reinstated on social network X, formerly Twitter, under new owner Elon Musk, Linehan posts several times a day about transgender issues. He also claims a stage musical based on the religious comedy series was cancelled because he refused to agree to the removal of his name from its credits. A nuclear fallout shelter with stunning views of the Lake District has sold for 48,000. The Cold War bunker in Dent, Cumbria, was constructed in 1958 and was one of over 1,500 built by the Royal Observer Corps (ROC). They were designed to protect ROC volunteers following a nuclear attack, allowing them to measure blast waves and radioactive fallout. Built close to the railway station and eight miles from Kirkby Lonsdale, the bunker boasts spectacular views of the Lake District National Park. The 40ft deep bunker, with a guide price between 15,000 to 20,000, was listed by SDL Property Auctions as a piece of post-war British history. There is a descent of 12 metres (40ft) down a metal ladder to get inside the bunker (pictured) Despite being so secluded, the bunker also boasts great transport links being right next to Dent railway station But now it has sold for double the guide price after 65 different bidders fought for the property via internet, phone and proxy. There were also around 25 people who viewed the property before it was auctioned. Andrew Parker, managing director and auctioneer at SDL Property Auctions, said before it was sold: 'This is a fantastic opportunity to purchase a piece of post-war British history. 'It is in excellent condition, redecorated, clean, dry and secure and comes with a plot of land with gate for access and secure off-road parking. It even comes with an active phone line suitable for broadband. 'It's a privilege to be able to sell a unique lot such as this and it follows SDL Property Auctions selling a similar nuclear bunker in Louth in 2022. 'We've already received significant interest on this lot and we anticipate a high level of bidders and online viewers on auction day.' One person who was considering buying the bunker, Barney Strange, told The Guardian: 'I'm on the edge of a midlife crisis. 'The idea of owning a nuclear bunker is surely every 14-year-old boy's dream isn't it? It is so secluded truly unique. 'I know this is a cliche, but there is something about buying a piece of history.' The property has no windows, running water and no mod cons except for a phone line. Mr Parker said most of the bunkers designed by the ROC were decommissioned and sold off in 1993 The property has no windows, running water and no mod cons except for a phone line But there is parking, stunning countryside and the shelter provides protection from any potential Armageddon scenarios. Mr Parker said most of the bunkers designed by the ROC were decommissioned and sold off in 1993. Many were bought by telecom companies so that they could be used to house mobile phone masts. ROC nuclear war survivors were expected to report on the nuclear bursts and the fallout of a nuclear attack. They were provided with enough food and water for 14 days and had a landline and radio communications available to them. This bunker can also have broadband connected. There is a descent of 12 metres (40ft) down a metal ladder to get inside the bunker. Despite being so secluded, the bunker also boasts great transport links being right next to Dent railway station, the highest mainline station in England. There are around 258 bunkers left across the UK and most have been demolished with no trace left behind. In 2003, bunkers in Flookburgh and Hawkshead were auctioned off. The Flookburgh bunker was sold for 25,100 while the Hawkshead buker was told to a telecoms firm before being listed on the market again in 2004. A German man sentenced to death by a Belarus court was made to beg for his life on state television, prompting Berlin to urge Minsk to stop 'parading' detainees. Rico Krieger, 30, was convicted under six articles of Belarus's criminal code in a secretive trial held at the end of June, the Viasna Human Rights Centre reported. Appearing on Belarusian public television in handcuffs and behind bars, he said: 'I really hope that President (Alexander) Lukashenko will forgive me and pardon me,' according to a statement quoted by the Russian news agency TASS. German foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said on Friday that 'it is unfortunately common practice in Belarus to present people in videos or on television like this and we are of course very concerned that being paraded in this way massively violates that person's dignity'. 'We can only appeal to the Belarusian leadership to stop this practice,' she told reporters. Rico Krieger, 30, pictured, appeared on Belarus state television to beg for his life German foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer pleaded with Minsk to stop 'parading' detainees such as 'We have been providing the detainee in question with consular services and are very concerned about his case,' Deschauer said, adding that 'we as a government fundamentally reject the death penalty under all circumstances'. Mr Krieger revealed how he had been asked by Ukraine to photograph military sites in Belarus in October 2023 and that he had placed an explosive device on a railway line near Minsk under their orders. 'I deeply regret what I did and I am relieved that there were no victims,' he added, claiming that he had been 'abandoned' by the German government. According to a LinkedIn profile that Viasna said belonged to Krieger, he worked as a medic for the German Red Cross and had previously been employed as an armed security officer for the US embassy in Berlin. Belarus is reported to have executed as many as 400 people since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, according to Amnesty International, but executions of foreign citizens are rare. The country is run as an authoritarian regime by long-time leader Lukashenko, who has detained thousands of dissidents and civic activists who oppose him. Vladimir Putin pictured with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, right, during a meeting of the Union State Supreme Council in St. Petersburg, Russia, earlier this year Krieger's case comes after China and Belarus held military drills near the Polish border earlier this month. The manoeuvres, seemingly timed to coincide with the 76th anniversary NATO summit, offered a disturbing indication of Beijing's affiliations. In the face of international condemnation, China has continued to back Russia's occupation of Ukraine by providing parts and technologies used to make missiles, tanks and aircraft. Now it has sent elite troops to Russia's neighbour and ally in the conflict in Ukraine, Belarus. It came hours after a Russian missile strike on the Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital which killed two adults. A millionaire couple in Maine could face criminal prosecution for secretly poisoning their neighbor's trees to improve the coastal view from their mansion. Camden residents have started a campaign to demand that Amelia and Arthur Bond III face consequences for poisoning Lisa Gorman's trees. Local Tom Hedstrom told the Boston Globe that the worst part was that the 'disgusting' couple, who lives in Missouri, pretended to help Gorman as she dealt with the issues with her trees. 'They literally applied the poison, the trees start to die, then they call Mrs. Gorman and say, "Boy, these trees dont look so good. You better cut them down,"' said Hedstrom, who is chair of Camden's select board. 'And then, trying to show how gracious and generous they are, they offered to split the costs.' Amelia Bond, who owns a $3.5 million holiday home in Camden, Maine, admitted using herbicide on oak trees owned by her neighbor Hedstrom and other town officials were so upset by the Bond's actions that they decided that a $1.7million assessed in a legal settlement was not punishment enough. They now want Knox District Attorney Natasha Irving and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey to criminally prosecute the couple. However, Irving informed Hedstrom this week that she would not seek charges as she did not believe she could prove a crime was committed. The case gathered national attention after it emerged that Amelia Bond secretly sprinkled four pounds of the lethal herbicide Tebuthiuron on trees belonging to Gorman in 2022, before offering to pay for their removal when they started dying. The former head of the $500 million St Louis Foundation, has since paid $1.5 million in compensation to Gorman after tests revealed her ploy. The poisoning opened up Bond's view of Laite Beach, Camden Harbor and the Atlantic. Bond's house is pictured in the rear of this image, while victim Lisa Gorman's sits on the water's edge Lisa and Leon Gorman, the president and CEO of L.L. Bean, founded by his grandfather. Leon died in 2015, aged 80 The poison leached into a nearby park and beach, uniting residents of Camden in fury. Such is the anger to the Bonds, they're now likely among Maine's most hated couple. 'Anybody dumb enough to poison trees right next to the ocean should be prosecuted, as far as I'm concerned,' said neighbor Paul Hodgson. Gorman, the widow of the late L.L. Bean's president Leon Gorman, became suspicious when the trees, along with large areas of vegetation began dying in her yard overlooking the picturesque Laite Beach and Camden Harbor. Bond's vacation home is immediately behind hers further up the hill and the trees had obscured her view but appeared sympathetic when they began withering. But Gorman asked the landscapers Bartlett Tree Experts to look at the trees, and they took soil samples which showed two oaks had been treated with herbicide, which had spread to other trees including maple, blueberry and dogwood. The Gorman home (left) sits down the slope from the Bond house (right) The local authorities in November 2022 also tested the site and spoke to Amelia Bond, who admitted using poison on the land. She told Maine state investigators that she purchased the poison in her home state of Missouri, intending to put it on two oak trees she claimed she thought were dying. She and her husband, Arthur Bond III, an architect and the nephew of former US Sen Kit Bond, have so far paid $4,500 to resolve Maine Board of Pesticides Control Board violations, and $180,000 to resolve violations with the town. The couple have footed a bill of $30,000 for additional environmental testing, and paid more than $1.5 million to Gorman in a legal settlement. But Maine Attorney general Aaron Frey has announced an investigation amid growing anger at the spreading damage in the town of 5,000. This is the moment a paedophile lied about trying to save a 10-year-old boy moments after throwing him 100ft off a cliff to try and 'silence him' after raping his 12-year-old sister. Anthony Stocks, 54, who was today jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 and a half years, had groomed the girl and made her dependent on him while he was working as an extra on several films. However, his vile campaign of abuse threatened to be disrupted when his victim confided in her brother that she was 'scared'. In an effort to cover up his crimes, Stocks took the boy to a towering chalk cliff top in Ovingdean near Brighton before pushing him onto the beach below, where he suffered catastrophic injuries but somehow survived. Moments after trying to murder the boy on September 24, 2022, Stocks insisted to police on the beach that it had all been an accident, saying: 'He started running and I said ''Don't go near that cliff''... then he went over.' Anthony Stocks, 54, insisted to police on the beach that it had all been an accident, saying: 'He started running and I said ''Don't go near that cliff''... then he went over' Stocks took the boy to a towering chalk cliff top in Ovingdean near Brighton before pushing him onto the beach below Stocks claimed he took the boy to the chalk cliffs to admire the view because it featured in the film Quadrophenia The paedophile's account was initially believed to be genuine before police interviewed both the girl and the boy. Today, he showed no emotion as a judge sentenced him to life in prison. Judge Nigel Daly, passing sentence in Oxford Crown Court, told Stocks: 'You have ruined the lives of these two children. 'The attempt on the brother was a direct attempt to remove the one potential witness to your sexual assaults and to prevent him from interfering with, and potentially preventing, the sexual assaults on his young sister. 'There is no word in the entire English language that can accurately describe the cruelty, the horror, the indecency and the near-death experience that this boy was exposed to. It was simply inhumane.' Stocks' trial heard how he had become 'utterly obsessed' with the girl and believed they would one day marry. After he learned she had told her brother about his abuse and planned to 'disrupt it', the paedophile - from Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire - lured him on a trip to London to see the Chelsea FC stadium. Stocks then took him to the cliffs at Ovingdean - later claiming this was to admire the view because it featured in the film Quadrophenia. A witness said they then saw a 'small shape fall as if thrown from the cliff', followed by 'a shriek'. The boy was airlifted to St George's Hospital in London, where it was discovered he had several fractures on his head and arm, a deformity to his neck and a laceration of his spleen and kidney. When interviewed by police, the girl said Stocks had admitted he was going to push the boy off the cliff 'as he wanted to get rid of him'. Initially the boy could not remember whether he had been pushed or fell. But after months spent recovering in hospital told police he 'knew everything' about the sexual abuse his sister had suffered, with Stocks asking to rape her 'pretty much every day'. Stocks having the charges read to him by police following his arrest The twice-married paedophile, from Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, has a cigarette outside court Judge Daly told the defendant: 'The boy became aware of your behaviour towards his sister and tried to prevent you being alone together. 'He was not entirely successful but he interfered enough to make you decide to get rid of him. Your solution to this problem was to take him to Brighton and to push him from a 100ft cliff. 'At the bottom of the cliff was a concrete path. By sheer coincidence, the concrete didn't quite reach to the foot of the cliff, and the boy landed on rough soil instead. 'If he had landed two to three feet out, he would have landed on concrete and I do not doubt that he would have been killed instantly.' The judge remarked the attempted murder was not a spur of the moment decision as Stocks had previously taken the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire and 'contemplated' pushing the boy off the cliffs there, before changing his mind. The boy's sister, who gave live evidence at trial, also said that Stocks had approached her a few nights before the trip to Stamford Bridge and told her: 'I'm going to push him off a cliff. I want to get rid of him so we can be together.' The court heard the girl had tried to warn her brother not to go with Stocks - in vain, as the boy was a keen Chelsea fan and had always wanted to see the stadium. Judge Daly told the defendant: 'The evidence showed that you had researched your plan carefully. You knew of the cliffs at Brighton from watching the film Quadrophenia. 'You had made internet inquiries about trains to Brighton and made inquiries about the distance from Brighton seafront to the cliffs 'This boy trusted you and you betrayed that trust in an attempt to cover up your own deviant sexual behaviour towards his young sister. 'You groomed and assaulted this young girl for your own sexual pleasure and it happened time and time again. 'It is clear from the evidence that you became utterly obsessed with her and would go to any lengths to prevent anyone interfering with your abhorrent behaviour.' A police officer stands guard at the scene of the attempted murder on the evening of Saturday, September 24, 2022 Stocks was found guilty after trial on eight counts including attempted murder, rape and sexual assaults. Prosecutor Zoe Johnson told the court the boy has now returned to full-time education and is 'managing his life.' 'It is a testament to his incredible courage, resilience, and determination,' she added. As for the girl victim, the judge heard there was still 'a very long way to go for her to feel safe enough to express her emotions, to trust that others won't hurt her, and to trust that others might want to support her.' In a victim impact statement read out in court today by the prosecution, the boy victim said: 'I definitely tried to protect my sister from him [Stocks]. 'I was too young to have had to protect my sister and someone else should have had to do that. It made me grow up quicker. I felt angry all the time. I feel angry now as well.' In her victim impact statement, the girl said she was 'scared all the time' before Stocks was arrested. She said: 'My life was different from other children and I was always at home. He [Stocks] frightened me and I could not get away from him. Now I have a proper life. I go to school and I have fun.' Before the hearing was brought to an end, the judge praised the children for their 'courage' in giving evidence during the trial. Judge Daly told the court: 'These children's courage and determination to give their account was quite humbling. 'The boy desperately tried to protect his sister from Mr Stocks. The girl learned his plan to kill her brother and tried everything in her power to convince him not to carry it out. 'Both gave their evidence in a remarkably clear and mature way. I find both of the children very impressive and they should be very proud.' Wes Streeting insisted the 'time has come' for a debate on assisted dying today as a new Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Health Secretary backed MPs looking at the issue again as Lord Falconer tabled legislation that would allow terminally ill adults with life expectancy of six months or under to end their lives. Assisted dying has been thrust into the spotlight over the past year after cancer-stricken TV star Dame Esther Rantzen revealed that she has joined Dignitas. The broadcaster and Childline founder said she had 'caught a glimpse of hope' with this fresh bid to change the law being laid before Parliament. Moves are also being made to legalise the process elsewhere in the British Isles. Keir Starmer has praised Dame Esther's campaign and committed to allowing a free vote on assisted dying, but has declined to spell out a timetable. Wes Streeting insisted the 'time has come' for a debate on assisted dying today as a new Bill was introduced to Parliament Lord Falconer tabled legislation that would allow terminally ill adults with life expectancy of six months or under to end their lives Assisted dying has been thrust into the spotlight over the past year after cancer-stricken TV star Dame Esther Rantzen revealed that she has joined Dignitas A private member's bill on assisted dying could also be brought forward in the Commons, with a ballot on what MPs have priority taking place in September. Lord Falconer has stressed his legislation would have strong safeguards, including that the person has to be mentally able to make the decision, two doctors would have to approve it and it must have High Court approval. The title of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill was read out at the start of business in the House of Lords this morning, and is expected to be first debated at a later date. Some campaigners have called for any new law to be extended to people living with unbearable suffering, who may not be terminally ill, but Lord Falconer said he is 'very strongly against that'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'My Bill is absolutely directed about how you die in the context of a terminal illness.' He said the idea of legalising assisted dying has moved up the political and social agenda in recent decades, noting Dame Esther's intervention. The TV presenter has been a strong advocate among the voices campaigning for assisted dying to be legalised, as she lives with stage four cancer. Last week, Dame Esther's daughter Rebecca Wilcox said her mother is 'living from scan to scan'. Writing in the Daily Express, Dame Esther said: 'This week, for the first time for over a year, I caught a glimpse of hope I have dared to look forward.' She said the introduction of the Bill had provided 'light at the end of a tunnel which has trapped me for so long'. 'What we terminally ill need is to be allowed the hope that if life becomes intolerable, we can ask for help to leave it,' she wrote, saying the existing law meant anyone accompanying her on a trip to Dignitas in Switzerland to end her life would be breaking the law. 'The law might actually change in time for me to die peacefully at home surrounded by those I love. Suddenly my heart lifted.' Assisting someone to end their life is currently a criminal offence in England and Wales. An emotional debate in Westminster Hall earlier this year saw MPs from across the political spectrum give impassioned speeches for and against changing the law. Various moves towards a change in the law have also been taking place in Scotland, on the Isle of Man and Jersey, with strong arguments from people on both sides of the argument. Critics argue that legalisation could put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a burden on others and that the disabled, elderly, sick or depressed could be especially at risk, but supporters say it would allow people to die with dignity. Mr Streeting said he is 'uncharacteristically undecided' on the issue. He told the Today programme: 'This will end up being both an ethical debate 'is this right in principle?' and it will also go to being a practical debate 'can this work in practice?'. 'And I think it's contingent on us to help MPs and peers navigate those thorny issues in the most evidence-based and well-supported way as possible, recognising there'll be sincerely and strongly held views on both sides of this debate.' He added: 'It is a debate I will wrestle with. I'm uncharacteristically undecided on this issue, but it is a debate whose time has come.' Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said she is happy for there to be a full debate 'because I think everybody needs to understand the implications of this becoming law'. Keir Starmer has committed to allowing a free vote on assisted dying, but has declined to put a timetable on it She argued that despite the safeguards outlined, the law could still be 'open to a huge amount of abuse'. Asked about the public mood, she told Today: 'When you ask people the simplistic question 'do you support assisted suicide?' a lot of people say 'yes'. When you dig beneath that and people realise we're not talking about palliative care, we're talking about end of life, that support drops dramatically.' Dame Sarah Mullally, who is joint lead bishop on healthcare for the Church of England and sits in the House of Lords, said the church believes the priority for terminally ill people 'must be to provide urgent funding and resourcing of palliative care services' rather than a law change to allow assisted dying. The Bishop of London, a former chief nursing officer for England, said: 'No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide. 'We believe that there would be unintended, serious and fundamental consequences for the whole of society, especially for those who are at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them.' A new poll out of Michigan shows Kamala Harris and Donald Trump tied in the all-important battleground state with just over 100 days to go before Election Day. According to the Detroit News-WDIV-TV poll conducted after Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Harris jumped in, Harris and Trump are tied at 41 percent each among likely general election voters. The poll also found third party candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. who is running in the state as the 'Natural Law Party' nominee has the support of 10 percent of likely voters. Another 6 percent of voters are undecided. Zoom in a little further and Harris is slightly ahead of Trump by a third of a percentage point but that is well within the margin of error. The new poll suggests the state of the race in Michigan, which is viewed as essential for Democrats to win in November, has seen a dramatic shift from when Biden was still running. New Michigan poll shows Harris and Trump tied at 41 percent each in the battleground state A similar survey conducted by the group in Michigan six months ago found Biden was trailing Trump by eight points in a head-to-head matchup in the state: 47 percent to 39 percent with three percent of likely voters undecided. According to the poll released on Thursday, Kennedy is leading among Independent voters but barely with a even split between those who 'lean Republican' and 'lean Democrat.' He is polling at 27 percent, Harris 26 percent and Trump 25 percent among Independents, but nearly 18 percent of Independents remain undecided. Independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. is polling at 10 percent in Michigan and pulling an even split among Democratic leaning and Republican leaning Independent voters Trump won the state in 2016 but Biden was able to flip it back to blue in 2020 with just over 150,000 more votes than the ex-president. Democrats and Republicans have both been campaigning hard in the swing state leading up to November. The poll comes just days after Donald Trump held his first rally in Michigan after officially accepting the Republican presidential nomination at the convention in Milwaukee. His Grand Rapids rally was also his first with running mate J.D. Vance, who he announced at the very last minute during the convention. Choosing the Ohio senator was viewed as a move that could help the ex-president with voters in the Rust Belt, but the GOP vice presidential nominees conservative leanings and anti-abortion stance could be a problem with especially among women in Michigan where abortion rights was the most important issue in the 2022 midterms. Trump with running mate Senator J.D. Vance at their rally in Grand Rapids, MI on July 20 Meanwhile, Harris must still decide who her running mate will be with a looming deadline as the Democratic delegates have an August 7 deadline to officially nominate candidates for the top of their ticket. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's name has been mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick. While the governor has endorsed Harris for president and vowed to help get her elected, Whitmer said in an interview this week that she is committed to finishing her second term in the state having been reelected during the 2022 midterms. Vice President Harris arriving at a campaign event in Kalamazoo, MI on July 17 President Biden held a rally in Detroit just over a week before he dropped out of the presidential race. Harris made a campaign stop in Kalamazoo just over a week ago while she was still the presumptive vice presidential nominee. While Whitmer has already been promoting Harris in the state, the vice president has not yet set a date to return to Michigan as the presumptive presidential nominee. SNP minister Richard Lochhead has revealed he had to learn how to walk again after suffering a serious sepsis infection which left him fighting for his life. The 55-year-old Moray MSP told how he had to undergo emergency heart surgery and was left unable to speak after surgery. The father-of-two initially fell ill in May but is now hopefully of returning to Holyrood to continue his role as Minister for Business. He said: It was very serious. Theres no doubt that Im lucky to be here. The NHS saved my life. Minister for Business Richard Lochhead and his wife Fiona Mr Lochhead plans to return to Holyrood in September after recovering from his ordeal Mr Lochhead told the Press and Journal fell ill with what he thought was flu, with the SNP politician developing fever-like symptoms. But a week later he collapsed in his bathroom and could not move. He called his wife and his son to try help, but they couldnt move him. Mr Lochhead was rushed to Dr Grays Hospital, in his hometown of Elgin, where he was diagnosed with sepsis. He was then transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to get a heart valve replaced after it had been badly affected by the infection. But, he revealed, it didnt go too smoothly as surgeons encountered problems which meant the operation went on much longer than expected. He said: It was very serious and the doctors briefed my family that, at that particular fragile point, it was serious. The toll the surgery took on him was enormous, and Mr Lochhead, who is the Minister for Business with the Scottish Government, said he felt totally vulnerable after coming out of intensive care and while on the high dependency ward after his operation. He added: I couldnt do anything. I had to learn to walk again. Id lost my voice. It took two to three weeks to get my voice back. He is now on course to return to the Scottish Parliament after the summer recess ends in September. He said he found it humbling how supportive parliamentary colleagues from across the political spectrum have been. And the MSP said he has immense gratitude to the doctors, nurses and other staff who helped care for him during his time in hospital. First Minister John Swinney visited Mr Lochhead at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary soon after he was admitted. He said: When youre lying in a hospital bed, particularly in the early days of an operation, and youre totally dependent on the nurses and support workers to help you get through the day. Sometimes in hospital you get emotional and what I found was getting me emotional was I was struggling for the words to express my gratitude for those who were looking after me. SNP Business Minister Richard Lochhead fell seriously ill after developing sepsis Sepsis is a life-threatening condition - but it can be hard to spot. With lots of possible symptoms, including those of other conditions like flu and chest infections, it is essential to get immediate medical treatment if it is suspected. It is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the world, and claims more than 4,000 lives every year in Scotland. And Mr Lochhead, who was saved by NHS Grampian medics, told how he would remain grateful to them forever. He said: The NHS saved my life. And it reminds you in this country how lucky we are to have the NHS and it was there for me in my hour of need. Im eternally grateful. Symptoms of sepsis include fast or difficult breathing, uncontrolled shivering, confusion, and blotchy or cold arms or legs. When sepsis strikes, the immune system overreacts and starts attacking not only the infection but everything else including the bodys own tissues and organs. Most Americans were glad that Donald Trump dodged a bullet at the fateful rally in Pennsylvania. But not everyone was pleased that 20-year-old assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was such a bad shot. Until now, many assumed that only a few bad apples wanted the Republican candidate to take a round to the head. Not so, says alarming new research from a UK-based academic. Eric Kaufmann says a shocking third of Democratic voters wished Trump had left his July 13 campaign event in a body bag. At least a third of the people in this photo wanted Trump to take a bullet in Butler, polling suggests A staggering 71 percent of hard-line lefties said they supported the attempt on Trump's life. Among progressives, the figure is much higher, says the University of Buckingham politics scholar. A staggering 71 percent of hard-line lefties said they supported the attempt on Trump's life. Kaufmann said his results could be explained by 'woke moral absolutism.' 'Identity politics has moralized the outlook of the Left, painting conservatives as evil rather than wrong,' he says. Eric Kaufmann says lefties have embraced 'woke moral absolutism' Kaufmann carried out his snap poll of a few hundred people five days after the attack, in which Crooks killed firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, and injured two others, including Trump. In the hours that followed, several high-profile liberals voiced support for the assassin, who was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper. Jacqueline Marsaw, who worked for a Mississippi House Democrat, posted on Facebook that Crooks should take 'shooting lessons so you don't miss next time.' 'Ooops that wasn't me talking,' she added. Kyle Gass, who performs alongside movie star Jack Black in the American comedy-rock duo Tenacious D, said: 'Don't miss Trump next time,' in an offhand comment during a show in Australia. Steven Woodrow, a Democratic state representative in Colorado, lamented how the failed attack created 'sympathy for the devil.' The comments were a bad idea and led to a fierce backlash against all three. Marsaw was sacked, Woodrow backtracked and apologized, and Gass's musical career has unraveled. While those three were savaged on social media, Kaufmann's research suggests their opinions were widespread in America's pent-up left-wing politics. This comes down to a growing 'partisan asymmetry' in America, he says. 'The Left is more prejudiced against the Right than vice versa,' he adds. Lefties are more likely to unfriend, refuse to date or otherwise discriminate against conservatives than the other way round, his research shows. The respondents who backed Trump's assassination bid also had other hard-line feelings against the GOP. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is taken from the stage Kyle Gass, Jack Black and bassist John Spike have stopped performing in the wake of Gass's comment in support of the shooting For example, many of them also agreed with the statement that 'white Republicans are racist,' Kauffman found. This highlights an attitude among lefties that conservatives are 'evil rather than wrong,' he says. As a result, they use 'catastrophizing language around 'white supremacy', 'fascism' and 'danger',' he says. 'Given our new politics of identitarian sacredness and moral absolutism, we should not be surprised to see a rise in political extremism,' he warns. He's not the only observer to expresses alarm about volatile political rhetoric in the 2024 presidential race. Speaking from the Oval Office after the shooting in Butler, President Joe Biden said it was time to 'lower the temperature in our politics.' 'The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated,' he added. 'It's time to cool it down.' Biden later reviewed some of his own terse political language, and walked back a statement from a week before the assassination, in which he said it was 'time to put Trump in a bullseye.' Thomas Matthew Crooks FBI Director Christopher Wray this week updated Congress on his agency's probe into the shooting. He said it came amid an increasingly tense political atmosphere surrounding the presidential campaign. 'I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated-threat environment,' Wray testified. 'Tragically, the ... assassination attempt is another example, particularly heinous.' The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Wray said many people have described Crooks as a loner and the list of contacts in his phone was short, and his political leaning is unclear. A day before Wray's testimony, Kimberly Cheatle resigned as director of the US Secret Service after bipartisan demands to quit over the failure to prevent the attempted assassination. Much of the criticism has focused on the failure to secure the roof of an industrial building where the gunman was perched about 150 yards from the stage where Trump was speaking. This is the moment a Brazilian politician slapped a computer while arguing with a hospital administrator after his friend was allegedly denied hospital care. The cell phone video showed former congressman Raad Massouh confronting workers at Santa Helena Hospital in Asa Norte on Wednesday after they had allegedly asked Antonio Melo to make a deposit of about $19,500 to cover his emergency care. 'I want one of you to tell me which bank will make a Pix payment at one o'clock in the morning for 110,000 reals,' the angered politician asked. 'Can any credit card pay 110,000 reals at this time?' Out of anger, he knocked the screen off the counter and continue to berate the staff before he went to check on Melo, who was resting on a bed. Former Brazilian congressman Raad Massouh was recorded destroying a hospital computer screen while arguing with staff over the alleged lack of care that was provided to friend who had suffered a struck and was unable to cover an invoice payment Antonio Melo rested on a hospital bed in the emergency unit at Santa Helena Hospital in Asa Norte, Brazil while friend and former congressman Raad Massouh argued on his behalf after the staff reportedly refused to provide care because of an unpaid bill of around $19,500. He was eventually placed in the ICU and later transferred to a private hospital Massouh told Metropoles news that he visited the medical facility after he was contacted by Melo's family and only wanted to help his friend of over 30 years. Melo's daughter, Lia Nascimento, 44, told the outlet that she noticed his 'speech was slurred and his foot was purple.' She took Melo to Sobradinho Regional Hospital, where he didn't receive treatment and then took him to Santa Helena Hospital. 'They said they would find him an ICU room,' Nascimento said. 'More than two hours later, they informed us that a deposit of R$110,000 would be required for him to be transferred to the ICU. So, we called Raad.' Melo, according to Massouh, was placed in the intensive care unit after the bizarre incident and found him a room. His family then had him transferred to a private medical facility. Former Brazilian congress member Raad Massouh, who holds is a dual Syria-Brazil citizen, served in the Federal District legislative assembly from 2010 to 2013. He was removed from office due to allegations of embezzlement Santa Helena Hospital explained in a statement that they never denied Melo care. 'The patient was seen immediately upon arrival at the hospital, underwent additional tests, received a diagnosis, was treated for the diagnosis he received and continues to be treated and monitored,' the hospital said. 'Only after the care, the diagnosis and after receiving the necessary treatment, the family received an estimated bill because the patient needs to continue hospital treatment.' Massouh, who is a dual Syria-Brazil citizen, served in the Federal District legislative assembly from 2010 to 2013, when he was removed from office due to allegations of embezzlement. Chipotle's CEO has made a shocking admission after the popular Mexican chain was accused of shrinking portion sizes. Brian Niccol, the chairman and CEO of Chipotle, announced during the company's second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday that Chipotle has found more than 10 percent of its 3,500 locations were scoring poorly on portion sizes. Niccol told analysts that the company is now investing in retraining employees at those 'outlier' locations to make sure they're putting the right amount of ingredients in burritos and bowls. 'We'll invest in it, and we'll figure out how to make sure we consistently do it every time,' he said, adding that the company was 'committed to making this investment to reinforce that Chipotle stands for a generous amount of delicious, fresh food at fair prices for every customer visit.' However, Niccol admitted that this change will only be implemented at the 10 percent of the chain's restaurants that are currently scoring poorly, while it appears to be business as usual for the remaining 90 percent of restaurants. Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol has denied the portion sizes are getting smaller as he revealed he would be training staff to ensure consistency across his stores Niccol also firmly denied any plot to short-change customers. 'First, there was never a directive to provide less to our customers,' he said, 'Generous portion is a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been, and it always will be.' 'Our guests expect this now more than ever, and we are committed to making this investment to reinforce that Chipotle stands for a generous amount of delicious (and) fresh food at fair prices for every customer every visit,' Niccol said. This response comes after widespread social media complaints about shrinking portion sizes at Chipotle, which led to customer dissatisfaction and viral videos. It came after Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem and his team set out to test the theory that Chipotle has been skimping on its once-large portions, following a series of videos posted to TikTok showed employees barely filling their burrito bowls. The team ordered and weighed 75 bowls from eight locations across New York City, and kept variables the same by ordering the same ingredients - white rice, black beans, chicken, pico de gallo, cheese and lettuce, according to Barrons. Nicol was forced to respond after Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem and his team set out to test the theory that Chipotle has been skimping on its once-large portions This response comes after widespread social media complaints about shrinking portion sizes at Chipotle, which led to customer dissatisfaction and viral videos They were stunned to find huge variation across the locations, with some serving bowls that weighed up to 33 percent more than others. The largest burrito bowl the team ordered came out to 27 ounces, while the smallest was just 14 ounces. Among all 75 burrito bowls - which were divvied out for Wells Fargo analysts' lunches - the median weight was about 21.5 ounces. Fadem's study comes after months of TikTokers claiming that Chipotle workers were skimping on their ingredients. The trend began in early May, when Keith Lee - a former mixed martial arts fighter and TikTok food critic who has more than 16million followers on the app - posted a video showing him digging into a burrito bowl, and seemingly not finding any of the chicken he ordered. 'These portions be crazy,' he said in the video. Later that month, another influencer, Isaac Francis, filmed himself ordering at Chipotle and indignantly asking for more rice and chicken. Zachary Fadem found huge discrepancies in portion sizes from location to location He wrote in the caption of the video that he 'couldn't let' the employee 'disrespect me with that protein size'. However, employees soon hit back at the 'dehumanizing' trend, saying being filmed a work was causing them stress. Laurie Schalow, Chipotle's chief corporate affairs officer, also told CNN that bowl sizes may vary by the number of ingredients a customer chooses or if they opt to make any ingredient 'light' or 'extra light.' But Nicol said customers were free to ask for more of any topping, stating that he wants his clientele to be 'excited' by the food. However, the controversy has not harmed Chipotle's sales, which beat analysts' expectations to rise by around 18 percent in the second quarter. These baby foxes could have a career in photography if they keep up this level of camerawork. Located in Sapporo, Japan, photographer Hiroki Takahashi managed to snap these wonderful images of some cheeky foxes. Mr Takahashi revealed how the foxes looked as though they were about to bite his GoPro camera and take selfies with it. He said: 'The little fox was very interested in the GoPro and came over to bite, lick, climb, and play happily.' 'The camera didn't break, but it was licked in many ways, so I disinfected it properly. The little fox was just having fun, so it was very soothing to watch.' Say cheese! This adorable baby fox holds a GoPro camera and looks like he's about to take a picture of his friend The photo, taken in Sapporo, Japan, shows a couple of foxes who are intrigued by the camera Delete it! Perhaps this fox was not so happy with the outcome of the picture and attempted to delete it The foxes were said to play with the GoPro, as this little fellow above is doing by crouching beneath it Photographer Hiroki Takahashi said the pair of foxes were fascinated by the technology The FBI wants to question Donald Trump about his near-death experience when he survived an assassination attempt earlier this month. It has yet to receive a victim statement from the former president as it collects evidence to investigate the horrifying event, one official said. The bureau's director Christopher Wray sparked a firestorm on Wednesday when he testified to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that there are still 'some question' about whether the former president was struck with a bullet or shrapnel. In a subsequent statement he sought to clarify that remark. Trump was quick to refute any suggestion that he was hit by shrapnel, saying he was struck by 'a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard.' He posted on his Truth Social: 'There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a "bullet wound to the ear," and that is what it was. No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!' The FBI still has questions over whether Trump was struck by shrapnel or by a bullet, but the former president has railed against that, saying he surely was hit by a bullet The former president's campaign also railed against the notion that Trump was struck by shrapnel as opposed to a slug. 'Anyone who believes this conspiracy bulls**t is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons,' Trump campaign adviser Steven Cheung told CNN. During the hearing Wednesday with Wray, the director responded to questions about the 'assassin's bullet' saying, 'My understanding is that either it or some shrapnel is what, you know, grazed his ear.' Wray also testified that whatever it was that hit Trump came extremely close to killing the 45th president. There were also plenty of other jaw-dropping revelations during the congressional hearing, including what 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was up to immediately before he opened fire. Donald Trump's would-be assassin Crooks searched online 'how far' Lee Harvey Oswald was from John F. Kennedy when he shot him, the FBI director revealed in stunning testimony to Congress. Wray confirmed the FBI had recovered three 'explosive devices' in possession of Crooks FBI Director Christopher Wray also told lawmakers the 20-year-old gunman flew a drone 200 yards from the stage just two hours before he opened fire in Butler, Pennsylvania, and had three explosives in his car. The bombshell revelations from the bureau's chief give more insight into Crooks' preparation before he shot the former president, including his online research on the sniper that took out JFK in 1963. Wray said Crooks had been 'interested in public figures' and 'somewhere around July 6 or so he became very focused on former President Trump and his rally.' The director said an analysis of Crooks' laptop revealed he had searched on Google on July 6 'how far away was Oswald from Kennedy.' It was the same day he registered to attend the Butler rally. Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed former President John F. Kennedy in 1963. In this handout, American Marxist and former US Marine Lee Harvey Oswald (1939 - 1963) in a mug shot after he was arrested for assassinating President John F Kennedy in Dallas, 23rd November 1963 Crooks was flying a drone above the rally site two hours before the shooting and just 200 yards away from the stage, Wray has also revealed. He flew the drone around 4 p.m. over the area of the rally close to '200 yards' from the stage to survey the scene. Trump took the stage around 6:03 p.m., over two hours later. The FBI has also recovered three 'explosive devices' in possession of Crooks. They were 'relatively crude devices' but had the ability 'to be detonated remotely,' Wray said. The FBI director also revealed the weapon used had a 'collapsible stock,' which he said 'could explain why it might've been less easy for people to observe.' Wray could not say whether Crooks carried the gun up to the roof with him before he fired the shots or had stashed it there prior. He said the gunman did not use a ladder to get onto the roof but rather some sort of 'vertical piping.' He said Crooks and his family owned a combined 14 guns and Crooks had visited a shooting range one day before the rally. Crooks used an AR-style weapon that had been purchased legally by his father and sold to him in October 2023. Dramatic new footage shows law enforcement standing over the dead body of Donald Trump 's attempted assassin moments after he was shot dead The FBI investigation into the assassination attempt remains ongoing. Congress has also voted to put together a task force to investigate the shooting. Speaker Mike Johnson indicated that it would be a bipartisan effort split evenly with Republicans and Democrats. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also investigating the shooting. An 11-year-old girl was unlawfully killed after her older brother punched her in the head, a coroner has concluded. Falaq Babar died in hospital more than three weeks after she collapsed at her family home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. An inquest heard how her half-brother Suhail Mohammed, 23, had texted his girlfriend saying he had 'punched' and 'killed' Falaq. He claimed he acted 'in the heat of the moment' after hearing Falaq 'screaming her head off'. Mr Mohammed didn't phone an ambulance until 23 minutes later when she became ill and lost consciousness. Suhail Mohammed, 23, texted his girlfriend saying he had 'punched' and 'killed' Falaq, his younger sister. He claimed he acted 'in the heat of the moment' after hearing Falaq 'screaming her head off'. He didn't phone an ambulance until 23 minutes later when she became ill and lost consciousness. Falaq Babar, 11, died in hospital more than three weeks after she collapsed at her family home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester He was subsequently arrested and detectives believed there was sufficient evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider a charge of manslaughter. But the CPS declined to prosecute partly due to 'complex medical evidence' about whether Falaq had an 'underlying' brain condition. Today, senior coroner Joanne Kearsley ruled that Mr Mohammed's 'deliberate act' of punching Falaq had triggered a 'pre-existing abnormality' in a blood vessel to her brain. Recording a conclusion of unlawful killing, she said the 'trauma' led to increased blood pressure or anxiety which led to a rupture of the abnormality in the blood vessel, leading to her fatal brain bleed. Ms Kearsley said she was satisfied that Mr Mohammed had become 'frustrated' by 'bickering' between Falaq, who was in the bathroom with her younger brother, and another younger brother who wanted to get inside. Mr Mohammed had 'shoulder charged' the bathroom door with 'significant force' without warning, she said, and then - on the balance of probabilities - punched her on the head. She said it was consistent with the evidence and whether Falaq additionally hit her head on the door or the wall cannot be determined. Giving evidence, Mr Mohammed admitted barging into the bathroom using a 'bit of force' but claimed it had been 'stuck' due to damp. He initially claimed the door had been damaged previously before changing his account and crime scene investigators found it opened easily and no evidence it had been bolted shut. Mr Mohammed said he'd found Falaq on the bathroom floor near the radiator and when she became unwell he called for ambulance, telling the call handler she'd 'slipped'. But in a series of text messages with his girlfriend Sahar Fiaz he had revealed how he 'punched' Falaq. 'I've killed Falaq,' he wrote. 'WDYM (what do mean),' she replied. 'I punched her in the head.' Mr Mohammed was arrested and he initially told police his sister must have fallen backwards and hit her head after he forced his way into the bathroom. But in a later interview he refused to answer questions after the text messages were discovered on his mobile phone Senior coroner Joanne Kearsley ruled that Mr Mohammed's 'deliberate act' of punching Falaq had triggered a 'pre-existing abnormality' in a blood vessel to her brain. Recording a conclusion of unlawful killing, she said the 'trauma' led to increased blood pressure or anxiety which led to a rupture of the abnormality in the blood vessel, leading to her fatal brain bleed He went on to say his sister was being taken to hospital before Ms Fiaz then asked: 'What she did that you hit her (sic)?' Mt Mohammed responded: 'Zero. Screaming her head off.' When Ms Fiaz said he 'shouldn't have done that', Mr Mohammed replied that he 'didn't know' he was going to 'knock her out' and Ms Fiaz accused him of being 'heavy handed'. 'It was the heat of the moment.' he replied. The inquest heard how analysis of the 999 call made by Mr Mohammed revealed how he spoke to family members in the background, urging them to not 'make big deal' of the incident, adding: 'Don't tell, don't disclose'. Mr Mohammed was arrested and he initially told police his sister must have fallen backwards and hit her head after he forced his way into the bathroom. But in a later interview he refused to answer questions after the text messages were discovered on his mobile phone. He also declined to give evidence at the inquest earlier this week after it was adjourned in November so police could investigate 'new evidence'. Ms Kearsley labelled the evidence provided by family members as 'inherently improbable, inconsistent and unconvincing', saying the accounts given were 'untrue' and were made in 'an attempt to disguise or cover up the fact that Falaq's elder sibling hit her in a fit of pique'. She said she couldn't understand why the family had refused to allow police to speak to Falaq's younger brothers - aged 5 and 7 - who would have been key witnesses. Home Office pathologist Dr Philip Lumb recorded Falaq's cause of death as severe hypoxic ischemic brain injury with brain swelling due to a intracerebellar and intraventricular haemorrhage due to ruptured vascular pathology along the course of the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). Dimitries Varthalitis, a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon who had operated on Falaq at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, said he agreed with pathology evidence that an abnormal venous malformation (AVM), which affects only 0.05% of the population, in the PICA blood vessel had caused her brain bleed. He said people could be asymptomatic and the 'vast majority' of bleeds were 'spontaneous', but 'trauma' could also be a cause. Another expert, neuropatholigist Dr Daniel Di Plessis, described it as a 'very rare' type of brain bleed. He believed on balance that 'trauma' had played a part and he said there was 'no doubt' a punch could have caused the blood vessel to rupture. Addressing Falaq's family, Ms Kearsley said her findings would make for 'difficult reading and reflection' and the love they had shown her 'could not detract from her tragic death'. Given the evidence only met the coronial standard, she said, she would not be referring the case back to the police or the CPS. She added: 'My only hope is you can now accept and acknowledge how Falaq died and somehow look to rebuild and move forward together.' Greater Manchester Police said it 'acknowledged' the coroner's findings. A spokesman confirmed that following Falaq's death, officers conducted 'a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances' before preparing a file for the CPS. Expressing the force's 'deepest sympathies' with her loved ones, he added: 'It is heart-breaking that a child has lost her life at such a young age and our thoughts remain with all those who knew her.' READ MORE: Why this cute native Australian animal could soon be extinct A tourist's photo of a quokka eating a discarded cigarette butt has exposed Australia's major problem with littering. Fafa Liao was visiting Rottnest Island - a popular tourist destination in Western Australia off the coast of Perth - on July 16 when she captured the sad moment. The Taiwanese woman watched as the island's famous marsupial started to eat the cigarette butt. A shocked Ms Liao took a snap of the animal and explained she was left 'deeply saddened' by the sight, especially since the quokka clearly had a baby in her pouch. Ms Liao called for regular clean ups of the quokkas' habitat and urged authorities to increase awareness of the danger that rubbish can cause to the marsupials. 'As a concerned visitor I believe it's crucial to address this issue promptly to protect both the quokkas and their habitat,' Ms Liao told PerthNow. Ms Liao also urged authorities to enforce stronger penalties for littering - which is currently a fine of $200. A Rottnest Island Authority spokesperson insisted the wellbeing of the 'iconic quokkas' was the top priority. Taiwanese tourist Fafa Liao was visiting Rottnest Island when she spotted a quokka eating a discarded cigarette butt (pictured) 'The wellbeing of all wildlife, including the iconic quokkas, is a top priority for Rottnest Island Authority,' the spokesperson said. 'We urge all visitors to play their part in protecting the island by disposing of waste responsibly.' Signs dot the island clearly warning tourists to limit their interactions with the small smiley wallabies. Around 10,000 quokkas live on Rottnest Island, making the marsupial a vulnerable species. Rottnest Island Authority conduct regular litter clean-up and street sweeping in the public and recreational areas of the holiday hotspot. Information on correct waste disposal and about the protection of native wildlife is also available on the island, on visitor maps and online. A drug gang that brought more than a billion pounds worth of narcotics into the UK have been jailed for total of 195 years. Metropolitan Police detectives worked with the National Crime Agency - Britains FBI - on a four-year investigation that has put 12 'dangerous' men behind bars. Officers said the painstaking investigation has helped to stop more than a billion pounds worth of Class A drugs from flooding the capital and other areas of the UK. Detectives from the Met first began investigating the west-London based gang, headed up by Paul OBrien and Lee Mortimer, in 2020. NCA investigators identified OBrien as a leading figure in the network. On 29 May 2020, after conducting surveillance on one of the known gang members, Met officers intercepted a drugs exchange between OBrien and Mortimer and other members of the gang. Metropolitan Police detectives worked with the National Crime Agency - Britains FBI - on a four-year investigation that has put 12 'dangerous' men behind bars Officers said the painstaking investigation has helped to stop more than a billion pounds worth of Class A drugs from flooding the capital and other areas of the UK Detectives from the Met first began investigating the west-London based gang, headed up by Paul OBrien and Lee Mortimer, in 2020 The sophisticated gang of 12 men have been jailed for plotting to smuggle up to 1billion of Class A drugs into the UK Career criminal OBrien, 57, from Uxbridge, west London, trafficked drugs and dirty cash between Ireland and the Netherlands. He was identified as part of Operation Venetic - the UKs part in the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat. Arrangements for transporting cocaine and 900,000 euros in cash were discovered in EncroChat messages between OBrien, who was using the handle ONEDIAMONDGEE on the encrypted network, and another crook. Conversations between the pair showed that on the morning of 4 April 2020, two vehicles - a HGV and a car - met near the village of Uddel in the Netherlands and exchanged drugs worth up to 1million if sold in the UK. The drugs were successfully brought into the UK later the same day, and arrangements were made for it to be collected in Ireland. On 10 April, 300,000 euros belonging to OBrien were collected near Louth in Ireland and transported to the Netherlands by car. A month later, on 11 May, a second pick-up of 600,000 euros was arranged at a bus station in Drogheda, Ireland, again to be taken by couriers from Ireland to the Netherlands. But this time Garda officers conducting a surveillance operation moved in to intercept the cash and arrest couriers transporting the dirty money. Career criminal OBrien, 57, from Uxbridge, west London, trafficked drugs and dirty cash between Ireland and the Netherlands The gang was snared as part of Operation Venetic - the UKs part in the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat Career criminal OBrien, 57, from Uxbridge, west London, had arranged to transport cocaine and 900,000 euros in cash on EncroChat messages between OBrien, who was using the handle ONEDIAMONDGEE on the encrypted network EncroChat messages were found between OBrien, who was using the handle ONEDIAMONDGEE on the encrypted network, and another crook OBrien was identified as the ONEDIAMONDGEE user after his EncroChat device was seized on 29 May 2020 when he was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers at his Uxbridge home. He subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit a crime abroad, and at Isleworth Crown Court on 3 November, 2023, a judge sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment. This led to a series of arrests and officers seized more than 160kgs of cocaine as well as over 1million in cash and other high value assets, including vehicles and jewellery. The investigation into O'Brien allowed Met officers to identify members of another drug-dealing gang operating in Greater Manchester and led by Jonathan Strogylos. With help from the NCA, Met officers accessed the networks encrypted EncroChat messages, which revealed that the gang imported more than 8.5 tonnes of cocaine between 2017 and 2020. The investigation into O'Brien allowed Met officers to identify members of another drug-dealing gang operating in Greater Manchester and led by Jonathan Strogylos With help from the NCA, Met officers accessed the networks encrypted EncroChat messages, which revealed that the gang imported more than 8.5 tonnes of cocaine between 2017 and 2020 The total value of the drugs imported into the UK by the gang is assessed by police to be worth more than 1billion The total value of the drugs imported into the UK over this period are assessed to be worth more than 1billion. Working in partnership with Essex police, Met officers were later able to make a further series of arrests and seize another 138kg of cocaine and 8kgs of heroin, which had been imported via the Harwich port. Detective Chief Superintendent Ella Marriott, Head of the London Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: This is an investigation that demonstrates how Met officers are going above and beyond to make London safe by removing drug dealers from the capital and other parts of the UK. This is community crime-fighting at its best, removing offenders who impact the lives of those around them. Weve seen time and time again that the supply of drugs has devastating consequences on communities across the country. Met officers also made a further series of arrests and seized another 138kg of cocaine and 8kgs of heroin, which had been imported via the Harwich port in Essex The sophisticated gang smuggled drugs between the Netherlands and Ireland They planned to flood the capital and other areas of the UK with 1billion worth of Class A drugs Photographs show how the gang smuggled drugs across borders in hidden compartments It causes addiction, has devastating health impacts and leads to anti-social behaviour and violence. That is why we are determined to crack down on drugs and the gangs that exploit vulnerable people, while also working with partners to support drug users through addiction. This investigation should serve as a message to criminals and gang members bringing drugs onto our streets - we will come after you and we will bring you to justice. NCA Branch Commander Martin Clarke: The NCA were able to work in collaboration with the Met to share information which enabled us to identify and dismantle this organised crime group in its entirety. The criminal network was international in its scope, with connections to drug suppliers across the globe. Our work with the Met has resulted in significant custodial sentences for the gangs members, and demonstrates our commitment to do all we can with our law enforcement partners to protect the public by targeting the organised criminal networks causing most harm to the UK. Horses are evacuated along a road in Cohasset (Butte County) near Chico as the Park Fire burns Thursday. Residents also evacuated portions of the Butte County community of Paradise, which was nearly wiped out during the Camp Fire in 2018. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle On social media, the Paradise Police Department advised residents to please remain vigilant for sudden fire condition changes. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Residents of Paradise, a rural Northern California town that was incinerated by the Camp Fire in 2018, were told to prepare to evacuate on Thursday due to another devastating wildfire: The Park Fire. Before the Camp Fire, Paradise was home to more than 26,000 residents. But the Camp Fire destroyed 90% of the homes in the town. Six years later, Paradise is still being rebuilt. The town is now home to just over 6,500 residents, a quarter of what it once was. Construction of new homes hasnt been easy either. Only a fifth of the homes destroyed by the fire had been rebuilt as of last fall, when a Chronicle reporter visited the town. By the time the Camp Fire was fully contained, Paradise had become the site of the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The blaze killed 85 people and injured three others, Cal Fire said. More than 18,000 structures were destroyed and an additional 754 were damaged. In all, the Camp Fire torched more than 153,000 acres. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The blaze sparked when a century old hook, operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., failed and dropped energized wires into a bush. Bill Johnson, the companys CEO at the time, pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter after a criminal investigation into the companys wrongdoing. The company agreed to pay the town $270 million as part of a settlement between the two sides, giving Paradise about 20 years to rebound before returning to its normal operating budget, the Chronicle previously reported. The memories of the Camp Fire for Paradise residents rekindled Thursday evening, as evacuation warnings were issued for a western portion of the town. By 7:30 p.m., the Park Fire was still surging, torching nearly 125,000 acres across Butte and Tehama Counties. On social media, the Paradise Police Department advised residents to please remain vigilant for sudden fire condition changes. The main fire spread is to the north and east, weve seen significant movement to the east over the past few hours towards Highway 32, said Chronicle Meteorologist Anthony Edwards. Edwards said extreme fire behavior was pushing the blaze to spread in multiple directions, including toward Paradise. Higher up in the atmosphere, winds are pushing the fire eastwards and embers are landing and starting new fires, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A man accused of stealing 2million worth of designer watches from a victim who hanged himself the next day has denied robbery. Junior Kunu, 29, and an accomplice, allegedly held Oliver White, 27, in a chokehold and restrained him with cable ties during a violent raid on May 25. Afterwards, the alleged robbers are said to have plundered timepieces from the 247 Kettles store on Kew Road, Richmond. Mr White was found hanged in woodland in Shepperton, Surrey the following day. Oliver pictured with his girlfriend, Alana Dredge. Surrey Coroner's Court heard Mr White, from Shepperton, had died from suspension A 247 Kettles promo video displays the plush, expensive interior of the store Wearing a light grey jumper, Kunu appeared in Woolwich Crown Court via video link from HMP Thameside today. He spoke to confirm his name as well as to deny robbing Mr White. Ms Nwanneka Aik, prosecuting, earlier said: 'The matter before the court relates to an incident that took place on May 25, 2024. 'It was a violent robbery that took place at a watch dealership in Richmond. 'Close to 2m of watches were stolen.' Kunu, of Mitcham, south London, has a trial date set for November 18 at the same court and it is expected to last five days. Kunu was remanded in custody ahead of a further case management hearing on September 13. Surrey Coroner's Court heard Mr White, from Shepperton, had died from suspension. He was pronounced dead at 9.59pm on May 26 in a wooded area adjacent to Sheep Walk. Mr White's family earlier said in a statement: 'Our son Oliver returned home from his place of work on Saturday traumatised and unable to speak. 'He had been the victim of a terrifying attack and high-value robbery at his place of work, which was later shared widely on social media. Watch dealer Oliver White (pictured) took his own life after robbers raided his shop 'As a family we are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up every room he walked into.' A spokesman for 247 Kettles had posted a statement on Instagram claiming Mr White should have never been alone in the store in the first place. In a tribute to Mr White, a spokesperson for the store said: 'It is with profound sadness we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Oliver, who was a close friend for 20+ years before working with us at 247 Kettles. 'In his time working with us Oliver left a long-lasting impact on the watch community as a whole - both suppliers and customers alike were taken back by Oliver's vibrant spirit and kind heart and his loss is felt deeply by all who knew him. 'Oliver had an incredible work ethic and a passion for pleasing customers. He liked to work around the clock and even out of hours to ensure customers were satisfied. 'As a business, we will remain closed temporarily to grieve the loss of our friend. Any messages/requests will be picked up upon our return. Our thoughts are with all of Oliver's family at this time.' A California sex offender has been arrested for allegedly starting a 160,000 acre wildfire - the state's largest this year. Ronnie Stout II, 42, was caught pushing his burning car into a gulley in upper Bidwell Park near the city of Chico on Wednesday, the Butte County District Attorney's Office announced. The vehicle then tumbled 60 feet down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that engulfed more than 71,000 acres of northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations. Stout was reportedly seen leaving the scene by blending in with parkgoers as the fire quickly spread. Authorities ultimately identified the suspect early Thursday morning, and took him into custody. Ronnie Stout II, 42, was caught pushing his burning car into a gulley in upper Bidwell Park near the city of Chico on Wednesday He was then booked into the Butte County Jail, where he is being held without bail, according to the District Attorney's Office. Stout was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sex crimes against a child under 14 years old in 2001 and of robbery with great bodily injury. Given that he has two prior convictions, Stout could be sent to jail for life if found guilty under California's Three Strikes and Youre Out law. Footage of the inferno shows a home blowing up as the area is surrounded by flames. The vehicle then tumbled 60 feet down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that engulfed more than 71,000 acres of northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations The Park Fire burned more than 195 square miles near the city of Chico The Park Fire burned more than 195 square miles near the city of Chico. More than 4,000 people were evacuated in Butte County and the city of Chico, said Megan McMann, a spokesperson for the Butte County Sheriff's Office. As of Friday morning the fire had burned through more than 164,000 acres. At least 134 structures have been destroyed but there are no reported injuries. Cal Fire-Butte County had said as many as 4,200 structures were threatened. Footage of the inferno shows a home blowing up as the area is surrounded by flames A combination of a cold front passing through the province and several days of dry and hot weather led to the perfect conditions for the fire tornado The park fire is the largest in California since the Caldor fire of 2021 Fire whirls' are intensely rotating columns of gas and flames. A combination of a cold front passing through the province and several days of dry and hot weather led to the perfect conditions for the fire tornado. Friday's windy conditions is making it harder for firefighters to battle flames. The National Weather Service has issued a for the northern Sacramento Valley. Meanwhile forecasters are warning wind gusts could reach up to 30mph and push the blaze north. The park fire is the largest in California since the Caldor fire of 2021, which destroyed 1,000 structures while burning across the Sierra Crest and into the Tahoe basin, torched forest that hadnt seen flames in over a century. A female pedophile preyed on multiple young boys at an Oklahoma swimming pool and called her victims 'daddy,' police say. Kayla Lena, 28, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child under the age of 16 following the incident last month. Police in Del City say the boys, 12 and 13, told officers that Lena had been touching them over several days and even asked one of them to be his girlfriend. Rena allegedly attempted to remove some of their clothing at the Eagle Harbor Aquatic Center, grabbed at them and called them 'daddy'. Lifeguards told responding officers that Lena had been following the boys around the pool 'touching them in the groin and buttocks'. She was subsequently taken to the Oklahoma County Jail, with jail records now showing that she was bailed out Kayla Lena, 28, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child under the age of 16 following the incident last month Officers who arrived on the scene found Lena outside of the public pool with their interaction caught on body camera footage. The footage, obtained by KFOR, shows an officer telling Lena to put her hands together to which she responds 'okay'. At one point she asks 'can I call my grandma?', to which an officer answers 'how old are you?'. She then responds '28'. The officer asks, 'what is going on today?', Rena responds 'nothing', as she is handcuffed. Eventually, she tried to explain her actions by telling officers she was drowning and grabbed one of the boys in an attempt to pull herself up. Major Brad Cowden the outlet: 'Its definitely troubling to see something like this happen at a place where we want people to come and feel safe, and just have a good time while theyre there. 'It really, really emphasizes the importance of both the staff and just parents in general to be to be mindful, be vigilant of their children, even in public places.' She was subsequently taken to the Oklahoma County Jail, with jail records now showing that she was bailed out. The footage, obtained by KFOR , shows an officer telling Lena to put her hands together to which she responds 'okay' Court documents claim that Lena 'knowingly and intentionally looked upon, touched, mauled, or felt the body or private parts of two boys, ages 12 and 13. It is claimed she did so 'in a lewd and lascivious manner calculated to arouse and excite'. Authorities say the statements from the two victims and other witnesses indicate that she targeted the same two boys on multiple occasions over several days. The police officer who kicked a man in the head at Manchester Airport is now under criminal investigation over the force used during the incident on Tuesday. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said it had notified the Greater Manchester Police officer that he is facing a criminal probe for assault. He has also been served with a disciplinary notice that he is being investigated for potential gross misconduct for alleged breaches of police professional standards. The extraordinary footage showed the officer kick and stamp on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him. The video also appeared to show him strike a second man, and it has prompted a public outcry with two nights of demonstrations in Manchester and Rochdale. Roads and tram lines were blocked last night during a protest after the officer was suspended following footage of the incident, in terminal two of the airport. A police officer was filmed kicking and stamping on the head of a man at Manchester Airport Videos online also showed a handful of demonstrators, with their faces covered, throwing eggs at Rochdale police station and forming barricades yesterday evening. The IOPC said the serving of notices does not necessarily mean criminal charges will follow. At the end of its investigation, the IOPC will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings. IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said today: 'We can confirm we are conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force during events which took place on July 23 at Manchester Airport. We are arranging to interview a police constable under criminal caution as soon as possible. 'I have today met one of the men who was involved and his family members to outline our investigation and we will continue to update them and Greater Manchester Police as our enquiries progress. The family's lawyer Akhmed Yakoob speaks outside Rochdale Police Station yesterday Lawyer Akhmed Yakoob (centre) with Fahir and Amaad Khan following the airport incident 'We will be speaking to the man involved in the second incident as soon as we can.' She added that the family had asked her to 'reiterate their call for peace and wish to stress that they do not condone any acts of violence as a result of this incident'. 'The family has asked me to reiterate their call for peace': Full statement from IOPC Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regional director Catherine Bates said today: 'We can confirm we are conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force during events which took place on July 23 at Manchester Airport. We are arranging to interview a police constable under criminal caution as soon as possible. 'I have today met one of the men who was involved and his family members to outline our investigation and we will continue to update them and Greater Manchester Police as our enquiries progress. We will be speaking to the man involved in the second incident as soon as we can. 'The family has asked me to reiterate their call for peace and wish to stress that they do not condone any acts of violence as a result of this incident. 'We are meeting with a number of community leaders in Rochdale this afternoon to listen to their concerns and explain our role. 'Our investigation continues to gather relevant evidence and will be following a number of lines of enquiry. We will provide further updates when we are in a position to do so.' Advertisement Ms Bates said the IOPC would be meeting with community leaders in Rochdale this afternoon to 'listen to their concerns and explain our role'. She continued: 'Our investigation continues to gather relevant evidence and will be following a number of lines of enquiry. We will provide further updates when we are in a position to do so.' It comes as it emerged the chaos is now alleged to have followed a mid-air row involving the man's mother. Family sources claimed Fahir and Amaad Khan were defending their mother when they were taken into custody by police on Tuesday after she arrived from Pakistan. The mother was allegedly involved in a row during the flight with a male passenger - with insiders alleging that while she was picking up her luggage in Terminal 2, the same man pushed her with his trolley and made racist comments towards her. It is claimed that the mother later pointed him out to her sons, and one then confronted the man - before a physical altercation that saw the police called. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, sources said the family claim they walked away and were confronted by armed police near the ticket machines, during which one officer allegedly struck the mother in the face. This claim has not been independently verified, with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) not releasing any bodycam footage of this part of the encounter so far and no video shot by passersby released on social media. GMP claims after the initial encounter its officers were assaulted and 'punched to the ground' with three left needing hospital treatment including one female officer who had a broken nose. No footage of this part of the incident has been released online either, with the first videos showing Fahir lying on the ground with his hands behind his back and Amaad sat on a chair with his hands above his head. Multiple angles of the incident after this point have since been released online, with 19-year-old Fahir seen being kicked in the face and stamped on the head by a police officer, before he and his brother are hauled away by police. Today, the family lawyer described the incident as an 'attempted joint enterprise assassination' by the police following another night of demonstrations. Demonstrators throw eggs at Rochdale Police Station last night as protests continue Stains from the egg throwing were left on the windows of Rochdale Police Station last night Hundreds of protesters blocked traffic and held up Black Lives Matter placards last night after footage of a Greater Manchester Police firearms officer kicking a teenager in the head 'like a football' sparked allegations of gratuitous violence. 'TikTok lawyer' with Lamborghini lifestyle The solicitor representing the brothers at the centre of the Manchester Airport storm has been called 'the TikTok lawyer' because of the videos of his millionaire lifestyle which he shares with his 200,000 followers. Akhmed Yakoob, 36, boasts of having a 1million car collection that includes a Lamborghini with personalised number plates and is regularly seen wearing Prada trainers, a glittering diamond watch and gold-rimmed sunglasses. The Birmingham-based father-of-four has attracted controversy, including a row over a 'deep-fake' video which led to a viral hate campaign against an innocent teacher. Mr Yakoob, a director at Maurice Andrews Solicitors, shared the clip while running as an independent candidate in the West Midlands mayoral election on a pro-Gaza ticket in May. It used subtitles to suggest the woman had used a racial slur while canvassing for Labour. Labour said it employed a digital forensics company which found evidence that the video had been manipulated. West Midlands Police concluded no offensive words had been uttered. Mr Yakoob also posted the teacher's name and the name of her school. Others posted her phone number and email address. The teacher, who is in her 20s, said she had faced death threats amid a nightmare of online abuse. Mr Yakoob later said he had 'deleted the post from all my social media' and 'would like to see the findings' of the Labour Party and the police. He came third in the mayoral poll, later coming within 3,500 votes of unseating Labour's Shabana Mahmood in Birmingham's Ladywood constituency in the general election. Earlier this year he was criticised for comments that it was 'natural for men to be attracted to females, so keep our queens at home'. He said that he was 'mortified' by the backlash. Advertisement Demonstrators who gathered outside Mayor Andy Burnham 's office claimed the shocking videos showed the force was racist and called for it to be 'defunded'. The rally came as the officer filmed kicking a 19-year-old in the head then stamping on him in a violent arrest on Tuesday was suspended after further clips emerged. Mr Burnham said at a press conference this afternoon: "People spoke of the family's appeal for calm. It was echoed in the room and I am today amplifying that message as loudly and clearly as I can so that everyone hears it. "Lots of people this week have had their say on events here and it's important now that those same people hear what people in Greater Manchester want to happen next. "What they want is a process that is able to proceed on the basis, as I said before, of being fair to everyone, rigorous, swift and has input from Greater Manchester communities. "That has got to be the priority now so that the full facts can be established and we can get to the full truth of what happened, that's in everyone's interest. "What people here don't want - and I heard this very clearly in the room this morning - is politicians without possession of the facts exploiting the situation for their own political agenda with zero regard for the effect on the ground in communities in Greater Manchester." Earlier, the teenager's controversial solicitor Akhmed Yakoob described the incident as an 'attempted assassination, the joint enterprise assassination of the young boys by the police officers'. Speaking to LBC radio this morning, Mr Yakoob added: 'That is concerning because if police officers who are meant to protect us are going around trying to kill people. I mean, how are the public going to feel safe?' Questioned by presenter Nick Ferrari over his use of the word 'assassination', Mr Yakoob said: 'Kill, yeah. They were threatened to kill, one of the boys were threatened to get killed by a police officer.' Mr Yakoob also posted a video on Instagram, saying that he would be meeting the IOPC today, adding that there would be 'light at the end of the tunnel' and he was 'confident that justice will prevail'. MailOnline understands that Greater Manchester Police is not commenting on any specific claims at this stage due to the ongoing IOPC investigation. Mr Yakoob who is nicknamed the TikTok lawyer and earlier this year unsuccessfully stood to be the mayor of the West Midlands on a pro-Gaza platform previously claimed that his client was 'fighting for his life' in hospital. The lawyer said a CT scan had revealed that Fahir Muhammed Amas had a 'cyst on the brain'. However, he admitted he did not know whether it was linked to his violent arrest. And today, newly-elected Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh confirmed that while the family members had been taken to hospital, they were both now at home. Up to 400 protesters staged a sit-in in the centre of Manchester last night, causing severe disruption to the city's tram network. Many held BLM banners with one speaker saying the incident was 'another reason' why the group wanted to defund Greater Manchester Police. Also today, Mr Yakoob called for officer who kicked Fahir in the head to be charged with attempted murder and said Fahir had lost all faith in the police since the incident. Mr Yakoob said all the officers seen in the video should be suspended and even face criminal prosecutions under the joint enterprise law. Speaking to the SWNS press agency, he said: 'There may have been an altercation before, but nothing justifies an attempted murder. They need to be arrested. If they were civilians, if they weren't police officers, they'd be arrested. 'A woman police officer threatened to taser an innocent bystander because they were filming what her colleagues were doing. If you went on a night out with three or four people and you did that to someone, you'd be on remand right now. It's joint enterprise. Demonstrators throw eggs at Rochdale Police Station last night as protests continue Stains from the egg throwing were left on the windows of Rochdale Police Station last night 'There has to be arrests otherwise people should step down. Arrests have to be made otherwise the public will lost trust in the police completely.' Unanswered questions over airport arrests 1. Why do no videos show the start of the incident? Greater Manchester Police has revealed that firearms officers had been responding to reports of an altercation between members of the public. The force said three officers faced a 'violent assault' and were 'punched to the ground' while attempting to arrest a suspect from this earlier altercation. A female officer suffered a broken nose and all three were taken to hospital for treatment, but there is no video evidence of what happened. All of the clips posted online so far show multiple angles of when an officer appeared to kick and then stamp on the head of a man lying face down on the floor. It is not known whether members of the public have any further videos of what happened before this and have simply chosen not to release them. But it is likely that different angles of the start of the incident were caught on police bodycams, which will give greater clarity as to how things began. 2. Who allegedly started altercation with the mother? The chaos at Manchester Airport is now thought to have followed a mid-air row involving the mother of the two men. Family sources claimed Fahir and Amaad Khan were defending their mother when they were taken into custody by police after she arrived from Pakistan . The mother was allegedly involved in a row during the flight with a male passenger - with insiders alleging that while she was picking up her luggage in Terminal 2, the same man pushed her with his trolley and made racist comments towards her. It is claimed that the mother later pointed him out to her sons, and one then confronted the man - before a physical altercation that saw the police called. However nothing more is known about the man, or why the incident began on the plane. It is also not clear whether he was one of the people arrested by police. Four men were arrested at the scene for affray and assault on emergency service workers, but Greater Manchester Police have not confirmed their identities. 3. What happened on the plane? The chaos is believed to be linked back to the flight from Pakistan that landed at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, but little is known about what actually happened. The Daily Telegraph reported that the family told the newspaper that 'words were spoken between a middle-aged woman of Asian descent and another passenger'. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told BBC Radio 4's World At One yesterday that the mother told her sons there had been 'an issue on the flight' and 'pointed somebody out and then there was an altercation in the arrivals hall'. But this is all that is known of what happened in flight, and no video footage or further details have been released by any of the passengers on board. There is also unlikely to have been any police bodycam footage of any on-board incidents because officers are not believed to have been called to the plane. 4. Why is there no police bodycam footage? While various videos have been released on social media from bystanders filming the moment that the men was arrested, nothing has been issued by police. While you might expect bodycam footage to come out quickly in the US such as in the case of the Donald Trump shooting on July 13 it's very different in the UK. Bodycam footage is rarely issued to the media until it has been shown in court during a trial, and there is sometimes a wait until after sentencing for it to come out. The video will also likely form part of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation, and is therefore highly unlikely to come out before this has finished. Even then, there could be a wait until any court cases have concluded. The bodycam footage also may be the only video evidence of the events leading up to the four arrests, when it is claimed three officers faced a violent assault. Newly elected Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh hinted in an interview with BBC Breakfast today that the police hold such video footage and that he had seen it. He said he went to see the assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester Police to 'look at some of the footage and to get some of the full facts', adding: 'I can't go into those for obvious reasons there's a process that has to got to be followed through.' 5. Did police really fear their weapons could be taken? In Greater Manchester Police's initial response to the video, they said 'three officers were subject to a violent assault, where they were punched to the ground'. The force also explained that 'as the attending officers were firearms officers, there was a clear risk during this assault of their firearms being taken from them'. Such detail could be used as evidence by the police when explaining why such force was used, given the concerns of how guns could be used in a crowded airport. 6. How badly injured were the men? The extent of the men's injuries remains unclear. Their lawyer said one was 'fighting for his life' but the local MP confirmed today that both had left hospital. Their solicitor Akhmed Yakoob claimed a CT scan revealed Fahir Khan had a 'cyst on the brain' and was admitted to hospital, adding that his health has declined since the incident. He said: 'He has got a brain injury. He has been diagnosed with a cyst on his brain.' However, he admitted he did not know whether it was linked to the arrest. Mr Yakoob added: 'He's deteriorated overnight and he has a brain injury. I come from a boxing background and I've seen freak injuries like this. 'I've seen them in person, live, where a boxing fight finishes and person becomes unwell overnight and they've passed away the next day. 'So we can't take this lightly. The main concern is the safety of that man and later on we will do what we have to do.' However, newly-elected Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh confirmed today that while the family members had been taken to hospital, they were both now at home. He told BBC Breakfast: 'Clearly the family members have been hospitalised one of them was taken to hospital for another scan. I'm hoping that they're on the mend. 'But obviously the after-effects of an incident like this are difficult to assess immediately at the time. They're at home, they are not in hospital.' Advertisement He added that he was in the process of launching legal action against the police and if the Crown Prosecution Service refuses to prosecute, then he will look at a private prosecution. Mr Yakoob said Amaad appears to be physically fine after the ordeal, but the whole family 'has been left traumatised'. Family and friends were supporting their mother, who he claims was also injured during the fracas. He also revealed the brother's six-year-old nephew - whose father is a serving police officer - was at the arrivals hall to greet his grandmother and witnessed the incident. Mr Yakoob added: 'They were at the airport with their six year old nephew, the police officer's son, he saw this. 'He used to go round proudly telling everybody his dad was a police officer.. He's now seen his grandmother and his uncles assaulted by his father's colleagues. 'She'd just returned from Pakistan after two years, what a welcome home she's had. She herself was a victim of assault, she has a black eye as a result of the actions of the police. The boys were waiting at the airport for her. She's very shocked. Dal Babu, a senior former Metropolitan Police officer, has claimed racism played a 'significant part' in the incident. And Mr Yakoob said the racial undertones of the incident could not be overlooked, but appealed for calm amid rising tensions. He added: 'We don't want any violence towards these officers, two wrongs don't make a right. We can't tar everybody with the same brush. 'I don't like to play the race card, but it's clear South Asian men have been targeted by the police, particularly men of Pakistani heritage. 'Fahir is at home resting. He is seeing a neurologist today. He has a cyst on the brain. The message from him is that he has lost all trust in the police and he's scared for his safety. 'He's scared for his life. His older brother is a police officer. He is on compassionate leave, he's afraid for his own safety.' Meanwhile Mr Waugh revealed he had met the family at their home yesterday and said it was 'clear from talking to them that they are traumatised'. He told BBC Breakfast: 'Lots of people saw that video clip and were really distressed by it, the police themselves said it was a distressing clip. But just imagine if that was your brother, that was your son in that video - and you can imagine just how distraught they are.' Mr Waugh added that the family had two priorities the first being the 'health and wellbeing of their family immediately, healing, getting better'; and the second being 'the need for justice not just to be done but seen to be done'. He said the family were also 'really heartened by the early engagement' of the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Mr Waugh continued: 'The family, the other strong message they wanted me to give people, is they have no political agenda whatsoever. 'They're not interested in political violence, they're not going to attend any of these protests, and they wanted me to issue an appeal for calm among the community, all different types of communities in Rochdale. 'We've had a history of unfortunate division within our town and we do not want to go back to those days. 'And they wanted through me to make that absolutely clear. Their agenda is simply to find justice after this incident. And there's no political agenda whatsoever. 'More importantly, they're acutely aware that there are extremists of all sides who are keen to hijack this event and use it for their own ends. The family are not interested in that at all.' Mr Waugh said the family members had been taken to hospital, with one them taken for another scan but they were now at home. He added: 'I'm hoping that they're on the mend, but obviously the after-effects of an incident like this are difficult to assess immediately at the time.' Mr Waugh added that he met with the Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable yesterday to 'look at some of the footage and to get some of the full facts'. He continued: 'It's clear that this is a complex, fast-moving incident but obviously there is no justification whatsoever for what we've seen and I think the police have made that clear, that's why this officer has been suspended. But we've got to let the independent process follow its due course.' Mr Waugh added: 'There's also things that happened off camera which there need to be witness statements gathered for. It's really important that the full evidence is seen, because that's only fair to all the parties involved.' One family friend from Rochdale said she had spoken to the family and 'they could not stop crying', reported the Manchester Evening News. She said: 'They are lovely boys that do charity work and community work and fairs with kids. They are people you would trust with your whole heart. That's the kind of lads they are, they're not criminals.' On Fahir, she said: 'He's only 19, he's just a baby. He's not in a good way and nobody deserves that. After watching it I haven't slept, it just kept going round and round in my head as it would for any mother. His mum is traumatised. They are asking for everyone to pray.' Muhammad Aziz, who referred to himself as Fahir's uncle, told the crowd: 'What's happened to one of my nephews is absolutely shocking, it is absolutely disgusting. A lad who went to pick up his mum who had come back from holiday was abused brutally.' Mr Aziz later added that Fahir's father was 'very upset as any father would be upset', adding: 'Especially seeing those scenes on social media each time he goes through that it must be very shocking. They're traumatised. 'There needs to be a criminal investigation and that police officer should be behind bars. We need an apology and accountability so when people go into the police force in the future they know not to be heavy handed.' During the protest last night, one banner read: 'Serve and protect means GMP will stamp on heads.' Chants of 'No justice, no peace, no racist police' were shouted by the crowd. Among the protesters was Sammy Azam, 58, from Nottingham, who described the actions of the officer as 'deplorable' and 'unacceptable'. Shaiiye Khan, 39, from Manchester, claimed: 'If you give the police too much power they will just abuse it. They've been doing it for years.' However, there were calls for caution about condemning the officer at the centre of the storm before the full facts of exactly what led up to the furious confrontation have been revealed. The incident took place at Terminal 2 on Tuesday evening after Fahir and his brother Amaad, 25, met their 56-year-old mother who had just flown in from Pakistan. She told them there had been 'an issue on the flight' and 'pointed somebody out and then there was an altercation in the arrivals hall', Mr Burnham told BBC Radio 4's World At One. Police then used cameras to follow the suspects as they left for the car park, with the brothers arrested close to the pay stations. Some protesters built a makeshift barricade outside Rochdale Police Station last night Police officers are seen clearing the entrance to Rochdale Police Station last night Protesters used metal fencing to block the entrance to Rochdale Police Station yesterday Footage now seen hundreds of thousands of times around the world then shows Fahir lying on the ground as a male officer armed with a Taser appears to kick his face violently before stamping on him. As his mother tries to protect him, Amaad is pulled from the bench where he was sitting and apparently kicked and hit by the same officer. Onlookers can be heard shouting 'stop kicking people' and 'you're on camera' before another group is confronted by police. Amar Rafiq, who filmed one of the clips, said he was 'gobsmacked' by what he witnessed. 'Everyone was worried about themselves, they started panicking and rushing away, they feared they would be attacked,' he told the Mail. But Mr Burnham stressed that 'there had already been a serious incident' before the attempted arrests 'escalated', adding that it was a situation which people 'don't see in the clip'. Chants of 'We want them sacked' were heard during a huge protest in Manchester last night Demonstrators hold Union Flags with the words 'No Justice No Peace' in Manchester last night A Stand Up To Racism demonstration in Manchester takes place yesterday evening There were issues 'on both sides', he added. A total of four men were arrested on suspicion of affray and assaulting an emergency worker before being released on bail. After the clip went viral, Greater Manchester Police said one of the suspects had 'violently assaulted' officers, leaving a woman officer with a broken nose. There was a 'clear risk' that the officers' firearms might be taken from them, the force added, with all three needing hospital treatment. But, after further videos of the fracas from multiple angles emerged yesterday, the un-named officer was suspended from duty. Meanwhile, police watchdog the IOPC launched an investigation. Demonstrators including campaign group Stand Up To Racism in Manchester last night Marchers held up signs which said 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Fight Police Racism' last night An activist holds a placard which reads: 'Service and protect means GMP will stamp on heads' Protesters march in the streets of Manchester yesterday after a similar protest in Rochdale After the brothers had been treated in hospital, they went to their local police station in Rochdale on Wednesday evening to make a complaint. However, the public counter was closed, with hundreds of supporters instead gathering outside in another protest. Speakers accused the police of racism and chanted 'GMP, shame on you', 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest) and 'f*** the police'. A local imam was seen trying to calm tensions within the crowd, telling them 'not to take the law into your own hands'. At the family's 385,000 detached house yesterday, Amaad told the Mail: 'My brother is in a bad way. He is very shaken up.' Describing the incident as 'police brutality', solicitor Mr Yakoob said the pair's older brother was himself a serving officer with the Greater Manchester force. A police liaison officer holds her hand up to a tram driver as protesters block the tramway Demonstrators hold a sit-in protest to block the road and tramway in Manchester One person holds up a sign reading: 'This could have been me or you! Defund the racist police' He was now 'afraid to go to work' because he was now 'fearing for his own safety', he added. Mr Yakoob said the whole family were 'traumatised'. He added: 'Right now, the main concern for us is that the family receive justice and this no longer happens again. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he understood the concern the public 'rightly have' over the footage. His official spokesman said: 'The public rightly expect a high standard of conduct from our police and it is right that the police have reported themselves to the IOPC.' The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she shared the 'deep concern' and 'widespread distress' over the video. Former Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird described the footage as shocking, accusing the officer of 'kicking the man's head like a football'. A second man was also seen being detained in the video - after being ordered off a chair, he appeared to be kicked and hit by the same officer. He has since been named as Amaad She told BBC Radio 5 Live that the officer appeared to have 'gratuitously stamped on the head'. She added: 'I don't know anybody who behaves in that way and it is pretty shocking to find that a firearms officer does because it smacks of being out of control. 'Whatever has gone on before, there really can be very little excuse for this conduct.' Mr Burnham described the video as 'very disturbing' but called for calm. He urged the public not to rush to judgement on the incident, telling Radio Manchester that it was 'more complicated' that it had been portrayed. Yesterday, MP Mr Waugh said: 'Our armed police face a very difficult job every day, and will themselves expect the highest standards of conduct from their officers.' Several Tasers appeared to have been activated during the incident on Tuesday Additional footage shows the moment police arrest two more men after the incident in which a detainee had his head kicked. Here a police officer uses incapacitant spray on one of the men Mr Waugh last night added that he has spoken to the relatives involved in the incident 'and it is clear they are deeply traumatised by what happened'. 'This is a hard working Rochdale family, some of whose members are police officers themselves and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have witnessed,' he said. 'The family also want me to make it crystal clear that they have no political agenda, do not condone political violence and do not want to take part in any protests.' Mr Waugh added: 'They wanted me to appeal for calm and I hope that appeal is heeded. There is a vital need not to let extremists of any kind hijack these events for their own ends.' Reform MP Lee Anderson posted on social media site X that the 'vast majority of decent Brits would applaud this type of policing'. Mr Anderson also told the BBC's Politics Live: 'The message I'm getting loud and clear from my constituents is that they are fed up with seeing police dancing around rainbows, and being nice to people and running off from rioters. The officer is then joined by a colleague who grabs one of the men in a headlock in the footage The man is then wrestled to ground before being put in handcuffs and dragged out of the building In one piece of footage, taken by one of the men who was arrested, a police officer can be seen pointing a taser at a group of men 'They want the police to do their job. And I think these police yesterday should be commended. In fact, I would give them a medal.' Fellow Reform MP Richard Tice told TalkTV the video was 'reassuring' rather than 'distressing'. And Greater Manchester Police Federation, representing rank-and-file officers, said it was supporting the suspended officer and that 'everyone has the right to a fair hearing where all sides of the story are told and context provided'. A spokesman expressed gratitude for public support for their 'hard-working colleagues doing a difficult and dangerous job'. Both brothers are known in Rochdale for their charity fundraising efforts during the festival of Eid and have been described as 'devout' and 'hard-working'. Yesterday GMP said an officer had been suspended from 'all duties' following a 'thorough review of further information that has become available'. Less than a week has passed since 15-year-old Rene Graham was shot in the midst of a family fun day in west London. A red bandana, left with a bunch of now-dead flowers and a handful of extinguished tea lights, still remain as tributes to the murdered schoolboy, in this area of the capital where some of Britain's richest residents live cheek-by-jowl with some of its poorest. It was last Sunday when Rene attended an annual pre-Notting Hill Carnival event promoted by the Caribbean Music Association, just a stone's throw from multi-million pound homes in Notting Hill. Flyers for the event promised family games and face painting in a park named after Liberal politician and philanthropist Emslie Horniman, who donated the land to the public more than a century ago. It is known by locals as Teletubbies Park because of its brightly-coloured children's playground. But at around 7.20pm, as the event was drawing to a close, a sudden burst of gunfire sent parents with young children, some of them strapped in buggies, running for cover. Moments later, Rene was on the floor dying from his wounds. Rene Graham, 15, was shot in the midst of a family fun day in west London on Sunday A red bandana, left with a bunch of now-dead flowers and a handful of extinguished tea lights outside the park A young Rene. His mother, who gave birth to another son in November last year, is in shock and still 'trying to process' what has happened to the precious boy she referred to as 'my big man' Within a couple of days, police had released his name and photograph. But so too had someone affiliated to the notorious Harrow Road Boys gang, which is based on the council-owned Mozart Estate near Maida Vale, where Rene lived. Apparently claiming Rene as one of their own, a photograph posted on social media showed the young teenager, hood pulled up, making a 'finger gun' hand gesture towards the camera. Another, in which Rene appears to be holding a cannabis joint in his hand, is captioned 'RIP Rio' one of Rene's nicknames and the words: 'From the trips we took 2 to the licks we hit... love you for life n after bro'. Hitting a lick is gang slang for stealing or getting money by illegal means. Such images are a stark contrast to those on family social media pages showing Rene, aged one, dressed in a miniature Santa outfit for his first Christmas, or as a little boy sharing cuddles with his mother and grandmother. A relative told the Mail that Rene's family were still too devastated to speak of his death. His mother, who gave birth to another son in November last year, is in shock and still 'trying to process' what has happened to the precious boy she referred to as 'my big man'. But as a family friend put it to me this week: 'How does a child go from a smiling little boy to being caught up in a gang war? This is not just a story about a 15-year-old being shot dead. This was a child who got drawn into gang culture and nobody was able to stop it happening.' For while police have arrested and bailed four men pending further inquiries, there is a devastating sense of deja vu about Rene's death, not to mention fears that it is only a matter of time before another occurs. His name has become one of many listed by gang members in 'RIP' social media 'rolls of honour' filled with gun, machete and coffin emojis and talk of retaliation. And it is surely no accident that the red bandana which is associated with members of the Harrow Road Boys has been attached to railings at one end of a footbridge crossing the Grand Union Canal. As those who live here know all too well, the bridge marks the boundary between two areas which are controlled by rival groups the Harrow Road Boys and Ladbroke Grove Boys involved a long-running turf and drug war. 'Over the water' is the phrase gang members use to refer to each other's territory, as if those living on the other side of the canal come from another country, rather than just half a mile away. To get to the event Rene had crossed from north of the canal where he lived to the south. A photograph posted on social media showed the young teenager, hood pulled up, making a 'finger gun' hand gesture towards the camera A family member posted a picture of Rene, aged one, dressed in a miniature Santa outfit for his first Christmas on social media The Grand Union Canal Bridge marks the boundary between two areas which are controlled by rival groups - the Harrow Road Boys and Ladbroke Grove Boys involved a long-running turf and drug war Marvin William Bailey, aka Fredo, is a musician who was raised on the Mozart Estate and a notorious figurehead for the Harrow Road Boys Was simply crossing a footbridge the reason a schoolboy lost his life? Investigations into his death are ongoing, but the Reverend Sam Cross, vicar of St Thomas's Church, which borders the park where Rene died, told the Mail: 'There's a general sense of shock after the shooting but also a sense of 'what do we do now?' 'I know parents are keeping their children closer because there is that worry that kids are getting groomed and recruited into gangs.' The danger time, says Rev Cross, are the 'lost hours' after school, when kids roam the street with nothing to do. 'That's when a lot of kids are targeted,' he says. 'Economic disparities come into play as the kids who are more vulnerable are the ones whose parents are perhaps working multiple jobs and aren't able to pick them up.' Locals prepared to speak are tired of repeatedly expressing the same fears and the same warnings. More children, they say, will inevitably be recruited into gangs who deal in drugs and guard their territories with threats of violence. Boys, desperate for a sense of identity and belonging, are ripe for grooming by older gang members even before they have hit their teens. As one source put it to the Mail this week: 'These are families where fathers are often absent, where there are no role models for young men and where they aren't allowed or able to simply enjoy being children.' One common grooming technique used by older gang members is to buy the younger boys often left hungry thanks to a chaotic home life food such as fried chicken, fizzy drinks and sweets. The youngsters are left with a misguided feeling of being cared for, even loved, and a sense of gratitude to the older boys, many of whom have access to designer clothes, watches, vapes and drugs thanks to their own illegal dealing. One mother told the Mail this week: 'It's frightening for everyone when something like this happens but my main worry is for the kids in the area. 'You worry firstly that your kids will get harmed because if people are shooting in a park in a crowd, someone could get in the way by accident. Tributes to the murdered schoolboy were left in an area of the capital where some of Britain's richest residents live cheek-by-jowl with some of its poorest Police have arrested - and bailed - four men pending further inquiries Forensic officers and detectives revisit the scene the following day to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting 'But also, you worry about these normal kids who might get involved in something without realising what it really entails.' Another resident, who has lived in the Ladbroke Grove area for 42 years, said the young age of the children involved in such gangs is 'deeply upsetting'. 'They're just kids,' he said. But hairdresser Rose Feliciano, who runs a salon close to the spot where Rene was killed, says that police are unable to deal with the mobs who maraud through the area, sometimes targeting shops where they break windows or steal alcohol, vapes and money. 'We don't call them anymore because the officers tell us they just get released because they're underage,' she said. Gang rivalries in this troubled corner of London stretch back decades, with roots lying in the origins of both the Mozart Estate and the Kensal New Town Estate. The former, completed in 1974, is a maze of 737 houses and flats in 25 medium-rise blocks linked by overhead walkways. It won a design award for Westminster City Council but within a matter of years was being referred to as a sink estate and, later, as 'Crack City'. Kensal New Town Estate, meanwhile, sprang up in the 1960s and 70s following slum clearance which began in the 1930s. Made up of around 700 flats and houses, it was also soon dogged by a range of social problems. Both estates have become known as dumping grounds for poor, often single-parent families. While the Harrow Road Boys claim the Mozart Estate as their patch, Kensal New Town has the Ladbroke Grove Boys. Locals have lost count of the deaths of young teenagers and boys from both estates, once largely as a result of knife wounds but increasingly from gun crime. The 1990s saw a steady rise in tit-for-tat stabbings and shootings amid rising social tensions and the emergence of a complex web of alliances between gangs on different London estates By the mid-2000s, the influence of U.S. gang culture was rife throughout the capital. The Harrow Road Boys and Ladbroke Grove Boys gangs took inspiration from such groups, choosing the colours red and blue, worn as bandanas, to indicate their allegiance. Over the years, many of those caught up in their relentless violence have been innocent bystanders. Members of the public visit the scene of the tragedy in Kensington and leave tributes In 2008, 14-year-old Amro Elbadawi was killed by a single knife wound to the throat on the Mozart Estate In May 2010, in a case of mistaken identity, 22-year-old electrician Daniel Omari Smith was shot in the back and killed as he left a fast food restaurant on Harrow Road In 2008, 14-year-old Amro Elbadawi was killed by a single knife wound to the throat on the Mozart Estate. His father, who denied Amro was in a gang, said his family back in Egypt couldn't believe such a thing could happen in London. In May 2010, in a case of mistaken identity, 22-year-old electrician Daniel Omari Smith was shot in the back and killed as he left a fast food restaurant on nearby Harrow Road. His mother Winnie later set up a trust in her son's name, offering financial support to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2011, three teenage girls, one of them holding her baby son, were shot and injured on the Mozart Estate by a group of men in hoodies on bikes who fled the scene. No arrests were made in relation to what the police said was a 'gang-related shooting'. The girls were hit while the original targets were fleeing the scene. At the time, resident Jenny Kantinda, who knew the victims, told the BBC: 'We've had enough. The gang trouble has got worse. It's time police did something to help us. There are young children living here. Are they safe? I don't think so.' She might just as easily have been talking about the shooting of Rene Graham. In 2011 he was two, then a sweet toddler photographed in the arms of his mother and grandmother whose family origins lie in the Caribbean island of Dominica where some of Rene's great uncles still live. There is a feeling of hopelessness in the area. With police faced by a cultural wall of silence, many of these crimes remain unsolved. But a landmark trial in 2022 saw three Harrow Road Boys jailed for life following the murder of one of their own associates, after initiating the shoot-out during which he lost his life. Billy McCullagh, 27, known as Billy da Kid, was gunned down in a hail of bullets by gang rivals when his own side's revenge attack for a stabbing the day before, ended in 'crushing defeat'. The person who fired the fatal shots was never identified, leading prosecutors to charge members of his own side with his murder. They successfully argued in court that the three men were just as responsible as the shooters for his death because they set out to cause serious violence. McCullagh's death had been memorialised in an online music video described in court as a 'brazen and provocative celebration of his gang lifestyle'. Indeed, the flagrant glorification of gang violence by popular rappers is one of the most problematic aspects of the warring in the capital. Marvin William Bailey, aka Fredo, is a musician who was raised on the Mozart Estate and a notorious figurehead for the Harrow Road Boys. Despite rapping about gang rivalries, drugs and money, he had a UK No.1 single in 2018 and has appeared at mainstream music festivals including those held annually in Reading and Leeds. Said to have made more than 1 million from his music, he has spent time in jail in the UK for firearms offences, and is banned from Mozart Estate by Westminster Council's anti-social behaviour team. He has been accused by prosecutors at Kingston Crown Court of conspiring with eight co-defendants to buy guns to shoot a rival rapper, Digga D, a key figure in the Ladbroke Grove gang. Digga D, meanwhile, is in jail after admitting the importation and supply of cannabis. The situation, then, is not just complex but a bleak one for families living on both sides of the Grand Union Canal. Rev Sam Cross argues that there has been 'a lack of investment in young people... that leads to kids around here feeling left behind.' He adds: 'They feel like they're not thought about or, if they are, that it's not positive or it's an afterthought. I think some of those older teenagers in gangs offer some sort of affirmation, even if it's of the wrong sort.' He says that what is needed is more 'youth provision, opportunities for mentoring and role models. These will be the things parents are looking for as they enter summer holidays and are looking for ways to keep their kids safe and out of trouble.' With fears of revenge attacks, there are already calls for next month's Notting Hill Carnival to be cancelled in light of Rene's death. The Harrow Road Boys have their own sinister warning about the weeks stretching ahead. Just a couple of days after Rene's death, one of their members posted footage of an air ambulance hovering over the Mozart Estate along with a caption. 'Going to be a hot summer lads,' he wrote. 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines have tackled a double house fire in east London earlier today. Two terraced houses set alight on Third Avenue in Dagenham, London Fire Brigade (LFB) and firefighters rushed to the scene after being contacted just after 1:30pm. Footage posed to social media showed black billowing smoke coming from a property and filling the street. The fire is now under control and the cause of the blaze is under investigation, LFB said. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said there are currently no confirmed casualties, according to PA news agency. LFB was alerted to the fire earlier this afternoon as aerial footage shows the impact of the fire 100 firefighters from the surrounding area rushed to the scene to get the fire under control Fifteen fire engines attended the scene while residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut Station Commander Darren McTernan, who was at the scene, said: 'Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control. 'Road closures are still in place while firefighters remain on scene and the area is heavily congested. People are urged to avoid the area where possible,' he added. LFB took around 50 calls about the fire and residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to the significant amounts of smoke. A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said earlier: 'We were called at 1.41pm today to reports of a fire on Third Avenue, Dagenham. Emergency services including London Ambulance Service sent resources to the scene of the fire 'We have sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team. 'The incident is still ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners.' Crews from Barking, Hornchurch, Leytonstone and surrounding fire stations also attended the scene as they attempted to get the fire under control. The terror trial of Anjem Choudary exposed deep and disturbing links between the Islamic hate preacher and the killers of Lee Rigby, MailOnline can reveal. The Jihadi hate preacher was earlier this week found guilty of directing banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun and now faces a life sentence. But in the lead-up to Tuesday's guilty verdicts, the trial at Woolwich Crown Court for the first time exposed the extent of Choudary's connection to the execution of the Fusilier - including even presiding over one murderer's wedding. Lee was run down in the street as he returned to Woolwich Barracks from duty at the Tower of London on May 22 2013 by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale - who then attacked and mutilated his body on camera. Now we can reveal that Choudary's connections to Adebolajo run so deep that he was even present when he first converted to Islam. The terror trial of Anjem Choudary exposed deep and disturbing links between the Islamic hate preacher and the killers of Lee Rigby Choudary was present when Adebolajo converted to Islam at the age of 19 - after being groomed by proscribed group al-Muhajiroun - and presided over his wedding Adebolajo, now 30, had adopted the name 'Mujahid', or holy warrior, after that conversion at the age of 19, which took place after he was groomed by al-Muhajiroun. Choudary's trial exposed this and his many other links with the Rigby case - including a conversation in which he spoke almost wistfully about the killing. On July 16 last year, a Canadian associate called Khalid Hussein messaged Choudary as he prepared to fly to London to visit the preacher. The preacher told him: 'Btw your hotel is near Deptford market. I used to do a stall there with my father when he was alive. 'I would go every Saturday with him for many years so I know the area. You are also not too far from Woolwich - the famous Lee Rigby issue. 'Have you heard of the Cutty Sark?' Hussein said he had not and was more interested in visiting an Islamic bookshop. Tom Little KC, prosecuting, asked Choudary why he had referred to 'the famous Lee Rigby issue.' He replied: 'The reason I mentioned Lee Rigby is that every day from the age of five to 11 I would walk down Love Lane over John Wilson Street to Mulgrave Primary School outside where Lee Rigby was killed. Fusilier Lee Rigby was run down in the street as he returned to Woolwich Barracks from duty at the Tower of London on May 22 2013 by Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale 'It was always in my mind he was killed outside my primary school. Woolwich became on the map because of that. 'Now everyone knows Woolwich. The whole world knows about it, it became global. Woolwich has become synonymous with the death of Lee Rigby.' Little asked Choudary: 'Did you ever meet the killer?' and Choudary told the court: 'I was there when he became Muslim. 'I officiated at his marriage. I believe then he stopped associating with anyone I know for years before Lee Rigby was killed.' Asked by his barrister, Paul Hynes KC, if he had any difficulty describing the killing of Lee Rigby as murder, Choudary said: 'No, I don't believe it was permissible to kill him and I said that at time. 'I know he said Anjem is a noble person but I disagree with him.' Records showed Adebolajo became a father in 2007, at the age of 23 when he apparently got two students pregnant at around the same time. The mothers gave birth just 22 days apart after meeting him at Greenwich University in South East London. He had started at the university in October 2003, and continued the following year but his academic progress was unsatisfactory, and he was not permitted to complete his studies. Adebowale worked with Adebolajo to murder Lee Rigby and mutilate his body on camera Adebolajo went on to marry Rikki Thomas, who converted to Islam. They had a daughter in 2010 and another in 2011. Six weeks before he launched his attack they had a third child. He also has a sixth child, whose identity is not clear. Thomas and her two older sisters, who were all of Afro-Caribbean origin, all converted to Islam and would often wear the hijab head covering and long abaya dress, neighbours said at the time of the attack. Adebolajo's own conversion to Islam began with an encounter with the terror group that saw Choudary convicted this week: long before it was banned, al-Muhajiroun would regularly be seen out leafleting for new members in places like Luton and central London. The then leader of the group, Omar Bakri Muhammad, later told how he had converted Adebolajo to Islam at one of his street stalls - and immediately groomed him to share his extremist view of the religion. Bakri Muhammad later recalled: 'We used to have a stall on the street in London where we would talk about the meaning of life with passersby. He stopped to speak with us and we invited him to Islam,' he said. And Choudary himself told how Adebolajo attended their meetings and lectures from around 2003 until 2011. Choudary said at the time, apparently endorsing Lee's murder: 'I knew him as Mujahid. He was a pleasant, quiet guy. He was interested in memorising the Koran. 'Some members of the Muslim community struggle to express themselves and he is making his voice heard in blood.' After the attack, MI5 cross-referenced Adebolajo's telephone number against other subjects of interest which established that he had been in contact with them in relation to events held by al-Ghurabaa, an off-shoot of al-Muhajiroun, dating back to 2005. Adebolajo was soon being drawn into a world of extremism and was photographed at two al-Muhajiroun rallies. Rebecca Rigby, the widow of murdered fusilier Lee Rigby, laid a wreath at the scene of the murder on the first anniversary of his death in 2014 Hundreds arrived at Bury Parish Church in Lancashire for the 2013 funeral of Fusilier Lee Rigby He was outside the Old Bailey in 2006 when a group of around 50 Muslims, some of them with scarves across their faces, protested against the arrest of Mizanur Rahman, who was being tried for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred during a protest against the publication of a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed by a Danish newspaper after calling for 'another 9/11'. Four men were arrested for fighting with police and photographers, including Adebolajo, who was led away in handcuffs. He was also dressed in white Islamic clothes and surrounded by placards complaining of a 'Crusade Against Muslims' outside Paddington Green police station in April 2007. He was attending a demonstration that followed the arrest of Abu Izzadeen, another al-Muhajiroun radical who was later sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for raising funds and inciting terrorism. Adebolajo went on to help with an Islamic street stall in Powis Street, near Woolwich Arsenal and in Greenwich, near the Cutty Sark. At his trial, Adebolajo referred to Choudary saying: 'May Allah bless him, from what I know he's a good man,' Just hours after Choudary's conviction this week, an attack on Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton close to barracks in Gillingham revived memories of the Rigby case. And Lee's mother, Lyn Rigby subsequently told MailOnline that the incident had prompted disturbing memories of what happened to her son. She said: 'This is just so heartbreaking, and it takes me right back to the day Lee was killed. 'I couldn't sleep for crying last night after I heard the news and when I closed my eyes, I had terrible flashbacks of when Lee was butchered in the street. 'It brought it all flooding back as if it was just yesterday. All I could see was Lee lying on the floor, fatally wounded. 'When I saw another soldier had been stabbed in the street, I thought, "Oh God, not again".' A prison officer wept in the dock today as she admitted having an 'inappropriate relationship' with a male inmate and smuggling in codeine. Kelsey Calvert engaged in the illicit affair while working at HMP Holme House, a category C men's prison in Stockton, in 2022. The 28-year-old defendant also admitted taking the opiate painkiller codeine into the prison in November 2022. Calvert wept in the dock while confirming her name, date of birth and address. She pleaded guilty to misconduct in a judicial or public office and conveying a list A article into or out of prison. Kelsey Calvert engaged in the illicit affair while working at HMP Holme House, a category C men's prison in Stockton in 2022 Calvert is pictured today walking into Teesside Crown Court, where she confirmed her name, date of birth and address Jordan Parkinson, defending, and Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, spoke only to confirm the case would be adjourned while a pre-sentence report is prepared. Judge Richard Bennett warned Calvert that the 'likelihood' is that she will receive a prison sentence but granted her bail until the next hearing. The judge told her: 'You have pleaded guilty to these offences. You will be entitled to full credit. 'That sentence will take place on October 4.' After an earlier hearing last month, Calvert left court draping a black jacket around her face to shield her identity, but strangely wore no shoes and walked across the pavement barefooted. After an earlier hearing last month, Calvert left court draping a black jacket around her face to shield her identity, but strangely wore no shoes and walked across the pavement barefooted After the earlier hearing, she draped a black jacket around her face to shield her identity Her first offence states: 'On and before November 22, 2022 at Cleveland while acting as a public officer, namely prison staff, wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder by having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.' The second count says: 'Prior to November 22, 2022 at Cleveland without authorisation brought, threw or otherwise conveyed a substance, namely Codeine which was specified by section 40A(2) of the Prison Act 1952, into or out of his majesty's prison situated at Holme House, Stockton.' Calvert, of Sunderland, will appear at Teesside Crown Court for sentence on October 4. What was meant to be a day of water-filled fun soon turned into a war of words after a Canadian family's cabana at a popular theme park was invaded by another group. A customer to the park explained how she had booked a special cabana at the Wet'n'Wild water park in Toronto to celebrate her daughter's birthday with her boyfriend and her other child. Priced at $200, the cabanas include two chaise lounges, patio table with chairs, couch, hotel-style safe, personal wait staff, two WetnWild Souvenir Towels and a bottle of sunscreen. The family arrived around midday at cabana #4 and began to enjoy their day - but it wasn't long before chaos broke out. The customer, who goes by @Libramuva revealed how her cabana at the Wet'n'Wild water park in Toronto was invaded by another group who refused to leave on the day of her daughter's birthday About four hours after they arrived, a staff member, who had a family in tow, told them they were in the wrong tent. Despite knowing that she was in the right tent, the mother-of-two quickly apologized and was taken to cabana #1 by the server. In a video that has garnered over a million views, the TikToker who goes by @Libramuva said: 'When you rent a cabana, you don't just say like "I want a cabana" and they show you a random one. 'You have to select one online. You have to specifically choose which cabana you want in which area online. 'So I had done that already. So I knew exactly where my cabana was and I knew exactly which one it was. It was cabana #4 in the junior area. 'At around 4pm, my kids are in the cabana eating chicken fingers and fries with my boyfriend while I'm sitting on the outside on the lounge chair just chilling when a server comes over to me and says, "You're renting cabana #4 right? Oh this is actually cabana #1". Priced at $200, the cabanas include two chaise lounges, patio table with chairs, couch, hotel-style safe, personal wait staff, two WetnWild Souvenir Towels and a bottle of sunscreen 'And I was like that's crazy, I've been here for four hours and nobody said anything. 'And there is a big family behind them. Immediately, I'm embarrassed and I was like "We need to move, we're getting kicked out of the spot". 'I know I was in the right spot. I specifically chose this cabana. I had been looking at their park map since May so I knew I was in the right place. 'But I'm very timid so I was like "I'm so sorry, I did not know I was in the wrong place. Nobody told us, we've been here for like four hours.' When the server took the TikToker and her family to the other tent, she quickly realized that it was the wrong one and began showing her receipts and the pictures of where she had originally booked. When requested by the server to leave, the family refused to move claiming that they liked the TikToker's cabana more than the one they had booked for themselves Despite requests from the manager and the woman herself, she claims that the family refused to budge and leave her tent. @libramuva UPDATE: I HAVE BEEN FULLY REFUNDED Its long because i refuse to do 2 parts lmao original sound - Libramuva After a few minutes of back and forth, the staff member realized their mistake. But when the group made their way back to the original cabana they saw that the other family had completely set up their stuff there. When requested by the server to leave, they refused to move claiming that they liked the TikToker's cabana more than the one they had booked for themselves. Despite requests from the manager and the woman herself, she claims that the family refused to budge and leave her tent. In another video shared by Libramuva, a woman can be heard hurling racist abuses towards the bi-racial TikToker. Minutes after a cusses-filled argument erupted between the Libramuva and another woman, security arrived at the scene and convinced the family to leave. After the video went viral on TikTok, viewers tagged the water park to demand that they provide compensation to Libramuva and her family. She later released another video stating that the management had refunded all of her booking costs for the day. DailyMail.com has reached out to Wet'n'Wild Toronto for comment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly irked at Vice President Kamala Harris' 'critical' tone in the statement she made Thursday after their meeting. Axios cited Israeli officials who said Netanyahu and his team were caught off guard by the likely Democratic nominee's comments where she both expressed support for Israel but condemned the 'dire humanitarian situation' in Gaza. Harris made rare remarks after a meeting with a world leader, as she's stepped up her role in the White House and the campaign trail this week as the Democrats' likely presidential nominee. President Joe Biden also met with Netanyahu Thursday - and allowed press in at the top of the meeting - but made no public remarks in its aftermath, instead allowing his VP to have the last word. 'Harris' statement after the meeting was much more critical than what she told Netanyahu in the meeting,' one Israeli official claimed to Axios. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) was reportedly irked at Vice President Kamala Harris' (right) 'critical' tone in the statement she made Thursday after their meeting The official said that Netanyahu was upset that Harris talked about the ceasefire-hostage deal as the way the war would end. Netanyahu wants to be able to continue fighting after the deal is implemented. The Israeli official also told Axios that the prime minister was upset that Harris criticized Israel publicly about the killing of Palestinian civilians and the overall humanitarian crisis in Gaza, especially amid the hostage deal negotations. 'When our enemies see the U.S. and Israel are aligned it increases the chances for a hostage deal and decreases the chances for a regional escalation,' the official said. 'When there is such daylight it pushes the deal further away and brings a regional escalation closer. We hope that Harris' public criticism of Israel won't give Hamas the impression that there is daylight between the U.S. and Israel and as a result make it harder to get a deal,' the official added. A Harris aide told Axios they didn't know what the Israeli officials were talking about and characterized the meeting with Netanyahu as 'serious and collegial.' Harris, herself, told reporters that it was a 'frank and constructive' meeting. 'I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was time to get this deal done,' she said. 'So to everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire, and to everyone who yearns for peace. I see you and I hear you: Let's get this deal done.' The vice president started her statement by talking about how she had been a backer of Israel since her youth and then segued into the 'dire humanitarian situation' in Gaza. Harris made rare remarks after a meeting with a world leader, as she's stepped up her role in the White House and the campaign trail this week as the Democrats' likely presidential nominee 'From when I was a young girl, collecting funds to plant trees for Israel, to my time in the United States Senate and now at the White House, I've had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel, to its security, and to the people of Israel,' Harris said. 'I've said it many times, but it bears repeating: Israel has a right to defend itself,' she continued. 'And how it does so matters.' She said she expressed to Netanyahu 'my serious concern about the scale of human suffering and Gaza including the death of far too many innocent civilians.' 'And I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there, with over two million people facing high levels of food insecurity and half a million people facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity,' Harris continued. 'What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating,' the vice president noted. As the likely Democratic nominee, Harris has to take into account the thorny politics of the Gaza war with members of her party, as the progressive left has expressed outrage with how Palestinian civilians have been treated by IDF forces. Palestinian health authorities have estimated around 39,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the war started in the aftermath of Hamas' brutal terror attack on Israel on October 7. Hamas militants killed around 1,197 Israelis, mostly civilians, in that assault. During Netanyahu's address before Congress Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib held up a sign that read 'war criminal' on one side and 'guilty of genocide' on the other. The White House has pushed back on terms like 'war criminal' and 'genocide.' 'The images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies,' Harris told reporters Thursday. 'We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent,' she said. She then outlined what's on the table for there to be a ceasefire and for the Israelis to get their hostages back. Before concluding her brief remarks, she asked Americans to view the war in shades of gray. 'It is important for the American people to remember the war in Gaza is not a binary issue,' she stated. 'However, too often the conversation is binary when the reality is anything but.' 'So I asked my fellow Americans to help encourage efforts to acknowledge the complexity, the nuance, and the history of the region,' she continued. 'Let us all condemn terrorism and violence. Let us all do what we can to prevent the suffering of innocent civilians and let us condemn anti-semitism, Islamophobia and hate of any kind.' It's too early to tell if Harris' tough tone, but quest for nuance, will be enough to win back over the younger voters Biden was bleeding due to his support for Israel. The 'uncommitted' movement saw Biden drained of around 101,000 potential votes in the key swing state of Michigan, as Democrats in the primary made that choice to express their displeasure with the president's foreign policy stance on Gaza. Prior to her new role as Democratic presidential candidate, Harris had already been more nuanced than Biden when discussing the war. In March, she called for a ceasefire deal to end the 'immense suffering' of the Palestinians and was critical of Israel for insufficiently getting aid into Gaza. This week she kept an event with the historically black Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indiana on her schedule, instead of being in Washington for Netanyahu's congressional address. She did, however, rush back from Houston - where she had addressed the American Federation of Teachers Thursday morning - for her afternoon meet-and-greet with the Israeli prime minister. A firefighting tanker releases retardant while battling the Park Fire in the community of Forest Ranch near Chico, Calif., Friday, July 26, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Vehicles destroyed by the Park Fire are seen in the community of Cohasset near Chico, Calif., Friday, July 26, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Firefighters with the Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit Pacheco Crew 2 walk along a dirt path while battling the Park Fire in the community of Forest Ranch near Chico, Calif., Friday, July 26, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A hillside is engulfed in flames Thursday in a long exposure during the Park Fire in the community of Forest Ranch near Chico. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Embers fly from a burning tree Thursday in a long exposure during the Park Fire in the community of Forest Ranch near Chico. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A structure is in flames Thursday during the Park Fire in Cohasset. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle COHASSET, Butte County The Park Fire raging near Chico went from bad to worse Friday as hot, dry and blustery weather conditions fueled the blaze, growing by tens of thousands of acres and sending firefighters scrambling to contain what swiftly became the largest wildfire in California this year. The blaze, which state fire officials said was started by arson Wednesday, torched more than 307,000 acres of Butte and Tehama counties as of Friday evening. It destroyed an estimated 134 structures and threatened 4,200 more, Cal Fire said. This fire is growing faster and I hate to say it than the Camp Fire, said Cal Fire incident commander Billy See at an afternoon briefing, referring to the 2018 firestorm that killed 85 people and decimated the town of Paradise. Theres a tremendous amount of fuel out there and its going to continue with this rapid pace. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Earlier in the day, containment of the Park Fire was downgraded to 0% after remaining stubbornly at 3% for nearly 24 hours, with the blaze growing at a rate of around 5,000 acres or nearly 8 square miles per hour. An unstable air mass offered prime conditions for fire whirls sometimes called fire tornadoes and rotating columns of smoke, according to Cal Fire officials. Today will be a critical fire day, Scott Weese, a fire behaviorist with Cal Fire, told firefighters during an early morning briefing Friday, adding they should to expect extreme, significant fire growth and spotting potential. More than 1,700 personnel from across the state were dispatched to fight back the flames. Despite the massive firefighting force, some homes and structures in the community of Forest Ranch, located on the southern flank of the fire, were destroyed Friday. Garret Sjolund, Cal Fire-Butte County fire chief, said firefighters were able to hold the fire line at Highway 32 to stop it from jumping the highway and moving into the community of Butte Meadows. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Firefighters were also confronting the potential for the fire to enter two additional counties Lassen and Shasta if it crosses Highway 36. Butte County prosecutors said Thursday they arrested a Chico man suspected of sparking the blaze. Ronnie Stout, 42, was allegedly seen pushing a burning car down a gully in upper Bidwell Park just before 3 p.m. Wednesday. The car fell down an embankment, sparking the blaze, prosecutors said. An operator sprays water on a dozer trailer Thursday while battling the Park Fire in the community of Cohasset near Chico. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle The weather was expected to offer some reprieve Saturday, with a drop in temperatures from the upper 90s to the mid-80s and an increase in humidity, only to be followed by increasing temperatures each day Sunday through Tuesday. But it was too late for the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, where 90% of the sprawling 7,835 acres of protected wilderness area was scorched by the Park Fire as of Friday, reserve director Eli Goodsell said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The reserve, the largest of its kind overseen by the California State University system, operates as research headquarters for Chico State staff and employees, public information officer Ashley Gebb said. The reserve is located about 10 miles north of Bidwell Park, where the fire started. A fire like this so close to our community is very traumatizing, said Gebb, adding the region has seen so many wildfires in recent years. We have lived through this. We know what the smoke plume means. A home along Cohasset Road lies in ruins Friday after the Park Fire ripped through the community. The blaze continues to burn throughout Butte County. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Some of the buildings destroyed by the Park Fire were in Cohasset, a rural Butte County community with a population of around 850 situated in the foothills northeast of Chico. The fire tore through Thursday and into early Friday morning, leaving the small town devastated. Dozens of homes and structures were leveled by flames along Cohasset and Villa roads, although the Cohasset Store, a fixture in the community, survived. The community a mix of mobile homes, cottages and expansive properties with gated entrances hadnt seen any burns through the area in decades, leaving it especially vulnerable and rife with dry and thickly overgrown grass. Firefighters said earlier in the week it could be a problem. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They were right. Grant Russell, a strike team leader stationed in Cohasset, said the fire went from calm to absolute chaos since he arrived Wednesday evening. Russell said Friday that his crew tried to keep the flames at bay, working to eliminate any sources of ignition around existing structures. It was very hectic, moving from house to house just trying to save what we could and not winning all the battles, he said about fighting the main fire front when it roared through Thursday. Were making sure that what we won yesterday we dont lose today. Were just waiting for more (firefighters) to get here so we can actually put this thing to bed. A destroyed car is parked along Cohasset Road after the Park Fire ripped through the Butte County community of Cohasset on Friday. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Under a blue sky Friday, the town was otherwise eerily quiet, with patches of smoke drifting above charred land and the Welcome to Cohasset wood sign on the ground in three pieces, partially burned. All that was left of some homes were brick chimneys, stone foundations, some metal lawn furniture and ash. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Matt Branson and his 19-year-old son Zac, both of whom are private bulldozer operators working with Cal Fire, were taking a break and refueling in the parking lot of the Cohasset Store on Friday morning. The father and son, who were helping establish containment lines in Cohasset, were victims of the Camp Fire in 2018, and seeing another nearby community lose so many homes was numbing, Matt said. The adrenalin keeps you going because youre eager to benefit the community, Matt said of the hours spent fighting the fire, as well as the nights without sleep. If you can save somebodys home, thats what its all about. Still standing in Cohasset, thanks in part to their work, was the towns community center and elementary school. In a lot of ways, its expected now, he said of the devastation elsewhere. All you can do is pray for a happy outcome, but for the majority, you know thats not going to be the reality. At least 4,000 people, including residents from Cohasset and those from areas near the town of Paradise, which was destroyed by the Camp Fire in 2018, remained under evacuation orders. Many of them are staying in Chico and other nearby communities. Frank Liuzza, 79, and his wife, Stephanie, fled their Paradise home Thursday evening on the advice of a Town Council member who advised them to get out early. The pair, who have lived in Paradise for more than 20 years, escaped the Camp Fire after evacuating early, but their home was destroyed by the flames. We thought about leaving a few times, but even our friends who left and spread out across the country, theyre having the same problems with floods and fires, Frank said. This was our home. It took the couple four years and an exhausting battle with their insurance adjusters to rebuild their cottage. They just moved back in last year and were grappling with the woeful prospect of losing it again. We really struggled to get our home rebuilt because of our health issues, and I dont have the strength to go through it again, Stephanie said. Gods in charge. Hell take care of us one way or another. The full extent of the damage caused by the Park Fire will probably take weeks to assess, even after the flames have died out. Many of those evacuated expressed they had no idea what was in store in the coming days, weeks or years. Chad Larscheidt and his parents, Sharon and Rick Larscheidt, evacuated from their home in Cohasset on Wednesday, when law enforcement ordered everyone to leave. Im trying to prepare us for the worst and brainstorm our next step, Chad said Friday as he stopped by an evacuation center in Chico to look for neighbors. Sharon and Rick Larscheidt bought the home in 2018 just before the Camp Fire, hoping to move closer to their son after they retired. Chad said hes spent every winter since then clearing dead trees and burning piles of debris from the property to limit the risks. But even with that, he said he had a feeling the home is gone. With the rising cost of insurance and Californias growing mega-fires, Chad said, his family, originally from Wisconsin, will probably move out of California. It just takes one ember to get caught somewhere, he said, and thats the end of it. Friday evening along Highway 32 north of Forest Ranch, the sky appeared split: dark clouds of orange and gray smoke to the north and clear blue skies to the south. Firefighters were still holding Highway 32 as the south edge of the fire, but concerns were rising that it could jump over and burn Butte Meadows, which was evacuated earlier Friday. Our assignment is to make sure our crews are ready so that if the fire does spot (over the highway), that we attack that side, which we call the green, said Calfire strike team captain James Rauch, referring to the south side of Highway 32, which was in stark contrast to the char and ashes seen on the other side of the roadway. Bulldozers were working to clear debris near the highway to widen the fire breakage line they were building in hopes of helping to slow down any potential flames before reaching the road. Engines were in place to try and know down flames and hand crew were on guard to attack spot fires. The fire is so large that a lot of times it will spot, Rauch said. You can put in dozer blades and handlines and all that but it could spot up to a quarter or half mile. A murder investigation has been launched after an elderly man was found dead with suspected shotgun injuries in a field in rural Lancashire. The 75-year-old man was pronounced dead at the farm on Pinfold Lane in Scarisbrick after police were called shortly before 5pm yesterday. A 29-year-old man said by police to be known to the victim is today being questioned on suspicion of murder. Detectives said they weren't looking for anyone else in connection with what they described as an 'isolated incident'. 'This has sent shockwaves through the community,' one local said today. A murder investigation has been launched after an elderly man was found dead with suspected shotgun injuries in a field in rural Lancashire Aerial view showing farmhouse (bottom left) and the tractor where a body was found (circled) Police in the field scan the scene in a Lancashire field Police and scientific support officers were at the scene today A shotgun was recovered from the scene, with forensics teams in white suits seen combing the field today One neighbour said the shot farmer named locally as Tom had been killed while sitting on his vintage tractor. Marsh Hey Farm and a neighbouring converted barn were both under police guard today. An officer said both were being 'treated as crime scenes.' One neighbour who knows the family said: 'It is incredibly sad. 'I have been told Tom was shot sat on his tractor. 'It was an old machine, everything around the farm was old. 'I think they were struggling a bit. Farming is a very hard game these days. 'I always thought Tom looked very downtrodden. He looked as if he was carrying the weight of the world around with him. 'It is such a tragedy especially in a rural area like this. A real tragedy.' A 29-year-old man said by police to be known to the victim is today being questioned on suspicion of murder The farmhouse, which has been sealed off next to the field Det Chief Insp Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police Force's Major Investigation Team, said: 'A man has very sadly lost his life as a result of this, and we have a dedicated team of officers working to establish what led to his death Another described the family as 'very reserved'. 'We heard the air ambulance land somewhere near the farm,' the neighbour said. 'We don't know much about the people who live there, they're very closed off and keep themselves to themselves. It's so sad.' Another described them as 'closed off, typical farmers'. Officers swamped the area after receiving a report of a firearms discharge, Lancashire Police said this morning. They found that a 75-year-old man had suffered a suspected gunshot injury. An air ambulance was seen landing in a nearby field, but despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene. A shotgun was recovered from the scene, with forensics teams in white suits seen combing the field today. Detectives said they weren't looking for anyone else in connection with what they described as an 'isolated incident' Officers swamped the area after receiving a report of a firearms discharge, Lancashire Police said this morning An air ambulance was seen landing in a nearby field, but despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene A 29-year-old man from Scarisbrick has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody Det Chief Insp Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police Force's Major Investigation Team, said: 'A man has very sadly lost his life as a result of this, and we have a dedicated team of officers working to establish what led to his death. 'We know that this news may sound concerning to the Scarisbrick community, but we want to reassure everyone that it is being treated as an isolated incident. 'Both parties are known to each other, and we aren't looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. 'This is where I now appeal to you, the public, to ask that if you have any information, saw or heard anything suspicious or have dashcam footage from the Pinfold Lane area of Scarisbrick yesterday between 12pm and 5:30pm, to please get in contact.' A 29-year-old man from Scarisbrick has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. The families of two Ryanair crew who died in a taxi crash on the M62 motorway in Cheshire have told of their heartbreak. Matt Greenhalgh, 28, and Jamie Fernandes, 24, were en route to Liverpool Airport when their taxi collided with two lorries on July 11 at around 5.30 am. The car was in a collision with two lorries on the westbound carriageway between junctions eight and seven, near St Helens. Both men died at the scene. The family of Mr Greenhalgh, a captain for the airline, said in a statement they were 'lost' without him but took comfort in their 'fantastic memories'. Senior First Officer Jamie Fernandes, 24, (pictured) also died in the tragic crash Captain Matt Greenhalgh, 28, (pictured) died in a crash involving two lorries In response to the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up, and the victims' families announced that the funds raised, along with contributions from their colleagues, will be used to establish a scholarship trust to support aspiring pilots 'He was a loving husband, thoughtful son, loyal brother, caring grandson, respected colleague and valued friend,' they said. 'We have been overwhelmed with love and affection to our family, from so many areas of Matt's life, as he clearly touched the lives of so many.' Senior first officer Mr Fernandes was described as 'so very kind' by his family, who said he had been 'living his best life' achieving his childhood dream of flying. 'We have been truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection to our family which shows what a special young man Jamie was and how he clearly touched the lives of more people than we could ever have imagined. 'Our darling boy was a loving son, grandson, nephew and cousin. He is the light of our lives and always will be.' Cheshire Police reported that a 61 year-old-man who was driving one of the lorries was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and has since been bailed. The driver of the taxi was taken to hospital with serious injuries. In response to the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up, and the victims' families announced that the funds raised, along with contributions from their colleagues, will be used to establish a scholarship trust to support aspiring pilots from all backgrounds. Ryanair also plans to honor the memory of the two pilots by erecting a plaque at the East Midlands Training Centre and introducing the Matt Greenhalgh and Jamie Fernandes Memorial Award, which will be presented annually to the top-performing cadet. A link to the GoFundMe page can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-2-amazing-pilots Sonya Massey, an Illinois woman who was fatally shot by a white police officer after calling 911, died by gunshot wound to the face, a coroner revealed, as the officer's previous misconduct comes into light. Massey was shot in the face below her left eye by Sangamon County Sheriff's Former Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, on July 6. The bullet caused her skull to fracture and perforated her carotid artery, which caused her brain to bleed, before exiting the back of her upper neck, the County Coroner's Office determined. The 36-year-old woman also suffered from minor blunt force injuries to her right leg, the coroner said. Massey was shot at three times by Grayson earlier this month after she called police to report a prowler. She had a pot of water boiling on the stove when he arrived, which Grayson asked her to shut off and threatened to shoot her. Bodycam footage shows the young woman ducking and apologizing as the deputy fires three times. Sonya Massey was shot in the face below her left eye by Sangamon County Sheriff's Former Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, on July 6. The bullet caused her skull to fracture and perforated her carotid artery, which caused her brain to bleed, the coroner said Massey was shot at three times by Grayson earlier this month after she called police to report a prowler. She had a pot of water boiling on the stove when he arrived, which Grayson asked her to shut off and threatened to shoot her Grayson has since been removed from the force and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in Massey's death. The former deputy, who lost his job over the shooting, pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently being held in the county jail while he awaits trial. A faulty career This isn't Grayson's first go with misconduct while on the job. His discharge from the Army was listed under 'misconduct (serious offense),' according to documents obtained by ABC News. The Army declined to release further information regarding Grayson's discharge, citing the Privacy Act and Department of Defense policy that prevents the release of information regarding conduct of low-level employees. Grayson worked as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic for the Army between May 2014 to February 2016 and he left with a rank of private first class, a spokesperson told ABC News. During his time in the military, he was charged with a DUI offense in Illinois in August 2015 and another shortly after his discharge in July 2016 in the same county, ABC News reported. This isn't Grayson's first go with misconduct while on the job. His discharge from the Army was listed under 'misconduct (serious offense).' Grayson has also hopped around various police forces, working for six agencies in four years He paid thousands of dollars in fines for the unlawful act and his car was impounded after the 2015 incident, records show. Grayson has also hopped around various police forces, working for six agencies in four years. He was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff's on July 6, the same day as the shooting. 'It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards. Therefore, Sean Graysons employment with the Sheriff's Office has been terminated,' Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a July 17 Facebook statement. What led to the shooting of Sonya Massey Sean Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff's deputy were called to Sonya Massey's home for a suspected prowler at 12:50 a.m. July 6. The two officers searched the exterior of the home for 30 minutes, discovering only a car with smashed windows. During her interactions with the officers, Massey made several mentions of Jesus Christ and the Bible. Massey had placed a pot of possibly hot water on the counter on Grayson's instructions. The victim made a comment about 'rebuking' Grayson in the name of Jesus Christ. Grayson was in the living room when he then drew his firearm and threatened to shoot Massey in the face, prompting her to put her hands in the air, say, 'I'm sorry.' Massey ducks for cover behind a counter separating the two. Grayson moved closer, yelled at Massey to put the pot down and opened fire, hitting her three times, once in the head. Grayson did not render aid and discouraged the other deputy not to provide help. The second deputy, who was not named, stayed by Massey until medics arrived. She was pronounced dead at St. John's Hospital. Advertisement In a follow-up statement on July 22, the sheriff wrote: 'Grayson had other options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office. He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement. 'Ms. Massey needlessly lost her life, and her family deserves answers. I trust the legal process will provide them.' His first police job was at the Pawnee Police Department, where he held a part-time position between August 2020 and July 2021, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB). He also worked at the Kincaid Police Department from February 2021 to May 2021 and Virden Police Department from May 2021 to December 2021. Both were part-time positions. Grayson held full-time positions from Auburn Police Department from July 2021 to May 2022 and Logan County Sheriff's Office from May 2022 to April 2023. He started at Sangamon County in May 2023, according to ILETSB. Bodycam footage Grayson and his partner arrived at Massey's Springfield home in the early morning hours of July 6 after she called authorities. The three spoke at Massey's front door before she later let them into her home, where Grayson asked her to check on a pot of water she had boiling on the stove. 'We don't need a fire while we're in here,' he tells the mother-of-two. She asked the officers where they were going as she went to turn off the pot, which Grayson replied: 'Away from your hot, steaming water.' 'Away from my hot, steaming water?' she replied. 'I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.' 'You'd better f**king not. I swear to God, I'll f**king shoot you right in your f**king face,' Grayson said, before telling her to 'drop the f**king pot.' The 36-year-old apologies before ducking for cover as the former deputy fires three shots. The mother-of-two's family have since confirmed that she suffered from mental health issues with The Guardian reporting that Massey was a paranoid schizophrenic. Flanked by civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Monday, Massey's father, James Wilburn raged about the shooting. 'This man should have never had a badge. He should have never had a gun. What an embarrassment. What an embarrassment to this country.' According to her obituary, Massey was born in San Diego and was active in her local church in Springfield. 'She loved to do hair and spend time with her family,' one section reads. She was a mother to two children, a son Malachi, and daughter, Jeanette. Utah's Hogle Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its black-footed cats - a four-year-old male by the name of Ryder. Once billed as the zoo's 'black-footed cat bachelor,' he died on July 22 following a brief but severe bout with kidney disease. He had resided at the zoo since 2021, after being sent from San Diego at the advice of the Black-footed Cat Consortium, a species survival organization dedicated to the conservation of the small class of cat. Ryder had been weeks away from meeting his would-be mate Gaia, who had been kept in an enclosure next to his since arriving in October. Then only a few months old, she was meant to stay there until she reached sexual maturity. Teams had been in the midst of introducing the two when Ryder's health 'rapidly declined,' and officials made the painful decision to put him down. Utah 's Hogle Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its black-footed cats - a four-year-old male by the name of Ryder Once billed as the zoo's 'black-footed cat bachelor', he passed on July 22 following a brief but severe bout with kidney disease 'Utahs Hogle Zoo is mourning the loss of beloved male black-footed cat, Ryder (4), who passed away on July 22, 2024,' their Thursday statement read. 'After Ryder was placed under close veterinary care for advanced kidney disease, Hogle Zoo made the responsible but difficult decision to humanely euthanize him as his health rapidly declined despite treatment. 'Ryders dedicated care team, including veterinarians and keepers, created an individualized treatment plan and worked together to assess his quality of life,' the bulletin continued. 'We discovered Ryders kidney disease during a health exam following notable changes in his behavior and weight. 'Our animal health team also performed a necropsy that confirmed his advanced kidney disease.' The statement went on to recall how Ryder - whose species is considered one the zoo's deadliest in terms of straight statistics - to Hogle from San Diego Zoo Safari Park as a part of a breeding recommendation from the Black-footed Cat Consortium' 'Best known for his playful yet mellow personality,' his keepers wrote, 'Ryder loved the challenge of puzzle feeders and had a special fondness for scratching posts sprinkled with cinnamon.' Tammy Walling, Animal Care Supervisor of the building where both Ryder and Gaia had resided, wrote: 'Ryder was a guest favorite in the Small Animal Building. Ryder had been weeks away from meeting his would-be mate Gaia, who had been kept in an enclosure next to his since arriving in October Teams had been in the midst of introducing the two when Ryder's health 'rapidly declined', and officials made the painful decision to put him down 'He loved to sleep by the glass and was often snuggled up in a spot where he could watch people.' Gaia, meanwhile, continues her daily routine as usual, officials said - likely unaware that her companion has passed. Officials said they will work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Black-footed Cat Consortium for future breeding recommendations for the feline, who recently turned a year old. 'Weve heard your pss-pss-pss, your woes about Gaia being friend-shaped, and your desire to scratch the chin of the tiniest, deadliest cat youve ever seen. 'Were not here to squash your dreams - except maybe we are,' staffers joked. 'While Gaia may be the cutest, tiniest, most friend-shaped feline youve ever seen, never forget her deadly reputation. 'What you CAN do is visit Gaia in the Small Animal Building, where you can feel all of your big feelings for Gaia internally and from afar,' the post, penned just last week, continued. 'Yours truly and happy #Caturday, #utahshoglezoo.' The zoo posted video of his prospective mate just last week, shortly after the female had reached sexual maturity. Gaia, now one, is seen here She continues her daily routine as usual, officials said - likely unaware that her companion has passed. The carnivores can eat around 3,000 rodents per year in their natural habitats, and are considered one of the deadliest species of cat in the world - at least in terms of statistics A few days earlier, zookeepers shared an equally cute clip of the spotted cat pawing at a dangling piece of wood installed in her enclosure. 'Get it, girl,' staffers wrote in response, before reminding onlookers he carnivores can eat around 3,000 rodents per year in their natural habitats. Meanwhile, Ryder's malady was secretly occurring, and his future fate remained unknown. Officials on Thursday added how the cat 'was a beloved member of our zoo family and an outstanding ambassador' for his species. 'To Ryders communityincluding his dedicated animal care and health teams, staff, volunteers, and gueststhank you for being part of Ryders life,' they went on to write. 'He will be greatly missed.' Black-footed cats are found mostly in arid parts of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. They can stalk their prey for hours on end, at times over distances pegged at around 20 miles. But it's the black-footed cat's prowess when it comes in contact with the odd bird or gerbil when it really shows its prowess - flattening itself to the ground like a rug before pouncing with maximum power. The result is a cat that can literally spring itself into the air several feet to catch an escaping bird - hence its success rate. Considering this is out in the savannahs and deserts of some of the harshest areas of the world, this is nothing to sneeze at. Despite all this, the black-footed cat is considered 'vulnerable' - just one step before endangered. A 2016 assessment revealed that only around 9,700 of the killer cats are living in the wild in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, with the odd one kept in exhibits like the one opened in December in Utah. Joaquin Guzman Lopez apparently grew tired of living with a target on his back as a member of Los Chapitos or Little Chapos the clan of siblings who took control of one-half of the Sinaloa Cartel drug cartel empire after their father Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was arrested and later extradited to the United States. On Thursday, El Chapo found a one-way ticket out of the extravagant, yet elicit, lifestyle when he hopped on a small jet with fugitive cartel co-founder Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and set him up to be arrested in El Paso, Texas, DailyMail.com has learned. DailyMail.com confirmed through a former Department of Justice that El Mayo joined Guzman Lopez on a flight to the Mexico City area to look for potential properties that he was going to purchase. However, the aircraft changed its flight path and headed north into U.S. airspace before landing in El Paso, where agents were awaiting. Zambada appeared in federal court in El Paso Friday morning and has entered a plea of not guilty to slew of drug trafficking charges, court records show. Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's sons, self-surrendered to United States authorities on Thursday and in the process set up Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, by flying him into El Paso, Texas after El Mayo thought he was going to fly to the Mexico City area to look for property Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. He had never been arrested by Mexico authorities. He was arrested in El Paso, Texas on Thursday and is facing a litany of indictments for crimes relating to drug trafficking and organized crime in the U.S. The pair were arrested in El Paso, Texas , after getting off a private plane that was supposed to take El Mayo to the Mexico City area to see properties Joaquin Guzman Lopez, alongside his brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York in 2018 for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States. Retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent and Chief of Operation, Ray Donovan, who helped take down El Chapo, told DailyMail.com on Friday that it was a a smart move by Joaquin Guzman Lopez to turn himself in. 'It means that it was to it was a highly intelligent move on his part. Here he is indicted by the US government. There's a lot of violence in Mexico. Potentially, you know, change of administration with (President-elect Claudia) Sheinbaum in Mexico. Potentially, a change of administration in the United States,' Donovan said. '[There is] a lot of rhetoric going on,' he added. 'It's not a bad move if you're him.' 'You want you want a peaceful life, and you don't want to be a part of this anymore? Then, you know, it's actually a highly intelligent move on his part.' Donovan senses that the fear of being killed at any given moment led Joaquin Guzman Lopez to betray Zambada, following years on internal strife. 'It's too much pressure, it's too much burden, and they fear death all the time,' he said. 'They fear being killed. Listen, even the top people fear being killed, as powerful as they are.' Joaquin Guzman Lopez is escorted by U.S. federal agents following his self-surrender Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was captured in Mexico in 2016 and extradited in 2017 (seen here). He was convicted on multiple drug trafficking charges by a New York federal court in 2019 and is serving a life sentence at ADX Florence, a super maximum security prison in Colorado Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman and had never been arrested Joaquin's brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez was also arrested in Mexico in September 2023 and extradited to the U.S. to face his own long list of charges Donovan was behind an operation to capture El Mayo in 2014 following El Chapo's Hollywood-like prison escape, but El Mayo managed to outsmart them. 'We knew what was going on with him. We knew where he was and Mayo was smart,' Donovan recalled. 'He had intelligence that there was an operation and he ran to the mountains. While Chapo had intelligence too, he stayed in Culiacan. So, I always use that as somewhat of an indicator of how intelligent Mayo was. Mayo was sharp and he didn't stay around. He wasn't bold. The older he got, the more business-like he became.' It's unlikely that Joaquin Guzman Lopez's half-brothers, Ivan Guzman Salazar and Jesus Guzman Salazar, will follow his steps and voluntarily surrender to U.S. authorities. Of the four siblings, Donovan described Joaquin Guzman Lopez as being the 'least culpable' because he was just looking up to his brothers and got caught up in the family business. 'Listen, Joaquin, did he deal with drugs? Yes,' Donovan said. 'But was he really the main (one)? No, he was never the main guy. He was more like a follower than a leader. Ovidio was the big producer of Fentanyl. Ivan ran the cartel. (Jesus) had the contacts in Colombia. 'He (Joaquin Guzman Lopez) had to weight the pros and cons and I think that he made a smart decision. He wants a different life. This is it.' Ivan Guzman Salazar (pictured), is one of El Chapo's sons now leading one-half of the Sinaloa Cartel. The DEA is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction The Drug Enforcement Administration is offering a $10 million reward for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of Jesus Guzman Salazar Donovan explained that the fact that Joaquin Guzman Lopez surrendered means that he had the intent of moving on from the cartel. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was apprehended in Mexico in September 2023 and is facing drug trafficking and money laundering charges in Chicago. 'It is showing good faith to the government, right?' he said. 'it's not a national self-surrender, it's an international self-surrender, right? So good faith to the U.S., that's one thing. Second thing is Mayo Zambada is apprehended. That is a big, big benefit. To me, I see it as a well-played move.' Donovan sees Ivan Guzman Salazar joining forces with Zambada son, Ismael 'El Mayito Flaco' Zambada Sicairos, who is seen as not being bloodthirsty. 'He's not the type that's gonna be bold and willing to battle and fight for control,' Donovan said. 'So my belief is that Ivan Guzman is going to consolidate power over cartel.' Young hairstylists are banning customers for tipping in favor of cost transparency, but the new rule may actually make haircuts more expensive in the process. A growing number of San Francisco-based salon owners and stylists are challenging the tipping culture that has long been associated with the service industry. Tips account for a substantial portion of hairstylists' income an estimated 15 percent to 25 percent despite widespread customer dislike for the practice. While many stylists have found it impossible to separate service from gratuity, a movement toward gratuity-free pricing is gaining traction in the Bay Area. This trend mirrors a similar shift in the restaurant industry several years ago, though with a potentially different outcome. While many restaurants faced backlash from staff or customers, stylists may be in a better position to enforce and sustain an equitable pricing model that benefits both clients and professionals. A growing number of San Francisco-based salon owners and stylists are challenging the tipping culture that has long been associated with the service industry by opting for an hourly gratuity-free business model (pictured: Emma Maciaszek) Tips account for a substantial portion of hairstylists' income an estimated 15 percent to 25 percent despite widespread customer dislike for the practice Emma Maciaszek, a 24-year-old hair stylist who specializes in color services, opened Poppy Salon in February, allocating her the opportunity to take full ownership of her work. 'On June 1st, I will be updating all services to hourly, gratuity-free pricing,' she announced on Instagram. The stylist said she's noticed that customers have become annoying with tipping culture in the US, especially given how often a customer is asked to tip in an establishment where they are not provided a service. 'People are so fed up with tipping culture. It's out of control,' said Maciaszek told The San Francisco Standard. 'Plus, I want a sustainable wage and to be able to calculate my income.' Maciaszek got rid of the 'add tip' option from her cash register, a common payment preference among people in Gen Z. Based on her eight years of experience and the expenses she incurs to run her business, the young hair stylist decided to charge an hourly price of $165 - a rough estimate to what she would earn with the average tip. In the past, she said she charged around $285 for a set of highlights, a process that takes about two hours to complete on customers with less thick hair. With 20 percent gratuity, the total came to $342. All of her clients receive a free consultation so Maciaszek can best assess the time a service would take based on the client's hair. For example. a root touch-up for thicker hair may take two hours at least, while fine hair would only take an hour. The young business owner says she includes a 15-minue grace period in the event a customer's hair needs a bit more work than anticipated. 'If something takes two hours and 15 minutes, I'm not going to charge you for that 15. I'm not breaking it down by the minute. That's icky,' she said. 'You should come in and know exactly what you're going to pay.' Emma Maciaszek, a 24-year-old hair stylist who specializes in color services, said she's noticed that customers have become annoying with tipping culture in the US, especially given how often a customer is asked to tip in an establishment where they are not provided a service Based on her eight years of experience and the expenses she incurs to run her business, Maciaszek decided to charge an hourly price of $165 - a rough estimate to what she would earn with the average tip Maciaszek said she thinks it might take time for more hair salons to embrace this model. 'When stylists receive cash tips, they don't always declare it [on their taxes], seeing it as their 'fun' money,' she said. 'But I want a stable income. When I want to buy a house, I don't want it to look like I've made no money because people have paid me in cash.' Cassie Belcher, a veteran hair stylist of over 30 years who opened Sanctuary Salon in January, is also opting out of tipping. Splashed across the front page of her website reads, 'No tips, no labels, just damn good hair.' She charges $125 for an hour of her time; other stylists in her salon charge $50 to $190, depending on experience level. Belcher stresses the importance of transparency to her employees, instructing them to inform clients exactly how long the service will take so they know how much they're spending and why. 'If for any reason a service runs over, then [we] eat the cost,' she said, though she does ask clients to book more time for their next appointment. But having a gratuity-free salon isn't a total walk in the park as hairstylists have come to expect the extra income. Additionally, a tipping option could work in favor for the stylists if a customer is feeling especially generous. The uncertainty of the paycheck is the sole reason Belcher changed her model, in favor of a more predictable salary model. 'The goal is to create a more equal and fair experience for everyone,' she said. 'Clients feel relieved that they don't have to worry about tipping on top of an already expensive hair service,' she said. Cassie Belcher, a veteran hairstylist of 30 years, stresses the importance of transparency to her employees, instructing them to inform clients exactly how long the service will take so they know how much they're spending and why Belcher, said that while there is 'resistance to change in the industry, 'if stylists took a moment to realize how their income is being subsidized their perspective might shift. It's a low rumble in the industry right now.' Karrie Dies Ramsgaard, an independent precision hair-cutting specialist at Stone and Rye Salon, said that her industry has become 'broken,' as stylists are treated more 'like service providers' when they're actually 'craftmen.' She switched over to a no-tipping model in 2021. Ramsgaard said she understands that some clients find it difficult to adjust to the new pricing, which is essentially the same as before but with the tip incorporated. To help them understand, she draws a comparison: 'Think of it like paying for a massage: You pay for the entire service, not just the core treatment.' Clients, particularly those from Europe where tipping almost non-existent, have largely welcomed the change. Katya Yoshida, owner of Capybara Hair Lounge in Walnut Creek, said she switched to gratuity-free ricing in 2021 because of the burnout her stylists were experiencing. 'Hairstylists were burning out from double- and triple-booking clients and not taking breaks,' she said. 'Many began offering services they didn't enjoy, like applying hair extensions, because of the high markup.' She also said that hourly income allowed her to provide some of her services at a lower cost. For example, if a client wants an Olaplex conditioning treatment that typically costs. 'The overhead evens out,' she said. Her other stylists charge between $75 and $160 an hour. Karrie Dies Ramsgaard, an independent precision hair-cutting specialist at Stone and Rye Salon, said that her industry has become 'broken,' as stylists are treated more 'like service providers' when they're actually 'craftmen' Gratuity-free pricing also comes with added perks, such as digital checkout, no longer needed a receptionist, and no outrage from customers surprised by the additional costs. Some clients insist on tipping, but Yoshida kindly turns it down, and instead requests them to leave a review of their experience. 'That helps us be sustainable long-term,' she said. Julie Wood, 45, co-owner of Wood Salon in Berkeley, predicts that hourly, tip-free pricing will become the industry standard. We do so much behind the chair we are creatives, chemists, therapists, and it's physically demanding,' she said. 'It elevates our industry to move toward flat rates.' The stylists who've gone tip-free said the switch to no-tipping has only helped their business, with most making the same if not more than before. A former Jeopardy! champion and teacher at a ritzy New York City private school has been arraigned for disgusting crimes against children. Winston Nguyen, a 37-year-old ex-con, has been arrested in Brooklyn on charges related to child pornography. Nguyen, who appeared twice on the popular quiz show and won one episode, surrendered to authorities following an investigation into accusations involving x-rated photos of minors. Prosecutors revealed that Nguyen catfished young students, tricking them into sending him explicit photos of themselves. He was pictured in Brooklyn Criminal Court with his attorney Franklin Rothman on Thursday after posting $30,000 bail. Winston Nguyen, a 37-year-old former Jeopardy! champion, has been arrested in Brooklyn on charges related to child pornography Nguyen, who appeared twice on the popular quiz show and won one episode, surrendered to authorities following an investigation into accusations involving x-rated photos of minors Nguyen taught math at St. Ann's School, pictured, a $60,000-a-year private school in the upmarket Brooklyn Heights area of the borough The former teacher now faces 30 charges, including using a child in a sexual performance and promoting a sexual performance by a child. Prosecutors allege that Nguyen, a former math teacher at the prestigious Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights, targeted six students from elite schools. According to the charges, Nguyen used Snapchat to communicate with students, posing as a teenager at least 11 times in an attempt to solicit explicit photos. Law enforcement officials have seized Nguyen's phone and other devices, which allegedly contain images of several minors. Nguyen's dramatic arrest occurred in June, reportedly in front of students. Nguyen has also found himself in legal jeopardy in the past. He was pictured in Brooklyn Criminal Court with his attorney Franklin Rothman on Thursday after posting $30,000 bail Prosecutors revealed that Nguyen catfished young students, tricking them into sending him explicit photos of themselves The former teacher now faces 30 charges, including using a child in a sexual performance and promoting a sexual performance by a child Prosecutors allege that Nguyen, a former math teacher at the prestigious Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights, targeted six students from elite schools According to the charges, Nguyen used Snapchat to communicate with students, posing as a teenager at least 11 times in an attempt to solicit explicit photos Nguyen's dramatic arrest occurred in June, reportedly in front of students Nguyen has also found himself in legal jeopardy in the past In 2019, Nguyen was jailed on Rikers Island for four months after he stole $300,000 from a 96-year-old blind man and his 92-year-old wife, both of whom have since died. He was hired in 2009 to assist the blind man and his wife with day-to-day tasks. He used the cash to pay for expensive ballet tickets, Broadway shows, and trips to Florida with his friends - all on his unsuspecting employer's dime. He worked for the pair for six years until he was finally arrested after the couple's daughter-in-law found he had stolen from them. Nguyen would use the couples bank account and credit cards making $100,000 in purchases and cash withdrawals. He wrote himself $200,000 in checks and then opened up lines of credit using their information to the tune of $35,000. Nguyen had been working as a home aide for a couple in their 90s. when he stole $300,000 Nguyen stole from Bernard and Florence Stoll. Bernard died in November 2019. Florence in November 2018 Nguyen used his money to buy pricey ballet tickets and Broadway shows. He is seen at the New York City Ballet Spring Gala in May 2017 He was able to mask the theft by changing the address on the couples bank statements to his own home address. He then doctored the statements to remove any of the fraudulent purchases. Any calls from the banks asking about the money were also blocked after Nguyen placed a bar on the couple's phone. Following the discovery of the theft, Nguyen pleaded not guilty to 32 counts of grand larceny, possession of stolen property and identity theft. He served jail time and probation while also being ordered to pay the money back. Just three years later, Nguyen was teaching at the private school despite administrators being fully aware of his criminal record. Vice President Kamala Harris took a gamble when playing up her record as a prosecutor at the start of her campaign as the Democrats' all-but certain 2024 presidential candidate this week. At a rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she compared her Republican rival, former president and convicted felon Donald Trump, to the 'predators,' 'fraudsters,' and 'cheaters' she used to lock up. But bragging about her time as San Francisco's district attorney and then California's attorney general may not help Harris, who aspires to be the first woman, first African American and first Asian American US President. The 59-year-old faces criticism from left and right progressives blame her for more prosecutions of black Californians under her watch, while those on the right paint her as a lefty activist in a powerful role. Trump's campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Harris as 'dangerously liberal' and said she 'needs to answer for her own terrible weak-on-crime record in California' from the 1990s to the 2010s. Kamala Harris, then San Francisco district attorney, speaks to a relative of a slain cop Kamala Harris, then San Francisco district attorney, and the city's then-mayor Gavin Newsom, and others walk in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom March in 2004 America First Legal (AFL), a conservative legal action group led by former Trump administration officials, this week launched a volley of public records requests about Harris' time as a top lawyer in the Golden State. The group's vice president Dan Epstein said he would 'aggressively probe' everything from Harris' failure to enforce California's immigration laws to her alleged refusal to disclose conflicts of interest. 'Each step up the ladder of her career appears marked by improprieties or scandal,' Epstein said. DailyMail.com looks back at some of Kamala's most controversial decisions from those decades MERCY FOR COP KILLER Harris in 2003 became the first woman elected as San Francisco's top prosecutor after campaigning in part on a pledge not to seek the death penalty. Her stance was tested almost immediately, when police officer Isaac Espinoza was brutally slain in 2004. Black gang member David Hill gunned him down with an AK-47 during a routine traffic stop. Despite pressure from several California Democrats, including the state's two US Senators, to bring the death penalty against Hill, Harris held firm and secured a sentence of life without parole. Even Gavin Newsom, then San Francisco's mayor, said the murder 'rattled' his opposition to state executions. The cop's widow Renata Espinoza told CNN in 2019 that Harris did not call her before announcing in a press conference she would not seek the death penalty. 'She had just taken justice from us, from Isaac,' Renata Espinoza said. David Hill gunned him down an officer with an AK-47 during a routine traffic stop. San Francisco Police Officer Isaac Espinoza, 29, was killed on duty in one of the city's most troubled neighborhood Officer Espinoza's widow Renata Espinoza said Kamala Harris did not call her before announcing in a press conference she would not seek the death penalty. MS-13 KILLER SPARED Edwin Ramos, an illegal migrant from El Salvador and member of the ultra-violent MS-13 gang, committed a triple murder in 2008 in San Francisco when Harris was district attorney. Ramos' gruesome killings of three members of the Bologna family Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16 in a drive-by shooting rocked national headlines. The family members were returning home from a picnic when Ramos opened fire, apparently mistaking them for gang rivals. Harris did not seek the death penalty against Ramos, keeping a campaign promise, despite pleas from the bereaved mom and widow Danielle Bologna. 'It was senseless,' she told the San Francisco Chronicle at the time. She said she was 'extremely angry' that the city 'didn't do anything' and urged officials to 'take responsibility.' 'And to think they didn't deport him back, knowing that he did not have papers and he was here illegally, it is a big issue,' Danielle Bologna added. Ramos already had a record from before the triple shooting. He'd reportedly been arrested several times as a youth over a gang attack on a bus passenger and an attempted robbery of a pregnant woman. But he slipped through the net then because of a city policy not to question the immigration status of juveniles. Edwin Ramos, the man who shot and killed a father and his two sons in a mistaken gang shooting in 2008, was spared the death penalty thanks in part to Harris San Francisco district attorney Kamala Harris poses for a portrait in San Francisco, June 18, 2004. Kamala Harris said taxpayers should finance the sex-change procedure so convicted killer Rodney James Quine could become Shiloh Heavenly Quine SEX CHANGE FOR KILLER When Harris was California's attorney general in 2014, she controversially agreed to a settlement that saw a transgender murderer receive a sex-change procedure on the taxpayer dime. Rodney James Quine and an accomplice kidnapped fatally shot 33-year-old Shahid Ali Baig, a dad of three, in downtown Los Angeles in 1980. They stole $80 and his car during a drug- and alcohol-fueled rampage. Quine in 2009 started living as a woman after being locked up with men for 36 years, and sued the state for the 'cruel and unusual punishment' of being forced to retain the genitals he was born with. Baig's daughter, Farida, tried unsuccessfully in court to block Quine's surgery. She objected to inmates getting taxpayer-funded surgery that is not readily available to non-criminals. 'My dad begged for his life,' she said. 'It just made me dizzy and sick. I'm helping pay for his surgery; I live in California. It's kind of like a slap in the face.' Harris did not agree, and backed the settlement, setting the ball rolling on California's permissive approach to transgender detainees. Dozens of biological male convicts now serve out their sentences in women's prisons, raising the chances of rape and pregnancy among detainees. READ MORE: FBI planning to question Trump after the Donald Trump has appeared without a bandage on his ear for the first time since he was shot in an assassination attempt - as his doctor released an update on his recovery and responded to doubts he was hit by a bullet. The shocking new images show that the 45th president's right ear seems to have made a remarkably quick recovery in less than two weeks since a gunman opened fire on him. Would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, 20, fired eight rounds from his AR-15 at the rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, including one that ripped through the president's ear. Blood covered his face as he was frantically pulled off the stage by Secret Service in what was a huge security failure by the agency meant to protect him. The snaps were taken as the former president welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for a meeting. The pair discussed the war in Gaza, less than 24 hours Netanyahu held talks with Kamala Harris at the White House and was 'irked' by her comments on a ceasefire deal. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. it is the first time Trump's damaged ear has been seen publicly During the meeting at Mar-a-Lago meeting Netanyahu and Trump spoke about the former president's Middle East peace deal, the Abraham Accords, Iran's nuclear program and combatting anti-Semitism in the U.S. The ear reveal comes the same day that Trump's doctor, Dr. Ronny Jackson, gave a critical update on the president's recovery. Dr. Ronny Jackson, who is also a Republican Congressman from Texas, released a letter on Friday saying there was 'absolutely no evidence' he was hit by 'anything other than a bullet.' 'I want to reassure the American people and the rest of the world, that President Trump is doing extremely well,' Trump's former White House chief doctor added. Jackson's reassurance that the 45th president was hit by a slug rather than glass or shrapnel is a direct rebuke against FBI Director Christopher Wray's suggestion earlier this week that the agency is still determining what bloodied Trump's right ear. Wray sparked a firestorm on Wednesday when he testified to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that there are still 'some question' about whether the former president was struck with a bullet or shrapnel. 'It is clear to everyone that President Trump survived an assassination attempt by millimeters, as the attempted assassin's bullet ripped the upper part of his ear,' Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote to Wray in a letter sent Friday. 'This was made clear in briefings my office received and should not be a point of contention. Therefore, I urge you to immediately correct your statement and acknowledge that President Trump was hit by a bullet rather than glass or shrapnel,' the Republican prompted the bureau boss. 'As head of the FBI, you should not be creating confusion about such matters, as it further undercuts the agency's credibility with millions of Americans. Please correct this statement immediately.' Now the FBI wants to question Donald Trump about his near-death experience when he survived an assassination attempt earlier this month. It is a remarkable turnaround for Trump, who was shot in the ear at the rally less than two weeks ago Trump's ear appeared to be normal after the bandages were removed The top of the former president's ear was hidden behind his hair It has yet to receive a victim statement from the former president as it collects evidence to investigate the horrifying event, one official said in a subsequent statement sought to clarify the Wray remark. Jackson, who has been monitoring Trump's condition, added: 'I have continued to monitor his health and well-being, along with his primary care physician, since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 13th. 'The would-be assassin fired multiple rounds from a relatively close distance using a high-powered rifle, with one bullet striking the former President, and now the Republican Nominee for President, in his right ear.' And Trump, who's ear was pictured for the first time without a bandage on Friday, has totally refuted the FBI's questioning of his wound, saying he was struck by 'a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard.' Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu The meeting between the leaders took place at Trump's Florida home The pair discussed the war in Gaza , less than 24 hours Netanyahu held talks with Kamala Harris at the White House and was 'irked' by her comments on a ceasefire deal A former White House doctor has said Donald Trump is 'rapidly' recovering from his assassination attempt and has responded to the FBI investigation questioning if he was hit by a bullet or shrapnel Trump posted on his Truth Social: 'There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a 'bullet wound to the ear,' and that is what it was. No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!' The former president's campaign also railed against the notion that Trump was struck by shrapnel as opposed to a slug. 'Anyone who believes this conspiracy bulls**t is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons,' Trump campaign adviser Steven Cheung told CNN. During the hearing Wednesday with Wray, the director responded to questions about the 'assassin's bullet' saying, 'My understanding is that either it or some shrapnel is what, you know, grazed his ear.' Wray also testified that whatever it was that hit Trump came extremely close to killing the 45th president. Days after the shooting, Trump walked out to crowds at the Republican National Convention wearing a large white bandage on his wounded ear. Trump accepts the nomination for President at the Fiserv Forum during the Republican National Convention A large white bandage covered the former president's right ear the entire RNC A combination image shows Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump with a bandaged ear after he was injured in an assassination attempt, and supporters and attendees wearing bandages over their ears in tribute to Trump during the Republican National Convention The pillow-looking bandage soon caught on among attendees at the convention. After the first day, many wore their own versions of the presidential dressing. Trump was shot in the ear just 13 days ago. A woman shared the uncensored truth of attending an all-deaf college as one of the only hearing students, forced to listen to noisy sex and extra loud farts the others couldn't. In an episode of the 'Wrong Sauce Podcast,' content creator Caroline Blaike revealed to the show's hosts the sights and sounds of being one of the only non hearing-impaired students at Gallaudet University, a chartered university in Washington for the deaf. Blaike lived on campus for the first two years of school and said she did not speak while she was on campus. Students who were deaf weren't afraid to make noise that would be considered rude or gross in an able-bodied environment. 'Everyone is deaf, you could f**k as loud as you wanted because nobody can hear you,' she said. 'But I could hear, so I heard everyone.' Sex noises were not the only thing she heard. 'You'd be at an assembly or like some sort of presentation, everyone's just ripping a**, like farting. In an episode of the Wrong Sauce Podcast, content creator Caroline Blaike revealed the sights and sounds of being one of the only non hearing-impaired students at Gallaudet University, a chartered university in Washington for the deaf Blaike lived on campus for the first two years of school and said she did not speak while she was on campus. Students who were deaf weren't afraid to make noise that would be considered rude or gross in an able-bodied environment Blaike said when others found out she attended a predominantly deaf university, they often assumed 'it must've been so quiet.' But in reality, 'it was the loudest place because its the one space where deaf people don't have to adjust to a hearing world,' she said. 'They don't have to be aware of the sounds they make so they just do not give a f**k.' Pictured: The host of 'The Wrong Sauce' podcast reacting to Blaike's stories Gallaudet University's Hearing Undergraduate (HUG) program admits a select group of hearing applicants proficient in American Sign Language. Up to five percent of hearing students are admitted to the university each year, according to the university website. These students learn alongside deaf and hard of hearing peers and commit to pursuing careers that advance the education of the Deaf and hard of hearing community, per Gallaudet University. Flames from the French Fire burn on a hillside above the town of Mariposa in early July. Insurance experts fear a year of massive wildfires could deplete the funding of the state insurer of last resort. Noah Berger/Associated Press With California fire season already off to a dire start, new reforms seek to spell out just how much the states insurance policyholders could be charged if another year of massive wildfires leads the FAIR Plan to run out of money. On Friday, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced an agreement with the FAIR Plan that would increase the coverage limit for commercial properties it insures and also clarify what happens if a catastrophic fire leaves the insurer unable to pay all of its claims on its own. The FAIR Plan is a state-created but privately run insurer of last resort that offers basic fire insurance coverage to homeowners and businesses unable to obtain it anywhere else. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As Californias insurance crisis has worsened, the number of FAIR Plan clients has exploded. From September 2019 to March 2024, residential policies covered by the program have more than doubled, from just under 154,500 to over 365,600, according to the insurers data. The FAIR Plan is quickly moving to be the first resort for a lot of people. Were one of the largest writers in the state right now in terms of new business coming in, FAIR Plan President Victoria Roach testified at a state hearing in April. The FAIR Plan now carries around 3% of all home insurance policies in the state. That includes anywhere from 20% to 40% of homes in high-risk wildfire areas such as El Dorado and Tuolumne counties, according to data from the states Department of Insurance. Its left many worried what could happen if a massive fire in one of those areas results in more insurance claims than the FAIR Plan can afford to pay out. Under current state regulation, if the FAIR Plan ran out of money, it would charge all private insurers in the market proportionally to their market share for the remaining balance. Companies could then file with the department to pass those costs on to their policyholders. Laras new agreement directs insurance companies to split the costs with consumers. For up to $1 billion in residential claim payments, insurance companies would be required to pay half and then with approval from the department charge residential policyholders for the other half. The same would happen with commercial policyholders for up to $1 billion in commercial claims. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its rare for the FAIR Plan to have to turn to private insurers for help. The deadly wildfires of 2017 and 2018 cost the entire industry around $12 billion each, according to department data, but did not cause the FAIR Plan to charge the industry. Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller said the last time it happened was after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which caused an estimated $32 billion in insured property damage (in 2023 dollars) and is still the ninth costliest natural disaster in the country, according to the Insurance Information Institute. As a result, 93% of companies left the market, leading the legislature to remove earthquake damage coverage from a standard home insurance policy, Soller said. Insurance companies would be asked to step in only if the FAIR Plan exhausted all its reserves, its reinsurance insurance for insurers and its catastrophic bonds and if it still had outstanding claims to pay, according to the department. In addition to clarifying the payment process, Lara announced the FAIR Plan had agreed to raise its commercial coverage limits to $20 million per building, with a cap of $100 million per property. The long-promised agreement seeks to address scenarios where large multi-building developments such as housing complexes are unable to get the full coverage they need under the FAIR Plans previous commercial cap of $20 million per property. Insurance companies will be allowed to charge an upfront temporary supplemental fee to their high-value commercial policyholders in order to make sure funds are available for the FAIR Plan to take on this increased liability. Soller said the exact fee would be subject to Department of Insurance approval, and any excess funds would be refunded to policyholders in 2028 once the program sunsets. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A spokesperson for the FAIR Plan said the department agreed to give insurers 120 days to submit a filing to increase coverage limits. Once a filing is approved by the department, the FAIR Plan will then have 120 days to begin offering the policy, the spokesperson said. The FAIR Plan appreciates the Insurance Commissioners attempts to seek balance in addressing consumer needs and gaps in the insurance marketplace while protecting the financial stability of the FAIR Plan, the spokesperson wrote. We look forward to working with the CDI on the development and review of a rate filing for the increased commercial policy limit. The last aspect of the agreement requires the FAIR Plan to increase how often it publicly shares data with the Legislature and the department to increase oversight. Representatives of the building and insurance industries responded favorably to the agreement. Mark Sektnan, the vice president for state government relations for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, an industry group, called it an important step toward restoring the FAIR Plans financial stability. Dan Dunmoyer, the president and CEO of the California Building Industry Association, said in statement that the increased coverage limits would address the issue of builders across the state, especially in wildfire-prone areas, being unable to secure adequate insurance coverage. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Commissioner Laras initiative to increase coverage limits and enhance financial oversight provides the necessary assurance that our projects and investments are protected. This reform is not only beneficial but long overdue, paving the way for continued growth and development in a more secure and predictable insurance market, Dunmoyer said. But Carmen Balber, the executive director of the consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, derided the proposal as a bailout for insurance companies. If the FAIR Plan gets into trouble it will be because insurance companies dumped too many Californians onto its books, she said in a statement. Those companies should be on the hook for the fallout, not every homeowner in the state. Earlier this month, several homeowners filed a lawsuit against the FAIR Plan and the department, alleging the FAIR Plan did not cover all of the damage caused by fires. In an interview with the Chronicle on Wednesday, Lara said that decreasing the number of policies on the FAIR Plan would be a key metric of success for his reforms. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tory leadership hopeful Russell Findlay has been warned by police of a gangster plot to kill him. Mr Findlay, who once had acid thrown in his face by an underworld thug, was informed of the dire threat on his life just days ago. The terrifying bid to inflict serious harm on the MSP came shortly before he launched his bid to lead the Scottish Conservatives. CID officers told the former journalist they had intelligence that his life was in danger and the plot may be linked to the failed hit on him nine years ago. William Burns, a hired hitman carrying a knife, threw acid in Mr Russells face as he answered the door at his Glasgow home in 2015. Police Scotland notified Russell Findlay of intelligence about a plot to murder him The 51-year-old father, whose young daughter witnessed the attack, managed to overpower his attacker and Burns was later jailed for 10 years. But he has a parole hearing next week and could be free within days. Revealing the new threat in an exclusive interview with the Scottish Daily Mail, Mr Russell said the prisoner may regard him as unfinished business. But he said the shock news that his life may again be in danger would not derail his bid to lead the Scottish Conservatives. He said: You cant run away from this. You have to be defiant. Not in any reckless, foolish way, but they dont respect weakness. Mr Russell also revealed that he had to tell his daughter, now 19, that another threat was hanging over him. He said she gave him her full backing. At the time of the acid attack, Mr Findlay was an investigative journalist who specialised in exposing organised crime. He believed the motive for the hit was payback for doing his job. William Burns was jailed for 10 years for throwing acid in Mr Findlay's face in 2015 In its immediate aftermath there was a race to save his eyesight and it took six months for his injuries to heal fully. He later gave evidence in Burnss trial. The chilling police warning comes at a time of heightened concerns around the security of politicians. In recent years MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess were both murdered as they went about constituency business. Mr Russell said a Police Scotland officer emailed him to request a meeting last week and within half an hour of him contacting them by phone two CID officers were at his front door. They essentially said they were in possession of some form of intelligence to suggest that someone by the name of Russell Findlay was in danger. There was some form of threat against him. They couldnt at that stage say it was me but, given all the circumstances, it seemed likely. The police then told him the name of an individual who was from Paisley the same town Burns was from. I Googled the guys name there and then and saw a violent criminal, much younger than the guy that attacked me. I had never heard of him before, but this was supposedly where the threat was emanating from. A few days later, the CID officers said they had now spoken to the individual and established a link between him and Burns which Mr Russell said came as no surprise. Mr Russell told the Mail: Its a little bit tiresome and concerning that he would regard this as potentially unfinished business, if this is what this represents. So I would be foolish to be dismissive or flippant about it, but Im not going to lose sleep over it. He said that, through all his years as a journalist, he kept as low a profile as possible to guard against just such an attack. For years he was not on the voters roll and his picture never appeared in newspapers. But he broke cover as he campaigned to be an MSP and now, as he bids to lead his party, he is among the most recognisable faces in Scottish politics. Mr Findlay remains defiant and says he is 'not going to lose sleep' over threats He said: Being anonymous hadnt helped me. They found me. They got to me. It could have been life ending rather than life changing. He added: If I back down and go away quietly, what am I? Safer? I dont think so. Mr Russell said that he had signed up to a victim notification scheme following the attack, which he said was better than nothing but still left him largely in the dark. He said: If youre someone who is genuinely fearful of the person who has caused you harm, that system is not fit for purpose, you know. I think there should be full transparency around parole. He added: 'The system is so opaque. I think it wouldnt surprise me if someone in [Burnss] position would already be getting home visits and stuff in the community, but victims dont know that. The MSP for West Scotland, who is the Conservatives justice spokesman at Holyrood, launched his bid to succeed Douglas Ross as leader of his party by writing in the Mail earlier this week. He said he wanted his party to renew its core purpose. We will reconnect with our traditional values of enterprise, self-reliance, fiscal responsibility and the rule of law. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn said: While we dont discuss individual security details, we take every threat seriously. We have well established relationships with elected representatives and regularly discuss security arrangements further with them. In addition, we work closely with UK policing colleagues to ensure all MSPs and MPs are aware of relevant personal safety advice. We thoroughly investigate any reports of threats made and take appropriate action where any offences are identified. The boyfriend of a woman found hanging from a dock in Texas has been arrested after he gave an interview where he appeared to sob without shedding tears. James Hart, 51, has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to Impair a human corpse, as reported by KHOU. Police found the body of 30-year-old Giselle Salazar-Tapia on a boat at the Wharf Marina at Clear Lake on May 31. Hart was arrested at the marina dock on Thursday and remains in custody on $80,000 bond. The boyfriend of a woman found hanging from a dock in Texas has been arrested after he gave an interview where he appeared to sob without shedding tears He told KHOU 11 News in June that he had been living with Salazar and her death was 'the worst thing that has ever happened' to him.' James Hart, 51, is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to Impair a human corpse 'It feels like a nightmare you can't wake up from,' Hart said as he sobbed and denied having anything to do with her death. 'I didn't have anything to do with it and I never would have. I loved Giselle more than anything in the world. We were together 24/7.' Police said Hart was devastated upon hearing the news, and initially refused to come out of their boat to see for himself. Investigators believe the mother-of-four's body was positioned in a way that made it look as though she died elsewhere. They think she was then moved and staged to look like a suicide. Her body was discovered by her neighbor, Christian Allen, who found Tapia-Salazar half submerged in the water. He pointed out that one of her arms was twisted in an unusual position. Hart said in June that he had been living with Salazar and her death was 'the worst thing that has ever happened' to him' The victim's body was discovered by her neighbor, Christian Allen, who found Tapia-Salazar half submerged in the water. He pointed out that one of her arms was twisted in an unusual position. After further inspection, investigators believe the 30-year-old's body positioned hanging from the dock in a way that made it look as though she killed herself, and the suspect staged her suicide 'Because of the position of her arm, we believe she probably passed away somewhere else,' League City Police Lieutenant Eric Cox told KHOU. 'Rigor mortis set in and then when she was moved, her arms stayed in that position.' Police say Salazar was last seen alive on her boyfriend's boat at about 1.30 am the day her body was found. Officials had previously responded to disturbances at Hart's home previously. The Galveston County Medical Examiner Office has yet to release a toxicology report for Salazar. The investigation remains ongoing. Two days before Christmas in 2015 Russell Findlay went to answer his door in his pyjamas and found a postman asking him to sign for a delivery. He took the chit to scribble his name and suddenly felt cold liquid splash on his face. Its sharp sting told him it was acid. This was no postman. It was a hitman. The assailant now lunged at his target with a knife and, instantly aware of the mortal danger he faced, the journalist fought back. The two of them crashed onto his driveway where Mr Findlays then 10-year-old daughter found them wrestling. She froze momentarily, then dashed to neighbours who called 999. Even as the acid burned into his skin, Mr Findlay overpowered the hitman, rained punches on him and held him down until the police arrived to bundle him into a van. Russell Findlay has been told by police of a fresh threat to kill him Much of the rest of that day was spent in A&E where gallons of sterile water were poured directly on to his right eyeball an urgent necessity, he was told, if his sight were to be saved. This terrifying morning call was payback for doing his job. Exposing underworld criminals in the press, he had always known, carried risks. Nine years on, Mr Findlay has just announced he is standing to be the next leader of the Scottish Conservatives - and is submitting to the first sit down interview of his life. The first, that is, where he is not the one asking the questions. Taking a seat on his living room couch, he asks if he should be lying down. It is a light-hearted acknowledgement that he is straying far outside his comfort zone. But there is another, darker strand to the joke. There is much unburdening to do. Traumatic events to unpack. Worse than that, there are fears the nightmare he is about to speak of may not lie entirely in the past. A few days ago, Mr Findlay, 51, was visited at home by two CID officers who informed him they had intelligence which suggested his life was in danger. They gave him the name of an individual based in Paisley. The mention of the Renfrewshire town had a chilling effect. William Burns, the hitman who came for him in 2015, was from Paisley. He was ultimately given a 10-year jail sentence but, Mr Findlay now learned, his latest parole hearing is next week. He could be back on the streets within days. A few days after that visit, detectives gave Mr Findlay an update. They said they had now spoken to the individual in Paisley. They were not forthcoming about the content of the conversation, which is understandable, he says. But they were able to then say they had established a link between this individual and my assailant, which didnt come as any great surprise. To learn of an underworld threat to ones safety would make the blood run cold on any day. But Mr Findlay was on the verge of announcing his candidacy for the leadership of his party. He would be in the public eye. And, even as he set out his stall to the party membership, he would be haunted by a threat linked to his former life as a journalist who exposed organised crime. Well, the timing of it is extraordinarily unhelpful, he says now. And yet planning his campaign has helped keep his mind away from the alleyways of dread which many, in his situation, might explore. He says: I think being as busy as Ive been means Ive not dwelled on it as much as I perhaps ordinarily would. Ive thought to myself that Burns had a bad day that day. He ended up being imprisoned for 10 years. His reputation took a bit of a doing in that world. Its a little bit tiresome and concerning that he would regard this as potentially unfinished business, if this is what this threat represents. So I would be foolish to be dismissive and flippant about it, but Im not going to lose sleep over it. And I feel rather defiant, but in a measured kind of way. By the time of the 2015 attack, Mr Findlay had lived largely under the radar for most of his working life. He was a successful and prolific national newspaper journalist and published author, but his picture never appeared next to his name on stories. He was not on the voters roll. He was never on television. Few beyond friends, family and colleagues knew what he looked like. It was the way it had to be, he reasoned, as he waged war on organised criminals through his exposes. And yet, on that day nine years ago, the underworld showed up at his front door. Doesnt he worry that, by bidding to become one of Scotlands most high-profile politicians, he is poking the beast? Mr Findlay had acid thrown in his face by an underworld thug in 2015 Being anonymous hadnt helped me, he says. They found me. They got to me. It could have been life ending rather than life changing. He adds: Being public gives you, I think, a layer of protection. Because, do Police Scotland want a dead MSP, not to put it too bluntly? Im not being gallus or thinking that Im somehow bombproof, far from it. He is aware it is not just in former Soviet states or African regimes that crime gangs have targeted senior politicians. The Netherlands and Malta are both awash with parliamentarians fearing for their lives after receiving credible threats. Mr Finlay says: Yes, youre poking the beast but, bloody hell, you cant run away from this. You have to be defiant. Not in any reckless, foolish way, but they dont respect weakness. If I back down and go away quietly, what am I? Safer? I dont think so. That said, his decision to quit journalism and stand in the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021 was not his alone. He says: My daughter was still relatively young but mature enough to know what this might entail, and she had an absolute veto. I had reconciled myself to the fact that I would have to go from anonymity not that that had done me much good as it turned out to being public and I think the trade off, the benefit of that platform and that voice against the potential drawback of being public was a worthwhile price, and then my daughter gave her wholesale backing to that. A few days ago, the daughter he brought up as a single parent had another veto. Had she any qualms or concerns about his plan to stand for party leadership, his hat would not be in the ring. If anything, she had unbridled enthusiasm for the idea. I was kind of hoping she would say no, he adds, laughing. The Mail is not naming the 19-year-old whose childhood was scarred by the horrific events on her doorstep nine years ago. But, just as her fathers facial wounds healed in time, leaving no visible trace of the sulphuric acid flung in it, so she has bounced back from the scenes she witnessed. Mr Findlay could not be more proud of her. Tears well in his eyes as he talks about her. I think theres a little bit of pride, which is very touching, that she sees me doing something that has largely been outwith my comfort zone, he says. Raising my daughter was the single greatest privilege of my life. I almost sound emotional but nothing compares, you know? He adds: I think shes got an incredible resilience. I wish nothing else than she would not have had her childhood contaminated. I strove to give her the best education, the best opportunities whatever happened I always undertook to find the money to pay for a summer holiday. That was an absolute. I daresay some psychologists or some such would have a better assessment than me, but you must assume that what has occurred has had some form of impact. But shes confident, shes outgoing, shes smart and shes extraordinary in terms of how she has not been, I believe, negatively impacted by any of this. Does his daughter know about the latest threat? I couldnt not tell her. I didnt feel comfortable telling her, but she is a young adult. She was a little bit not upset, but quite indignant, almost like how dare they? By necessity, Mr Findlays life was a closed book throughout his journalistic life. Now, with a potential new threat hanging over him, he is not about to fling it open completely. He prefers not to discuss his wider family. On personal relationships, he says simply: Ive been married twice and divorced twice, so Im not very good at that stuff. Im not planning to get married again. Is he in a relationship right now? No, Im not. I have found this job to be so full-on that Ive really not had the time or, frankly, Ive really not had the inclination. I think when you get to a certain age, having been through the wars a wee bit, I just feel Im not in any great rush to get into any form of serious relationship. The leadership candidate presents a curious conundrum. As a top journalist, admired and respected throughout his trade, he developed the kind of hinterland which is sorely missing among so many of todays career politicians. He knows the criminal justice system inside out and brings a multitude of transferrable skills to the table in the Scottish Parliament. Yet there are limits to what he can share of his back story. He offers that he attended Douglas Academy in Milngavie, Dunbartonshire where he excelled more in rugby than in academia. At home, he read newspapers voraciously from cover to cover, including the classifieds and, before leaving school, already had work experience at his local paper under his belt. That helped earn him a place on a two-year journalism course at the then Napier polytechnic in Edinburgh. When we went back for year two after the summer it was Napier University, so I suddenly felt cleverer, he laughs. He landed a job on the now defunct freesheet The Glaswegian and, within a few months, masterminded an expose on a tenants association boss who was selling for profit tinned beef which was meant to be distributed free to people in deprived areas. On the back of the scoop, he was offered a job on the Sunday Mail and his investigative journalism career was off and running. Party politics rarely crossed his radar and his absence from the voters roll meant he didnt have a say anyway. I effectively disenfranchised myself on the basis of personal safety, he says. I was a blank canvas. That changed in the run up to the independence referendum in 2014 in which he decided he would vote. He says: I listened to all the arguments and weighed them up. I think I was instinctively No, but I didnt go into it with a closed mind. Very quickly it became apparent that this was an absolute snake oil exercise. 'The benefits of being in the UK are demonstrably compelling and I thought naively after the result, having done my civic duty and voted No, that that would be that. And I watched in astonishment the very next morning the way in which the SNP refused to accept the democratic will of the Scottish people. Over the next few years, he began to wonder if he could address the issues he cared most about exploitation of the vulnerable by organised crime, inadequacies in the criminal justice system, spiralling drugs deaths more effectively as a politician than as a journalist. His election as a list MP in 2021 prompted a rapid ascendancy through the line of succession of potential party leaders. Almost immediately, colleagues identified him as a future candidate for the top job. People had said to me friends, associates they said to me when I became an MSP, Oh, youll be the leader quite early on. I was saying Shut up, will you? This is ridiculous, but as time passed, more people were saying this. When current leader Douglas Ross announced he was vacating the role, the nudges from colleagues became more insistent. People were much more seriously saying you should do this or we want you to do this or you need to do this, but you have to want to. Its your decision. The decision a joint one, it turns out, between father and daughter is now made. Mr Findlay says he did not tell the CID who visited him he was considering running for the job. It was not confirmed/official and did not seem particularly relevant to the situation. He has, however, flagged the threat with security at the parliament and with the Police Scotland officer with responsibility for MSP security. He was offered a home visit from an officer with counter terrorism expertise to appraise his home and personal security. To an extent, however, it is situation normal for a man who has long known he has highly dangerous enemies. His home, he says, has security measures that an ordinary home probably wouldnt have and he goes about his business in a state of almost hyper vigilance. One positive effect of the attack is it prompted a big stock-take of his life. He vowed to get fitter, to cycle more and to re-hang the punchbag that lay dismantled in his garage. He now regularly slips on box gloves and pounds away at it. I am perhaps more conscious of fitness, he says. Its maybe an age thing as much as what happened. His bike, he says, has become his main mode of transport. All the more so since his diesel car is non-LEZ compliant in his home city of Glasgow. Given that the newly- introduced low emission zone in Edinburgh takes in the Scottish Parliament, he could not drive to work even if he wished to. He commutes by train. As the conservation turns to down-time pursuits the politician seems thankful for frivolitys respite. He is a huge fan of Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges hes just absolutely hilarious and once approached him in a Morrisons supermarket to tell him so. It was probably not what he wanted me to do. And he is expansive on multi-series dramas such as The Sopranos and Breaking Bad which feature American versions of the hoodlums he has spent much of his working life exposing. He says these shows largely get it right, depicting broken, desperate characters, but he rails against the lazy glamorisation of organised criminals in lesser series. They are bloodsucking, parasitical, venal, corrupt, animals who profit from exploiting the most vulnerable people in society, he says. I would just like to be very careful that when you are telling it, you are not adding a sheen of excitement or glamour to it. More than most, this remarkable politician understands the malign influence of real-life organised crime. He has grappled against it in newsprint and once with his bare hands at his front door. Running away now is not an option. Bystanders armed themselves with anything they could to fend off two pit bull mixes as they brought a boy to the verge of death. A recent court filing disclosed the harrowing detail, as 3-year-old Minnesotan Covil Allen's fate is all but sealed. The court document also revealed the dogs were not full pit bulls, but a mix between a pit and an American bulldog. Known as American bullies, the dog's breed boasts especially powerful jaws that inflict more damage than those of any other breed. This likely proved fatal for Covil, who remains in critical condition. His family has made the difficult decision to donate his organs when they decide to take him off life support, as they said he is not expected to survive. His mom was injured during the July 19 attack as well, but will recover. Three-year-old Covil Lee and his father are seen before the attack that has left him on the verge of death, on life support A recent court filing disclosed the harrowing detail, as the young Minnesotan's fate is all but sealed 'There were adults in the area that started to defend the three-year-old by using hammers and pick axes to get the dogs off the three-year-old,' the filing said following the incident on N. Brooklyn Park Drive. First responders arrived and gave immediate medical attention to the boy, the filing added - describing how he was subsequently taken by ambulance to a hospital with 'critical' injuries. Police Inspector Elliot Faust went on to write how the dogs were not only just American bullies, but those of 'the XL variety,' He noted how 'this breed is banned in the UK,' despite them not being officially recognized as a specific breed. They are described as dogs having 'a muscular body and blocky head' - bred so they stand to a staggering 23 inches tall at times, compared to a 'classic' bully's 17 to 20 inches. They were banned in England and Wales back in 1991, with a similar guidance in the works in Scotland and Northern Ireland. NHS consultant Richard Baker afterwards said the dogs' powerful jaws inflict more damaging wounds than any other, regularly resulting in broken bones, shredded skin and damaged nerves. Such was the case for Covil and his mother Tasha Vega last week, when they visited a home on the 7500 block of N. Brooklyn Park Drive where the dogs were for sale. Also revealed was the fact the dogs were a mix between a pit and an American bulldog known as an American Bully. Moreover, the dogs were of the XL variety, the biggest there is The attack saw the two mutts savage the boy and his mom until onlookers were able to kill one of the dogs and injure the other. The surviving dog was taken to an animal care facility, where it was later put down One of them attacked Covil in the backyard, after which a second one joined in, cops said. Faust went on to reveal how conversations were already underway with city leaders about the attack, writing, 'It's a problem in our community. 'We had more potentially dangerous dogs this year than we did last year.' His comments appeared to reference how on Tuesday, a 7-year-old girl was attacked on the 7500 block of N. Janelle Avenue just a few miles away. The girl suffered superficial injuries, according to cops, who added officers killed the dog when it then tried to attack a boy. Officials said the dog was loose when it attacked the girl, as was the case with the attack on Covil. It saw the two mutts savage the boy and his mom until onlookers were able to kill one of the dogs and injure the other. The surviving dog was taken to an animal care facility, where it was later put down. As for Covil, he remains in critical condition - with his family on Wednesday revealing they had begun the painful process of preparing to donate the boy's organs. As for Covil, he remains in critical condition - with his family on Wednesday revealing they had begun the painful process of preparing to donate the boy's organs. As of the family's latest update Friday, he remained alive They shared a heartbreaking still of relatives' hands over the boy's body in his hospital bed, where he remained hooked up to a series of tubes on the brink of death. His mom has had had two surgeries and third on the way to repair her calf, with a skin graft needed as well In the interim, Faust said, detectives are working toward presenting a case to prosecutors 'in the near future for their review,' along with the other dog bite incident this week. The boy's family have already said their goodbyes, as they plan to donate his organs in the coming days when he is taken off life support. They said doctors have discerned his injuries were too severe for him to survive. As of the family's latest update Friday, he remained alive. A GoFundMe started by the family has so far raised $46,261 toward its $50,000 goal. 'This will honor Covils life and save more childrens lives in hopes that no other parent has to endure the pain that they are experiencing right now,' organizers wrote. Sharing a series of photos of the tot, they added Friday, 'You are so loved Covil.' Donald Trump was hit by a bullet during the attempt on his life two weeks ago, a Dailymail.com analysis shows. Evidence, including from forensic and ballistic experts, shows the former president was hit in the ear by the first of eight rounds fired by would-be assassin Thomas Crooks at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. It comes after FBI Director Christopher Wray told a congressional hearing on Wednesday there was 'some question about whether or not it's a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear.' Two weeks after the attack Trump appeared without a bandage on his right ear for the first time on Friday, and his former doctor said he is 'rapidly recovering'. The FBI still has questions over whether Trump was struck by shrapnel or by a bullet, but the former president has railed against that, saying he surely was hit by a bullet Donald Trump is seen on Friday July 26 without a bandage on is right ear for the first time since he survived an assassination attempt two weeks earlier Crooks, 20, used a PMS-brand AR rifle to shoot 5.56 ammunition in the assassination attempt. Rounds fired from such a weapon can, if they hit something, splinter into fragments. That led to speculation the bullet could have hit an object, like a metal bar supporting the stage or bleachers, with a piece of shrapnel then flying off and hitting Trump. However, Crooks had a clear unobstructed line of sight at the president with no objects close to being in the way. The path of the initial bullet was captured in a 'one in a million' photograph just after it had passed Trump's head, and then in another piece of video hitting the bleachers directly behind him. Analysis by forensic audio expert Steve Beck showed Trump grabbed his ear immediately after the 'crack' of the first bullet was picked up as it passed his microphone. The 'crack' of the second bullet was then heard 0.867 seconds later, he told Dailymail.com. In all Crooks got off eight shots in 5.2 seconds. Wray confirmed the FBI had recovered three 'explosive devices' in possession of Crooks There was an initial volley of three rounds, then a brief pause when Trump hit the floor, followed by a more rapid burst of five shots. Then, 0.3 seconds after Crooks' eighth and final shot, a round was fired by a Secret Service agent from near the stage. It appears to have incapacitated or killed Crooks as he stopped shooting. Ten seconds later there was another shot from a different weapon, believed to have been fired by another Secret Service agent or law enforcement officer. Audio analysis shows Crooks was 380ft away from where the sound of the bullets was picked up by Trump's microphone. After the first bullet proceeded beyond Trump it could be observed, in a video published by the New York Times, creating a puff as it thudded into the bleachers close to rally-goer David Dutch. Dutch appeared to be hit by one of the follow-up shots in the first burst of three shots. In the second burst of five shots rally-goer Corey Comperatore, a heroic father and firefighter, was killed as he shielded his family. Beck said decreasing time gaps between shots showed the gunman appeared to have aimed most precisely with his first one. The gap between the second and third shots went down to 0.67 seconds, and then even less. 'The gunman had the best aim in the first shot so so you would expect it came closest to hitting,' he said. After the first three Crooks 're-aimed' and then started 'pulling the trigger as fast as he could.' Beck said he did not hear the sound of the first bullet hitting any other object before Trump grabbed his ear. However, if the bullet had hit something else first, then the sound would not have registered on Trump's microphone because, at that moment, he would have still been talking. In order for there to have been shrapnel, the FBI would need to discover that the bullet hit something 'hard' before reaching Trump, causing it to break up, ballistics expert Nathan Foster told Dailymail.com. If that had happened, then the injury to Trump's ear would be 'jagged,' tearing an 'irregular shaped wound,' rather than punching a hole though it, he said. There was also no way to reconcile a shrapnel injury with the photograph of the bullet's path taken by New York Times photographer Doug Mills. Investigators found eight shell casings near Crooks' body on the roof he fired from 380ft away. FBI experts are expected to analyze the trajectory of the bullets as they put together a forensic picture of the shooting. Another early theory was that a bullet could have hit one of the two glass teleprompter screens in front of Trump, with the former president then being hit by flying debris. However, the teleprompters were visible and undamaged after the shots were fired. Congressman Ronny Jackson, Trumps former physician, lambasted Wray on Friday. He said: 'During the congressional hearing two days ago, FBI Director Christopher Wray suggested that it could be a bullet, shrapnel, or glass. 'There is absolutely no evidence that it was anything other than a bullet. 'Congress should correct the record as confirmed by both the hospital and myself. Director Wray is wrong and inappropriate to suggest anything else.' U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson who was formerly the physician to President Trump in the White House He said Butler Memorial Hospital had treated Trump for what it called a Gunshot Wound to the Right Ear.' He added: 'Based on my direct observations of the injury, my relevant clinical background, and my significant experience evaluating and treating patients with similar wounds, I completely concur with the initial assessment and treatment provided by the doctors and nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital on the day of the shooting.' Meanwhile, Trump on Friday appeared without a bandage on his ear for the first time since the shooting as he hosted Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago. Expressing outrage with Wray, he said: 'No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel.' The SNP is home to a culture of hate and heading for opposition, one of its most prominent figures has said amid the partys civil war. In a brutal assessment, former MP Joanna Cherry, KC, said the state of the party was profoundly depressing and it was no wonder we are putting voters off. Announcing she was stepping back from frontline politics, she said the SNP must not ignore the enormity of its general election defeat, when it lost 39 of 48 seats won in 2019. Unless the party confronted why its vote crashed from 1.2million to 725,000, it would suffer another rout at the 2026 Holyrood election. Challenging John Swinneys response to date, she said: I dont sense any great appetite on the part of the leadership of the party to do this properly. Joanna Cherry has been highly critical of the SNP since losing her seat at the General Election The Scottish Conservatives called Ms Cherrys comments a damning indictment of a party rotted to its core after 17 years in power. The MP for Edinburgh South West from 2015 until losing to Labour on July 4, Ms Cherry was an outspoken critic of the SNPs gender reforms and independence strategy. Writing in the National, she said she received some real pelters from others in the party, some highly personal and hard to take. She wrote: A culture of hate against those who dare to disagree has been allowed to flourish in the SNP without anyone in authority having the courage to address it and it has poisoned our discourse and prevented proper debate. She said if she had foreseen the level of abuse and harassment she would endure from colleagues she would not have left her legal career, but did not regret being an MP. Ms Cherry has also been critical of former leader Nicola Sturgeon, especially over gender issues The partys deafening silence over the conviction of former SNP branch equalities officer Cameron Downing for serious sexual assaults was also shameful, she said. I am of course now free to stand for Holyrood, but eternal opposition is not for me, and opposition is where the SNP are heading at present. 'I went into elected politics to try and change things not to carp from the sidelines. Tory MSP Annie Wells said: That one of the partys most prominent politicians has suffered years of abuse for daring to question the SNPs direction on certain issues demonstrates how ugly this civil war has become. 'The sooner Scotland sees the back of this wretched SNP government the better. The SNP was approached for comment. A senior Metropolitan Police officer responsible for drawing up the force's anti-drugs strategy - but who was sacked after he refused to provide a drugs sample himself - was today successful in having the decision quashed. The Independent Police Appeals Tribunal has overturned the decision to sack former Met Police Commander Julian Bennett, who served in the force from 1976. He was originally found to have committed gross misconduct by failing to provide a urine sample for a drugs test on July 21, 2020. But this week he launched an appeal against both the gross misconduct finding and his sacking. On Friday, the independent Police Appeals Tribunal quashed the dismissal decision and ordered a new hearing. Met Police Commander Julian Bennett has today seen his dismissal and finding of gross misconduct - after he refused to take a drugs test - overturned after a decision by The Independent Police Appeals Tribunal Mr Bennett, pictured in 2022, was originally found to have committed gross misconduct by failing to provide a urine sample for a drugs test on July 21, 2020 The senior officer, pictured at a hearing last August, said he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol) to treat facial palsy and was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent reason Met Police assistant commissioner Matt Twist said he was 'very concerned' by the decision and that the force would be looking to challenge it. He added that his colleagues and the public would be 'appalled' that a final decision on Mr Bennett had not been arrived at. Assistant Commissioner Twist also confirmed that his formerly dismissed colleague would not be returning to duty at this time. On a social media post, he said: 'I am very concerned by this decision and I have no doubt that the public and hardworking colleagues across the Met will be appalled that this case remains unresolved after such a long time. 'It very clearly illustrates why reform of the misconduct process is so needed and why the Met has been calling for urgent change. 'We await the written decision before determining our next steps, but we are actively considering a challenge by way of judicial review. 'Senior officers are expected to lead by example and Mr Bennett will not return to duty whilst we consider our options.' Mr Bennett, who joined the force in 1976, had previously been cleared by a disciplinary panel of using cannabis at home in late 2019, but was found to have failed to provide a urine sample for a drugs test on July 21, 2020. As a result, he was suspended on full pay in July 2021 while police authorities began an investigation, which concluded at the end of October. It was found that Mr Bennett's actions in refusing the drug test amounted to gross misconduct and he was dismissed. His former flatmate Sheila Gomes claimed Mr Bennett had used the illicit substance daily before breakfast and leaving for work at New Scotland Yard, but the three-person panel rejected that allegation. The panel also rejected an allegation that he had given an explanation for refusing a sample which he 'knew to be untrue'. 'Very concerned': Met Police assistant commissioner Matt Twist said the force would be looking to challenge today's decision In a social media post on X, Met Police assistant commissioner Matt Twist said his colleagues and the public would be 'appalled' that a final decision on Mr Bennett had not been arrived at After Ms Gomes reported Mr Bennett in July 2020, he was called in and, in the presence of an assistant commissioner, was asked to provide a sample. He offered to resign on the spot instead. Mark Ley-Morgan KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said it would have smacked of 'organised corruption at the highest level' if Mr Bennett had been allowed to resign on the spot. The senior officer said he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol) to treat facial palsy and was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent reason. During the tribunal in Southwark, south London, Mr Bennett's lawyer John Beggs KC branded Ms Gomes a 'liar' and a 'fantasist' who he said wanted to write a book about the claims and make money. The tribunal also heard Ms Gomes was engaged in litigation about another matter and had litigated in Portugal, where she was born. Mr Beggs also claimed she was being inconsistent by claiming she had seen a newspaper cutting mentioning Mr Bennett that did not refer to his work and said she had given an inconsistent account about whether the senior officer was smoking cannabis 'from day one' on moving in. Mr Bennett wrote the force's drugs strategy for 2017-21 as a commander for territorial policing (Pictured: Scotland Yard) By failing to provide the sample, Mr Bennett was found to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct. His actions were found to have amounted to gross misconduct. Mr Bennett wrote the force's drugs strategy for 2017-21 as a commander for territorial policing. The document called Dealing With The Impact Of Drugs On Communities, set up plans to raise 'awareness of the impact of drug misuse'. Freedom of information requests showed Mr Bennett presided over 74 police misconduct hearings involving 90 officers between June 2010 and February 2012. Out of the hearings involving Mr Bennett, 56 officers were dismissed - more than three-quarters. He chaired 69 hearings during that time and two officers were dismissed for drug misuse, the figures showed. Allegations that he took magic mushrooms on holiday in France and LSD at a party were dismissed as hearsay by the panel during the summer's tribunal hearing. Those claims were made by Hugo Pereria, who lived with the complainant Sheila Gomes and Mr Bennett in late 2019, but the tribunal was told he 'always lied' before the panel threw out the claims. Panel chairman Akbar Khan said: 'It is highly improbable the officer believed he had a good reason for failing to comply with a lawful order. 'Harm has undoubtedly been caused to the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Service.' He added that Mr Bennett most likely decided to involve the ex-commissioner 'to secure for himself high-level cover to deflect inevitable criticism and embarrassment that would come his way'. The chairman also said that 'if the goal of resignation was to avoid embarrassing' the Met this was 'unlikely to be achieved'. Mr Khan said Mr Bennett's behaviour was 'deliberate and intentional, seeking a personal advantage or special treatment from the commissioner' and that he would have had a 'unique insight' into what would have been a good reason to refuse a sample. Outlining the panel's reasons for sacking Mr Bennett, Mr Khan said he had 'shown limited insight regarding the proven conduct'. He said this may lead the public to be 'concerned his mindset demonstrates an attitude of one rule for senior officers and a different rule for a lower rank officer'. Speaking of Ms Gomes's claims, the panel chairman said she 'exaggerates', 'lies' and that some of her claims were 'entirely fabricated'. He added: 'Overall, the panel finds Sheila Gomes's account to be unpersuasive and lacking in cogency. 'Of particular importance are the panel's findings that Sheila Gomes exaggerates and has lied significantly damages her credibility and reliability. Commander Julian Bennett (pictured), who served in the force since 1976, was found to have failed to provide a urine sample for a drugs test in July 2020 and was dismissed last year 'It is highly improbable that the officer smoked cannabis daily.' By failing to provide the sample, Mr Bennett was found to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct. Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said at the time of his dismissal in October 2023: 'Julian Bennett's actions were deplorable. He was a senior officer and showed complete disregard and disrespect for the standards we must all uphold. 'The public will justifiably be outraged that any police officer, but particularly one of such a senior rank, refused a lawful order to take a drugs test. 'Commander Bennett was highly experienced and knew full well what was required of him, yet he made a choice not to cooperate. He could have been in no doubt of the professional standards required as he was responsible for chairing the misconduct hearings of numerous officers between 2010 and 2016. 'His actions have further damaged not only the public's trust in us as an organisation, but also the confidence of our own officers and staff in those who lead them. 'The hearing panel was entirely independent of the Met Police, chaired by a legally qualified chair, a senior member of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and an independent panel member. 'Throughout the proceedings no police officer was on the panel. 'It is hard to comprehend that it has taken more than three years for this case to conclude. We welcome the Home Office's recent police dismissals review which aims to address some of the pressing issues that have arisen in this case and many others. 'In the last year the Met has been making greater use of accelerated misconduct hearings to fast track cases where the evidence is irrefutable. This allows us to dismiss officers far more quickly.' A Salt Lake City worker's simple mistake costed a neighborhood 200 trees, outraging the community. Tony Hazelbaker, the director of the city's park division, said the worker responsible for the death of 175 trees in the Fairview neighborhood was devastated when he realized what went wrong. Last year, the worker sprayed Milestone, a common herbicide, on the base of the trees. What he didn't know was that the chemical he used was designed to kill invasive species of weeds. Fast-forward to this summer, locals started noticing the leaves on the trees beginning to shrivel and die. The city's urban foresters determined the Milestone was the culprit, and are now working to reverse the damage on the remaining trees that are still alive. 'We're going to try to save everything we can,' Hazelbaker told ABC4. A Salt Lake City worker's simple mistake cost a neighborhood 200 trees, outraging the community Last year, the worker sprayed Milestone, a common herbicide, on the base of the trees. What he didn't know was that the chemical he used was designed to kill invasive species of weeds The dead trees are still standing as of Thursday, but whether or not the herbicide is still present in the soil is unclear. One possible solution to save the trees involves temporarily planting medium-sized shade trees in large planters filled with fresh soil until the ground is clean and they can be replanted, which could happen as early as fall. The city is currently getting quotes for how much the aforementioned restoration effort would cost. Pictured: Map of the affected areas in the Fairpark neighborhood One possible solution to save the trees involves temporarily planting medium-sized shade trees in large planters filled with fresh soil until the ground is clean and they can be replanted, which could happen as early as fall 'Right now, of course, the shade canopy along North Temple has been reduced, which, especially on the west side, especially in this heat, is a sad thing to see,' Hazelbaker said. 'The area is not as beautiful as it could be. We're looking to have the trees removed fairly soon.' The Fairpark Community Council said they were 'heartbroken' about the dying trees and encouraged the community to reach out with questions or concerned, per a their Facebook post. Fairpark has been historically hotter than other neighborhoods in Salt Lake City because of their lack of canopy shade. Fast forward to this summer, locals started noticing the leaves on the trees beginning to shrivel and die. The city's urban foresters determined the Milestone was the culprit, and are now working to reverse the damage on the remaining alive trees The dead trees are still standing as of Thursday, but whether or not the herbicide is still present in the soil is unclear To address this pre-existing issue, Mayor Erin Mendenhall initiated a five-year plan to plant 1,000 trees annually on the city's west side. Stricter protocols have since been implemented for herbicide use, including enhanced training for certified applicators and a fortified inventory control system involving both supervisors and warehouse staff, following the herbicide incident. The city's human resources department will handle any disciplinary action against the employee responsible for the herbicide mishap, as the investigation is ongoing. This is the moment a man was busted after his brother paid him off to murder his estranged wife in Brazil. Rodrigo Xavier was taken into custody at his home in Nova Mutum on Wednesday, almost a week after he received $708 dollars to kill Raquel Cattani, the daughter of Mato Grosso Congressman Gilberto Cattani, police revealed. Rodrigo's brother Romero Xavier allegedly plotted the murder and was apprehended the home of Raquel Cattanis family during an operation Wednesday. The siblings are facing aggravated homicide charges. Guilherme Pompeo, who is leading the Civil Police investigation, told reporters on Thursday that Rodrigo Xavier used $265 of the blood money to cover the down payment of car. Raquel Cattani, the daughter of Brazilian congress member Gilberto Cattani, was murdered at her home July 18. Police have arrested her estranged husband and his brother Authorities alleged that Romero Xavier plotted the murder of Raquel Cattani, the mother of the couple's six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter Rodrigo Xavier is led out of his home by police on Wednesday. He told investigators that his brother paid him 4,000 Brazilian reals, around $708 to kill his sister-in-law Rodrigo Xavier broke into the farmhouse the evening of July 18 and hid in one of the rooms before he attacked his sister-in-law and stabbed her 34 times. 'The dynamics identified, precisely through Rodrigos interrogation, is that he remained at the location during the day and stayed there until dusk,' Nova Mutum police officer Edmund Barros Jr. told said during the press conference. 'He broke the window of the childrens room, entered and stayed there waiting for the victim to arrive. After the victim arrived, he surprised her and began to strike her in several areas.' The Mato Grosso Civil Police said that Romero Xavier and Raquel Cattani were in the process of getting a divorce and had been separated for 30 days. Romero Xavier approached his brother, with whom he didnt have a close relationship, and orchestrated the murder because he was upset his wife and mother of his six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter no longer wanted to be with him. Raquel Cattani had told a friend on July 15 that Romero Xavier had threatened to kill her unless they got back together. On July 15, Raquel Cattani had told a friend that her estranged husband had threatened to kill her. The 26-year-old mother of two children was murdered July 18 by her brother-in-law, who confessed to the police Raquel Cattani with her father, Brazilian Congressman Gilberto Cattani Rodrigo Xavier became nervous as law enforcement agents questioned him about his sister-in-laws murder before he confessed to killing her. Police said that he dumped his cell phone, his sister-in-laws motorcycle and the knife used to commit the crime in a river in the town of Lucas do Rio Verde. Rodrigo Xavier broke the window of his nieces and nephews room in the farmhouse and left a television on signs that the police believed was a staged home invasion. While searching his home, police found a perfume bottle belonging to Raquel Cattani along with a radio, a cell phone case, a knife and a belt. Rodrigo Xavier told investigators that his brother had ordered him to take the items as part of the plan to throw off the investigation. A footprint that was found on the television appeared to match the print on the boots he was wearing the moment he was arrested. Romero Xavier, police said, drove his brother to the home and left him nearby on July 18. He took his children to have lunch with Congressman Cattani to have an alibi. He organized a barbecue with a few people, including some he had not been in contact with and went to three nightclubs in the municipality of Tapurah later at night. Raquel Cattani was killed by Rodrigo Xavier, her brother-in-law, who received around $708 from her estranged husband, Romero Xavier, to carry out the crime Romero Xavier went to the home the morning of July 19, when Congressman Cattani discovered his daughters body in the home. He was detained and was released following an interrogation. As rumors surfaced that Romero Xavier was considered a suspect, Congressman Cattani posted on social media. 'With a broken heart, I need to say a few things here. Raquel's husband was not arrested, nor did he confess to any crime, and I didn't kill my daughter as was reported. At least have some respect for other people's pain,' he wrote. Romero Xavier attended Raquel Cattanis funeral home service and burial last Saturday and broke down in tears. Two heartbroken parents have released a touching tribute to their three children who died in a house fire. Two boys, Nakash Malik, 13, Muhammad Hanan Malik, seven, and their sister Aayat Malik, 11, perished following the blaze in east London. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to the fire on Napier Road in East Ham at just before 8.30am on July 13, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. Half of the first and ground floor of the terraced home was damaged by the fire, which was under control by 9.10am. Ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, an air ambulance and members of the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) were also present at the scene. Nakash Malik, 13, and his two younger siblings died in a house fire which broke out in East Ham on July 13 Muhammad Hanan Malik, seven, also perished in the devastating incident Aayat Malik, 11, who died along with her two brothers in the house fire. Their parents have since released a heartfelt tribute to their three beloved children A number of local road closures were put in place while emergency services dealt with the fire. The children's devastated parents Khurram Malik and Naumana Gul Khan have released a heartfelt tribute to their children, calling them a 'blessing'. 'Your lives were a blessing, your memory a treasure,' the grieving parents wrote. 'You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. May you rest in peace in God's heaven.' A the time of the incident, LFB assistant commissioner Patrick Goulbourne said: 'This is a terribly sad incident and the thoughts of all of us at London Fire Brigade are with the family, friends and all those affected at this difficult time. 'Staff will be in the local community over the coming days to offer support and advice where needed. Pictured the blaze in a terraced house on Napier Road, East Ham Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were dispatched to the blaze at around 8.30am on July 13 Enquiries are currently ongoing. The Metropolitan police have said there is 'no evidence to indicate suspicious circumstances' 'The welfare of our staff is very important and all those involved will be offered support from our counselling and trauma service.' Metropolitan Police continue to investigate the cause of the fire alongside the London Fire Brigade. A spokesperson said: 'At this stage, there is no evidence to indicate suspicious circumstances.' Enquiries are currently ongoing. A fire engine drives along Cohasset Road in Butte County during the Park Fire near Chico. The man accused of sparking the Park Fire was seen fiddling at the front of a car before it burst into flames, investigators say. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Flames from the Park Fire engulf a sport utility vehicle in Cohasset (Butte County). Stephen Lam/The Chronicle UPDATE: Park Fire started by suspected arson grows by tens of thousands of acres overnight CHICO Less than 12 hours after the Park Fire sparked and tore across the bone-dry landscape in Butte County, arson investigators accompanied by police officers stood outside the Chico home of 42-year-old Ronnie Stout, arrest warrant in hand. At 4:58 a.m. Thursday 14 hours and 6 minutes after the blaze started Stout was booked into jail on suspicion of starting the Park Fire. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Later Thursday morning, Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey was at his desk on two hours sleep. The fire started in Bidwell Park, he said, just before 3 p.m., with a lot of people looking for relief from the heat in the swimming holes. Witnesses told investigators they saw a man doing something at the front of a car, then they saw flames, Ramsey said. The man reentered the car, perhaps to put it in neutral, then got out to push it over the side of an embankment, Ramsey said. The burning vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Yaris, fell 60 feet and then set fire to the surrounding area, the district attorney continued. Butte County officials believe the massive Park Fire was sparked after a man pushed a flaming car down an embankment. Butte County District Attorneys Office The man calmly left the area, witnesses told investigators, blending in with those running from the fast-moving flames. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Investigators, with the help of witnesses and evidence, were quick to narrow in on a suspect. Stout is a longtime Chico resident who lives with his mother, Ramsey said. The car that started the fire allegedly belonged to Stouts mother. Stout was arrested in 2020 for a DUI in Bidwell Park, where the fire started, and he has older convictions for child molestation, which require him to register as a sex offender, as well as robbery with great bodily injury, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was still on probation for the DUI when he was arrested Thursday, Ramsey added. Ronnie Stout, accused of starting the Park Fire, was arrested in 2020 for a DUI in Bidwell Park, where the blaze started, and has older convictions for child molestation. California Department of Justice Stout is registered with state authorities as living at a Chico mobile home park. At the address, a woman standing on the porch Thursday afternoon declined to identify herself, but said Stout had been arrested. Theyre trying to make him the scapegoat, she told a Chronicle reporter. Theyre saying he did it intentionally, but he didnt. The car caught on fire. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She then walked inside, refusing to say more, putting two large dogs on the fenced in porch to further restrict questions or access. Neighbors said they heard the blare of police sirens in the early hours of the morning. Dwight Phillips, 18, said he saw police outside of Stouts home around 1:30 a.m. using loudspeakers to demand that someone come outside with their hands up. It lasted a good 20 minutes, he said, adding hed never seen police activity like that in the park. Several neighbors said Stout was a nice guy, offering help or easy conversation. His apparent reputation in the park provoked shock and confusion that the man they knew had been accused of starting the largest wildfire in California so far this year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some knew of his legal history. Crystal Parker, 39, said he kept to himself. A neighbor who has lived in the park for years said Stout moved in with his parents after getting out of prison 18 months ago and was unemployed and caring for his mom after the death of his father last year. Ramsey said Stout would be charged after investigators collect more witness statements. A hearing was scheduled for Monday. We hope it will not (include) an enhancement of great bodily injury or death, Ramsey added, citing the possibility people could die in the fire. Stout already has two strikes on his record. An arson conviction would make him a three-striker, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He declined to say whether Stout admitted to starting the fire. But Ramsey did say he believes they have the right person in the case. He also couldnt say why someone would light a car on fire and push it over a ravine and spark a massive wildfire and then casually walk away. Ramsey laughed at the question, but it was a tired laugh. Former President Donald Trump announced Friday that he planned to hold another rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he survived an assassination attempt earlier this month. Almost directly after, the FBI released a statement confirming the Republican nominee had been hit by a bullet during the July 13 shooting. 'What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subjects rifle,' an FBI statement said. Trump made the rally announcement Friday afternoon on Truth Social. 'I WILL BE GOING BACK TO BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, FOR A BIG AND BEAUTIFUL RALLY, HONORING THE SOUL OF OUR BELOVED FIREFIGHTING HERO, COREY, AND THOSE BRAVE PATRIOTS INJURED TWO WEEKS AGO,' Trump wrote. 'WHAT A DAY IT WILL BE FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! Former President Donald Trump announced Friday that he planned to hold another rally in Butler, Pennsylvania , where he survived an assassination attempt earlier this month The Republican nominee made the announcement on Truth Social He added, 'STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS.' Earlier he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago and was seen for the first time not sporting any kind of bandage on his right ear. Trump paid tribute to slain firefighter Corey Comperatore during his 92-minute Republican National Convention speech last Thursday. Comperatore firefighter's jacket was displayed onstage and the Republican nominee walked over and kissed it amid his speech. Trump also sported a large bandage throughout the four days of the convention in Milwaukee, which kicked off just two days after the failed assassination attempt. He then wore a band-aid for several days. It's unclear when Trump will head back to the Pittsburgh region. He's headlining a rally Saturday in St. Cloud, Minnesota, alongside running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance on Saturday. Trump announced a Wednesday rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, located in the center of the state. The Republican nominee has been holding all of his campaign events indoors since the July 13 shooting. Citizens and states alike are increasingly under threat from 'lawfare' the abuse of legal processes or institutions for political purposes. Israel was yet again a victim of this practice in May when the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) vexatiously applied for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for supposed war crimes. A month later, the then Conservative Government asked for permission to challenge the ICC's application, arguing that Israelis were outside the court's jurisdiction and its Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was guilty of overreach in seeking the arrest of two Israeli nationals. Yet yesterday we learned that Sir Keir Starmer's new Labour Government would not pursue this issue any further, on the basis that applications for arrest warrants were a 'matter for the court to decide on'. The truth is that an anti-Israel agenda has prevailed in the Labour Party for some time. The fact that it recently emerged from an election in which five independent candidates defeated sitting Labour MPs by challenging their stance on Gaza will be fresh in the minds of the most senior figures in the party. While Sir Keir Starmer did his utmost to appease centrist voters, the Government is no doubt keen to win back more extreme voters they lost to rival parties Yesterday we learned that the new Labour Government would not pursue a challenge against the ICC applying for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu It is extraordinary to me that Starmer did not have Hamas's connections with Islamic State at the front of his mind when he chose to rubberstamp the decision to walk away from challenging the ICC ruling The truth is that an anti-Israel agenda has prevailed in the Labour Party for some time, and the five Labour MPs defeated by challenging their stance on Gaza fresh in the minds of senior figures, writes NATASHA HAUSDORFF While they did their utmost to appease centrist voters, who take a more nuanced view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, in the run-up to the election, the Government is no doubt keen to win back those more extreme voters they lost to rival parties. Taking an aggressive stance on Israel is an easy way to do this. In dropping its legal challenge to the arrest warrants, the British Government is also breaking ranks with democratic allies such as the U.S. and Germany, who recognise how important it is to stand full-square behind a bulwark of democracy in the Middle East, which has consistently supported the West's interests. Make no mistake: the Government's announcement this week will be music to the ears of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation who are opposed not only to the rule of law but any peace process. They are backed by Iran, a theocratic state determined to destroy Israel then come after the rest of us. It's no exaggeration to say that Hamas and the murderous thugs of Islamic State are branches of the same tree. Israel stands on the frontline of a war that affects us all. It is extraordinary to me that our Prime Minister Keir Starmer a former barrister specialising in human rights, no less did not have this at the front of his mind when he chose to rubberstamp the decision to walk away from the ICC challenge. It's a move that not only raises important questions about international law but now places those fighting a war on behalf of democracy and the West at risk of arrest if they step outside the borders of their home nation. Starmer's U-turn also raises the prospect of his Government changing tack on another vitally important matter: the issuing of arms export licences to Israel. Under Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives made it clear that withdrawing these licences would be out of the question. And so it should be. The benefits of the incredibly close co-operation between Israel and the UK on defence and intelligence matters cannot be overstated. If anything, we rely on their technology and intelligence more than they do on ours. Armed men from the Izz-al-Din al Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas in Gaza City Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The benefits of the incredibly close co-operation between Israel and the UK on defence and intelligence matters cannot be overstated Our fighter jet fleet is so dependent on Israeli technology that one defence expert was recently quoted as saying that, without Israeli technology, the RAF could not get its planes in the air. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence on Iranian-sponsored Islamist terrorism has thwarted countless attacks here at home. Then there are the Israeli drones and armoured vehicles that protected British troops engaged in dangerous and difficult operations against terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. While the impact of a ban on weapons sales to Israel would be negligible, a reciprocal move against Britain would be much more significant. It has not yet come to this but yesterday's announcement is, I believe, a worrying portent of what is to come. I noted, too, that in her all-too-brief explanation of Sir Keir's decision to drop opposition to an international arrest warrant application, his spokesperson insisted that 'the Government feels very strongly about the rule of law internationally and domestically'. How hollow this sounds now. The Conservative Government's challenge against the ICC had potential consequences that stretched far beyond Israel. It concerns a matter of law and the UK was rightly addressing whether international law and the ICC rules were and are being properly applied. If they are not, and the ICC is acting outside its powers, then this is a matter of enormous concern not just for the UK, but also for other ICC member states. This is why so many other countries also submitted their own objections, among them the U.S., Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary, along with a number of organisations, including UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI). These nations and bodies recognise that, as Palestine is not a state, it cannot sign up to the Rome Statute, which provides the founding principles that govern the court. Israel, meanwhile, is not a member of the ICC and the court has no jurisdiction over its territory. What's more, the prosecutor's application violates the principle of 'complementarity'. This is a vital legal principle to which the ICC is meant to adhere, and which holds that the court will act only when a country's own national legal systems fail to do so or a state is unwilling or unable to carry out its own investigation. Israel is not a member of the ICC and the court has no jurisdiction over its territory (file photo) Neither of these can be said about Israel, a democratic state where the rule of law is robustly upheld and state institutions and politicians are accountable. Worse still, the prosecutor's public statement summarising his application advanced falsehoods in every single sentence, as highlighted in a submission to the Court by UKLFI and other NGOs. Allegations included an assertion that Israel had imposed 'a total siege over Gaza' that involved 'completely closing the three border crossing points' for 'extended periods'. This, as with the other statements, is palpably and demonstrably false. These actions can only be understood as an attempt to pander to sinister forces who would like to see Israel wiped off the map. The Government should be ashamed of itself. Anti-Israel protestors and Hamas sympathizers who desecrated Washington, D.C.'s Union Station have learned their fates. A minimum of eight people who participated in the anti-Israel protest during Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech Wednesday are now facing federal criminal charges after defacing federal property and fighting police. Some protestors, however, have had their charges dropped by more lenient Washington, D.C. prosecutors. Frederick Coates, Crow Momamome and Antonio Somerville have all been charged with attempting to carry a dangerous weapon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. Nathaniel Lawrence, Sonia Krishan and Roger Miller have been charged with attempted theft. Zachary Kam has been charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer. And Essa Ejelat has been charged with making threats. The American flag was reportedly taken off of a flag pole outside of D.C.'s Union Station train terminal before being burned by anti-Israel protestors. The demonstration began outside of Capitol Hill during Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress. Then the demonstrators marched to the century-old train station and burnt its flag and graffitid its monuments Authorities also maintain that the protest, which began near the National Mall close to the U.S. Capitol before heading to the train terminal, is still an open investigation and updates could come. In addition to those charged there are numerous protestors who were arrested that will not face charges, Fox News reports. The D.C. attorney general's office got at least 11 cases 'no-papered,' which means that the charges were dropped. Among those three were charges for crossing police lines, five were for disorderly conduct and inducing violence and three were for disorderly conduct causing unreasonable fear. All of the charges are misdemeanors. Further, the report reveals an additional five pending cases for crowding and obstructing, though prosecutors have yet to decide whether to press charges. Protestors ignite an American flag at Union Station 2022 Miss Maryland Teen USA Sonia Krishan, also spelled Soniya Krishan. The ex-beauty pageant winner was among the rioters at an anti-Israel protest Wednesday at Washington, where American flags were burned.The beauty queen, a former Miss Maryland Teen USA, is listed on a court docket as having been charged, along with nine others, with at least five crimes for actions during the protest outside Union Station in the nation's capita She has reportedly been charged with alleged theft Some demonstrators wrote support for the terrorist group Hamas on public monuments Police officers try to stop pro-Palestinian demonstrators from taking down a U.S. flag outside Union Station Pro-Palestinian demonstrators burn a U.S. flag and an effigy depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday Pro-Palestinian protesters and police clash at Union Station 'Hamas is coming' is tagged in red on the Columbus Fountain Minor offenses from the protest are generally being overseen by the D.C. attorney general's office while the more serious charges are being handled by federal prosecutors. One of the protestors at the Wednesday demonstration had their face covered while screaming 'Allahu Akbar,' Fox News reports. Others carried a Hamas flag and donned clothing bearing the terrorists group's insignia. 'Hamas is coming,' was graffitid onto the Columbus Fountain outside of the century-old train terminal. The Israeli prime minister, who started and finished his address to Congress on Wednesday with standing ovations, called out anti-Israel protestors during his address. 'Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming 'Gays for Gaza', he said to loud applause. 'They might as well hold up signs saying 'Chickens for KFC,' he continued, receiving laughs from the audience. Netanyahu spoke about the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship during his speech, highlighting how the two's close ties have been instrumental in the Jewish nation's fight against Palestinian terror group Hamas. 'America and Israel must stand together,' Netanyahu proclaimed, receiving a standing ovation in response. 'When we stand together, something very simple happens, we win and they lose.' Graffiti is written on Union Station during a demonstration against the Israeli operations in Gaza Police detain a Pro-Palestinian protester at Union Station Hundreds flocked to the train station for the anti-Israel protest After the protestors were cleared out of Union Station, a group of lawmakers channeled their inner UNC frat boy - like the ones who held up the flag amid anti-Israel protests in April - and held a ceremony reattaching the flag at the terminal. The group of lawmakers including Speaker Mike Johnson marched down to Washington, D.C.'s Union Station on Wednesday evening to replace the American flag that had been torn down and burned in protest of Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress. In scenes reminiscent of the fraternity brothers who protected the flag during protests at the University of North Carolina, the group of Republicans, including Reps. Rudy Yakym, Ind., Derrick Van Orden, Wis., Morgan Luttrell, Texas and Brandon Williams, N.Y., hung the flag up and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Earlier in the day officers were engaged in violent scenes as thousands of demonstrators descended in Washington D.C. to vent their fury at the Israeli Prime Minister over the war in Gaza. Relaxing Britain's borders could be the price for closer trading and security ties with the European Union, Germany's ambassador to the UK has suggested. Miguel Berger said the bloc would prefer a post-Brexit 'mega deal' which would restore freedom of movement for younger people and certain professionals. It will raise fresh concerns about whether Sir Keir Starmer, who campaigned for a second referendum to reverse the Leave vote, will gradually unpick Brexit in his bid to 'reset' relations with Brussels. The Prime Minister has said he wants to renegotiate the UK-EU post-Brexit treaty, including on security. He also wants to forge closer economic ties in areas such as agriculture, chemicals and professional qualifications. Sir Keir Starmer (pictured at Hutchinson Engineering in Widnes) is set to slowly unpick Brexit in his bid to re-build closer relations with Brussels However Miguel Berger (pictured) the German ambassador in the UK has suggested relaxing Britain's borders may be the price for closer security ties The PM has stressed he will not take Britain back into the bloc's single market or customs union. But critics accuse him of being unrealistic, saying the EU will demand something in return for closer access to its markets. This could include Britain once again effectively becoming subject to EU laws and judges. Mr Berger said greater freedom of movement will be a priority for the EU as he revealed Berlin wanted a much 'broader' deal than the one being talked about by Sir Keir. 'We have a headline, which is security and cooperation. 'And beneath that, we think we should look for areas which are in the common interest,' he told the Politico website. He suggested a working title of the Security and Cooperation Agreement for a new treaty. Mr Berger said greater freedom of movement will be a priority for the EU as he revealed Berlin wanted a much 'broader' deal (stock image) However he has insisted it has nothing to do with the 'migration dossier' as 'people come here to study, work, do internships, whatever, and then they would leave' (pictured: migrants in a dingy off the coast of England) Insisting his proposals did not amount to a return to the freedom of movement seen when Britain was in the EU, Mr Berger added: 'I think it's very important that people understand this has nothing to do with the migration dossier, because people come here to study, work, do internships, whatever, and then they would leave. So this is not about migration.' But he added: 'That would include a youth mobility scheme. It would include the Erasmus [student exchange] programme, school trips, youth exchanges, the question of visa costs. 'So I would say there are many, many things which affect the day-to-day mobility, especially for young people, and I would really like to see some progress there.' During a European summit at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire last week, Sir Keir wooed EU leaders by telling them he wanted to reboot relations. The father of a 15-year-old girl from Southern California who went missing for a week has now been arrested and could face possible charges for child abduction, conspiracy and falsifying a police report. Jeffery Chao was arrested by officers with the Monterey Park Police Department following an 'extensive investigation' after his daughter, Alison Jillian Chao, suddenly vanished after leaving her father's home on July 16. A missing persons case was then opened into the straight-A student after she failed to show up at her aunts house in San Gabriel some three miles away. A city-wide search began for the missing teen with volunteers looking through local neighborhoods, handing out missing person flyers with family members making media appearances, statements and tearful pleas including her mother, Annie Chao. Jeffery Chao, the father of a 15-year-old girl from Southern California who went missing for a week, has been arrested by officers Alison Chao, 15, vanished on July 16 as she biked three miles from her dad's house in Monterey Park to her aunt's home in San Gabriel. She showed up a week later outside a TV station Annie was last seen on surveillance footage in a photo of her riding her GT mountain bike wearing a purple t-shirt with black shorts and dark shoes. She was also carrying a backpack. In a surprise twist, Alison turned up safe and well on Tuesday - a full week after her disappearance - when she showed up outside the gates of the local ABC television station in Glendale, wanting to 'tell her story'. But now questions remain over exactly what happened during the week Alison was missing. Although details surrounding her father Jeffery Chao's arrest are vague, investigators believe he may have played a role in Alison's disappearance. Alison's aunt said she believes the high school student ran away because she did not want to be with her mother who was granted custody of her during the parents divorce It's still unknown where the teen went for a week during her disappearance Missing teen Alison Jillian Chao (center) was found outside a local news station begging to share her story one week after she disappeared On Friday, police said the investigation was ongoing with 'no further comment at this time.' The teen's parents are divorced which has fueled speculation that perhaps Alison's vanishing was as a result of a custody dispute. Her mother, Annie Chao was awarded 'sole physical custody' over Alison, in the interest of her mental health and well-being. Video has also emerged the day before Alison was reported missing showing police at Jeffery Chao's home, urging the teen to come with them. A female voice can be heard in the background sounding distraught and refusing. After Alison was found safe, her mother responded to social media posts speculating as to what might have happened. Alison's mother, Annie Chao, pictured was awarded 'sole physical custody' over Alison, in the interest of her mental health and well-being. The family even hung flyers around Monterey Park in the desperate search for the teenage The teen ultimately showed up a week after she disappeared Annie Chao said the posts were full of 'uninformed opinions, speculation, and hurtful comments about me and my family.' 'There is a great deal of misinformation that has been posted online regarding Alison and my family by a small number of people,' Annie Chao said. 'If you wish to help Alison, you will stop posting about this matter,' she continued explaining how her daughter was a 'young girl,' with feelings about her parents' divorce 'understandably complicated.' 'I will always do my best to protect Alison's interests, no matter the circumstances and regardless of the stones that may be thrown at me,' her mother said. The family does not know where Alison spent the week she was missing. When Allison showed up at the television station, a woman, Rachelle, recognized her from the missing poster. Rachelle said the teenager was desperately trying to talk to someone and shared a heartbreaking claim. The teen was last seen in a haunting photo showing her riding her GT mountain bike wearing a purple t-shirt with black shorts and dark shoes 'She was very clear on "I've come to ABC to tell my story. No one else will listen to me,"' Rachelle told the local news outlet. 'What struck me immediately was how self-possessed she was. Sound of mind. Very articulate, very clear on what the situation was. 'She was crying. She was very upset. Mostly about not being able to tell her story. 'I can only tell you that this is someone who's three years short of adulthood, who believes that she's deeply unheard, and that she has no avenue for adjudication,' Rachelle said. 'I hope her family comes together, can solve this for her, that the courts don't fail her.' Alison is now in the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Mel Stride has entered the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party. The former work and pensions secretary joined James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick in the bid to become the next Leader of the Opposition. It came as former home secretary Dame Priti Patel was last night expected to launch her own campaign. Mr Stride was a staunch supporter of Mr Sunak and was regularly wheeled out to spread his government's message during the general election campaign. But the 62-year-old ignored suggestions he was a 'continuity candidate' and said he could 'unite the party', partly due to his previous role as leader of the House of Commons. Former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride has joined James Cleverly , Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition It came as former home secretary Dame Priti Patel was last night expected to launch her own campaign, and is still predicted to do so He told Sky News: 'The reason that I did all those media rounds was that I had the courage and the drive to put my head above the parapet, and to go out and face the fire, because I wanted to save as many Conservative seats as I possibly could. 'And I will take that resolve into leadership.' Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said the Tories needed to reorganise 'into a fighting machine' following a dismal set of election results. 'I think what we know from the General Election is that we're in a very, very difficult place as a party,' he said. 'We've substantially lost the trust of the British people and we've lost our reputation for competence, and I believe that I'm in a very good position to address those issues going forward.' Mr Stride, who has been the MP for Central Devon since 2010, remains an outsider among the leadership contenders, according to bookmakers. Kemi Badenoch is the favourite for the role. Kamala Harris has tightened the presidential race against Donald Trump in key battleground states that Joe Biden was on track to lose, new polls show. The vice president is tied with Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania, up by six per cent in Minnesota, and down by one per cent in Wisconsin. Harris has erased the lead Trump was building in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin before Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday. Voters said their top issue was the economy - by a big margin - with immigration and abortion about even as second and third, and other topics well below them. The poll by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research conducted on July 22 to 24 for Fox News added to other polls showing the race tightening. Kamala Harris has tightened the presidential race against Donald Trump in key battleground states that Joe Biden was on track to lose, new polls show Harris and Trump had 49 per cent of the vote each in Michigan and Pennsylvania, while Trump had 50 per cent to Harris' 49 per cent in Wisconsin. Minnesota, a usually blue state that was increasingly in play, is back to looking out of Trump's reach as he has 46 per cent to Harris' 52 per cent. However, the races were head-to-head and did not take into account the effect of third-party candidates like independent Robert F Kennedy Jr. When the additional candidates are included, Harris is up by two per cent (45 to 43) in Pennsylvania and six per cent in Minnesota (47 to 41). Trump is ahead by two per cent in Michigan (45 to 43) and Wisconsin is tied at 46 per cent each. Polls before Biden dropped out had the president down between two and nine per cent in Pennsylvania, one to seven in Michigan, and about three in Wisconsin. The Fox News poll did not survey voters nationally, but others by the New York Times and a few more pollsters had Harris or Trump up by only one per cent. Trump is up by one per cent in Wisconsin, but his leads in key states have been erased since Joe Biden dropped out and Kamala became his likely replacement Harris must win Pennsylvania to have a chance of beating Trump, and likely needs Michigan and Wisconsin as well. Losing Minnesota would be a shock and mean the Democrats were in danger of suffering a landslide defeat. Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee since Biden abandoned his reelection campaign on Sunday, but will not be confirmed until the Democratic National Convention on August 19 to 22. Twice as many voters said they cared more about the economy than any other issue, with immigration and abortion the other two key topics. Thirty-seven per cent of Wisconsin voters had the economy on top, with 15 per cent each for immigration and abortion, and in Michigan it was 35 per cent economy, 17 per cent immigration, and 16 per cent abortion. Economy was top issue for 39 per cent of Pennsylvanian voters with immigration at 16 per cent and abortion at 15 per cent. Other notable issues included healthcare, election integrity, climate change, foreign policy, crime, and guns - but all were in the mid to low single digits. Harris speaks on the phone with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as the Obamas endorse Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate Trump polls better among voters caring the most about the economy and immigration, and Harris is far better on abortion. Economy and immigration voters in Pennsylvania back Trump by 31 and 86 points respectively, while abortion voters back Harris by 67 points. Answers for Michigan were roughly the same. In Wisconsin, those prioritizing the economy and immigration backed Trump by 38 and 81 points respectively, while those putting abortion as their top issue prefer Harris by 78 points. About as many voters said they were 'falling behind' or 'holding steady' financially, both in the low 40s, and about 15 per cent were 'getting ahead'. About three-quarters of Democrats want Harris to be the nominee with Biden gone, with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro the next most popular but only getting 14 per cent of his own state to favor him. Voters overwhelmingly approve of Biden's decision to drop out and about two-thirds want him to remain president until his term ends in January Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer got 20 per cent in her home state, but her support was far lower elsewhere. Voters overwhelmingly approve of Biden's decision to drop out and about two-thirds want him to remain president until his term ends in January. More than 90 per cent of Democrats agreed he was right to quit, and he should stay president until the election winner replaces him. Harris has a significantly better favorability rating than Biden, and is ahead of Trump everywhere except Michigan where they are tied. However, both candidates are still below 50 per cent favorability and more people judge Trump unfavorably than positively. Harris has a positive net approval rate in Minnesota, negative in Michigan, and tied in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump's running mate JD Vance has the lowest approval to disapproval rating of anyone polled in the battleground states. Even now, after more than 60 years and when it seemed every secret had been unearthed and every sordid detail pored over, the Profumo affair remains as murky and intriguing as ever. The Mail on Sunday last weekend revealed that Prince Philip was named in FBI documents about this most enduring of British political sex scandals. In a cable sent to the US Embassy in London in 1963, the bureau's autocratic director J. Edgar Hoover suggested that Philip may have been 'involved' with the two women at the heart of the affair, models Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies. Speculation about the Prince's supposed connection has been the subject of drawing-room gossip for decades and it was a scurrilous plotline in an episode of season two of The Crown, the controversial Netflix series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth. But the revelation that his name appears in an official lengthy memorandum about the saga will cause discomfort on both sides of the Atlantic. Christine Keeler, then just 19, was frolicking naked in the swimming pool at Cliveden, the magnificent Thames-side mansion of Tory grandee Viscount Astor FBI director J. Edgar Hoover suggested that Prince Philip, pictured with the Queen in 1962, may have been 'involved' with models Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies Hoover's interest was hardly surprising. A notorious meddler and feared figure who for years orchestrated often illegal campaigns against suspected subversives and political foes, he had always been fascinated by sexual impropriety involving famous names. All the same, the possibility of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died aged 99 in 2021, featuring in the FBI chief's scheming - albeit indirectly - would have caused severe damage to UK-US relations at a time when the Cold War was at its height. But the Profumo affair was not just a tawdry British scandal, but one with international consequences and that contributed to the fall of the Conservative government in 1964. Remarkably, after an Old Bailey trial, parliamentary questions and an official inquiry, books and even a Hollywood film, successive governments have continued to protect certain people's involvement in the sexual shenanigans from exposure by keeping one file about the case under lock and key. Even though all the central players in the story are now dead it will be another 22 years before that file sees the light of day. But more of that later. While many of the details have been contested over the decades, there is no dispute about the cast of characters. John Profumo was the 48-year old married Secretary of State for War - and tipped as a future Foreign Secretary when the episode's pivotal figure, society osteopath Stephen Ward introduced him to the lissom showgirl Christine Keeler and he was soon bedding her. It all began in the summer of 1961 when Profumo was visiting Cliveden, the magnificent Thames-side mansion of Tory grandee Viscount Astor, and saw Keeler, then just 19, frolicking naked in the swimming pool. Her costume had been playfully snatched off by Ward. Keeler was staying with Ward, who had the use of a cottage on the estate where he held wild parties and among whose guests was the Soviet defence attache Yevgeny Ivanov. Commander Ivanov also slept with Keeler but probably only once. The Russian later gave a graphic description of their encounter. 'That devil of a girl could seduce anybody. We devoured each other like animals . . . she had both the firm, lithe body of a slender woman and a provocative ripeness. She behaved like a cat . . . beholden to no one.' Rumours that she had slept with both men were soon sweeping London and the fear at a time of heightened East-West tensions was that careless pillow talk by the War Minister about nuclear secrets could have been passed by Keeler to the affable Ivanov. The alluring Mandy Rice-Davies, Keeler's playmate, was told in court that Lord Astor denied ever sleeping with her. 'He would, wouldn't he,' she said Minister of War John Profumo returns home in June 1963 after admitting an affair with Christine Keeler During the hearing, Keeler said she had procured young women for Stephen Ward and his rich friends Profumo, a fierce patriot, was shocked when he learned from the Cabinet Secretary that Ivanov was a suspected spy and distanced himself from the louche Cliveden set, ending his relationship with Keeler. It was too late. Some 18 months later, in 1963, he was questioned in the House of Commons about his liaison with the dark-haired beauty. Profumo responded with a brazen lie saying there had been 'no impropriety whatsoever'. The denial only brought him the briefest respite. He took his wife, the screen star Valerie Hobson, to Venice and confessed the whole seedy affair. Memorably, she stood by him but insisted he face the music. Returning to London, he resigned both as minister and MP. But while his career was over, the story was not. Scotland Yard was focusing on the extracurricular activities of Ward, placing him and his patients under surveillance. He was charged with living off immoral earnings. A high-profile trial followed, enthralling the country. It also gave birth to a catchphrase when the alluring Mandy Rice-Davies, Keeler's playmate, was told in court that Lord Astor denied ever sleeping with her. 'He would, wouldn't he,' she said. During the hearing, Keeler said she had procured young women for Ward and his rich friends. Other salacious details were revealed about Ward's West End flat with a two-way mirror where risque assignations took place. The scandal was too much for Ward, the son of a respectable country parson, who anticipating a guilty verdict took an overdose of barbiturates the night before the jury brought in their verdict. He died three days later. Ward's funeral at Mortlake Cemetery in South-West London attracted only six mourners. At the grave lay a wreath signed by the outspoken critic Kenneth Tynan: 'To Stephen Ward, victim of hypocrisy.' In recent years his trial has been denounced as a gross miscarriage of justice. Geoffrey Robertson, the distinguished KC who wrote a book Stephen Ward Was Innocent, OK, said he was the victim of a 'massive stitch-up' with the Government determined to get a scapegoat for the embarrassment of Profumo's resignation. Of the Prince Philip connection, Robertson is equally dismissive. 'It is pure gossip, scuttlebutt nothing more,' he says. So how did the Queen's handsome husband, then a good-looking 42, come to be mentioned by J. Edgar Hoover and what is the truth of it? The FBI document obtained by our sister paper after a freedom of information request, contains a claim by one Thomas Corbally, an American adventurer and part-time spy, who was friends with Stephen Ward. Corbally had been passing information about Ward, who he described as a 'beatnik' and what he had learned of Profumo and Ivanov, Keeler and Rice-Davies to the Americans. In the cable, which is partly redacted, Hoover wrote: 'Corbally also stated there was rumour Prince Philip may have been involved with these two girls.' Just 16 words with no context or anything else to substantiate such a rumour. Corbally was a gregarious figure mixing with the rich and famous. He lived in a Park Lane apartment yet with no visible sign of income. He told the FBI he had seen Keeler and Rice-Davies swim naked in Lord Astor's pool and claimed he had been asked by the US ambassador to uncover the truth behind the Profumo rumours. He is not thought to have known Philip. And over the years both Mandy and Christine have also firmly and repeatedly denied knowing the Prince. Ward, on the other hand, was an acquaintance of the Duke. Whether Philip went to see him after suffering a polo injury for treatment to his back, as was suggested in The Crown, is not known. But he was a celebrity figure whose clients included Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner. But the osteopath was also an enthusiastic amateur artist as was Philip and sketched the Prince several times. Ward knew several members of the Royal Family, including Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon, who liked racy company, and he also did drawings of the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the Duchess of Gloucester. How well Philip and Ward knew one another is not clear. (It has been suggested that they knew each other through the Thursday Club, the raffish men-only eating and drinking club where Philip would go to let his hair down in his early years in the Royal Family.) But there is no evidence it was deep. They did have a close mutual friend, however. This was Philip's first cousin and close confidant, the high-living David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven. Mountbatten, who was Philip's best man when he married Princess Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey in 1947, was a prominent figure on the London social scene during the 1950s and 1960s, a regular at parties and sometimes in the company of Stephen Ward with whom he shared an interest in pornography. His closeness to Philip caused unease at the Palace. The twice-married Milford-Haven, like Philip a wartime naval officer, was known to host parties for discreet chums at his flat in Grosvenor Square at which the evening would begin with cards, followed by the arrival of women. Society osteopath Stephen Ward took an overdose of barbiturates the night before the jury brought in their verdict at his trial Ward was often among the guests and sometimes brought some of the women. Milford-Haven died of a heart attack in 1970 he was just 50. During his lifetime Philip was often linked to other women, which he would airily dismissing by pointing out that, as he had police bodyguards wherever he went, any liaisons would be practically impossible. 'How the hell could I get away with anything like that,' he said tartly on one occasion. This, naturally, was another mischievous theme avidly taken up in The Crown. One storyline has Anthony Blunt, later unmasked as Soviet spy, warning the Duke he will expose him over his relationship with Ward in response to Philip threatening to expose Blunt's treachery. There is no evidence that any such encounter between the two men took place. But earlier this year it was claimed that Blunt, who was the Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, was involved in buying every sketch of members of the Royal Family produced by Ward when they went on show at a London gallery. In the past, when Philip's name has come up with reference to Profumo, royal aides and friends have labelled such allegations as wicked. Which brings us back to the secret file, the only one held in the National Archives which is not open to public inspection. A decade ago the file was described by a government minister as containing sensitive information related to people still living. Well, it is hard to imagine that is the case today. All the same, the file will not be opened until 2046. It is not a random date but was chosen because it marks more than 100 years since the birth of the youngest person in the Profumo affair, Mandy Rice-Davies, who died almost ten years ago. Ending the speculation about Philip may be the best possible argument for the file to be opened to see who is being protected. But until it is, the rumours thanks to the FBI are unlikely to go away. The Texas company blamed for last week's Microsoft outage that cost $5.4 billion has offered customer support staff a $10 Uber Eats gift voucher. CrowdStrike, a cyber-security firm based in Austin, sent the $10 food vouchers to 'teammates and partners who helped customers through the situation', alongside an apology email. 'And for that, we send our heartfelt thanks and apologies for the inconvenience,' the message read. 'To express our gratitude, your next cup of coffee or late night snack is on us!' Crowded airports were filled with stranded and frustrated passengers on July after the FAA ordered a total ground stop of all flights in the US after the CrowdStrike outage CrowdStrike's 'Falcon Sensor' caused Microsoft Windows to crash, resulting in the now infamous 'Blue Screen of Death,' so many people saw July 23 CrowdStrike caused the meltdown Friday by pushing out a massive software update that crashed computers around the globe. Airlines were among the worst hit, with tens of thousands of flights canceled across the globe - and Delta Airlines only returning to a full schedule a week later. The company's 'Falcon Sensor' caused Microsoft Windows to crash, resulting in the now infamous 'Blue Screen of Death,' so many people saw July 19. Falcon, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect cyber threats in real time. As part of its mea cupla tour, CrowdStrike issued a plan to avoid future outages in a blog post. The company will no longer release mass updates to prevent worldwide outages. It's also promised to upgrade its verification system to identify faulty code. George Kurtz, chief executive officer of Crowdstrike Inc., speaks during the Wall Street Journal Tech Live global technology conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 Stranded travelers wait for flights at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Bags await reunification with their owners in the Delta Air Lines baggage claim area Los Angeles International Airport However, the company faced a backlash after some of the $10 Uber vouchers it dished out were blocked. 'Uber flagged it as fraud because of high usage rates,' CNN reported. While the gift cards were a good will gesture, CrowdStrike has been silent about whether it will pay customers restitution for lost profits. However, lawsuits to get the money back are expected in the near future. The tech business has already been hit with a complaint over DEI-- alleging it sidelined its white, male employees under a diversity-hiring scheme. A conservative legal action group alleges that CrowdStrike favors women and minorities for jobs and promotions in coding, programming and other areas through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Newly released photos show the moment Sinaloa cartel boss Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada's plane arrived in the US, only to be met by federal agents who were waiting to arrest him. Zambada, 76, founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with Mexico's most famous lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, who sits the Alcatraz of the Rockies, ADX Florence, the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. A plane carrying Zambada and one of El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, landed just outside El Paso, Texas Thursday. The images shared by Homeland Security Investigations show agents watching the aircraft land, and then walking up to the jet to arrest some of the deadliest drug traffickers in the world. The men were taken to El Paso to be jailed. Zambada pleaded not guilty to charges against him, but did not appear in federal court in El Paso, where a federal judge ordered him detained without bond, the New York Times reported. Zambada will appear in court again July 31 at 11 a.m. The effort to capture the Sinaloa cartel kingpins was led by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations greet the plane carrying Sinaloa drug cartel lords Ismael Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez near El Paso, Texas Thursday In the coming days, Guzman Lopez is to appear before a federal judge in Chicago. According to the Wall Street Journal, Zambada was tricked by El Chapo's son Joaquin Guzman Lopez into boarding a private plane to inspect airfields for drug planes following a months-long operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. Zamabda believed the plane would fly south in Mexico, but it landed north in El Paso, Texas, where he and El Chapo's son were arrested. Guzman Lopez is said to have surrendered to US authorities and turned on Zambada because he 'blamed Mayo for the capture of his father', according to a Fox News Correspondent. Joaquin Guzman Lopez is one of El Chapo's sons and was elevated to the cartel's top leadership in 2017 when his father was extradited to the US. The pair were arrested in El Paso after getting off a private plane that was flown in from Mexico by the FBI. El Mayo' [(eft) has led the Sinaloa Cartel's day-to-day operations while battling diabetes since Joaquin ' El Chapo ' Guzman (right) was arrested in 2017 Joaquin Guzman Lopez is one of El Chapo's sons and was elevated to the cartel's top leadership in 2017 when his father was extradited to the US Lopez cut a deal with American law enforcement to surrender and turn in Zambada at the same time, sourced told DailyMail.com. What prompted Lopez turn himself in after years as most-wanted, and to take Zambada down with him, is unclear. Zambada lived a simple life behind the scenes at his El Alamo compound, in contrast to El Chapo's larger than life persona, and was suffering from diabetes. He was reportedly in communication with American law enforcement for the past three years at least, discussing the possibility of surrendering, but neve did. Zambada said in 2010 in a rare interview 'I'd like to think so, that I'd kill myself' if he faced police capture. Lopez is expected to face the Federal District Court in Chicago in coming days, and Zambada will go to New York. The pair were arrested in El Paso, Texas , after getting off a private plane that was flown in from Mexico by the FBI Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with El Chapo, and faces a litany of indictments for crimes relating to drug trafficking and organized crime in the US The Justice Department earlier put an up to $15 million bounty on Zambada's head, for any information leading to his arrest or conviction Attorney-General Merrick Garland called the cartel one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world as he detailed the arrests. 'El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates whom the Justice Department is holding accountable in the US,' he said. Garland said others from the cartel now behind bars included El Chapo and another of his sons and alleged leader of the Cartel, Ovidio Guzman Lopez. The alleged main hitman of the cartel, Nestor Isidro 'El Nini' Perez Salas, was also in American custody, he said. American federal prosecutors in February charged Zambada with conspiracy to make and distribute fentanyl, but he has never been behind bars. The US State Department earlier put an up to $15 million bounty on Zambada's head, for any information leading to his arrest or conviction. A $5 million bounty was offered for Lopez's arrest. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is serving a life sentence after he was arrested in the beach resort town of Mazatlan, Mexico, and extradited to the US in 2017 A $5 million bounty was offered for Lopez's arrest Joaquin's brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez was also arrested in Mexico, and extradited to the US in September to face his own long list of charges. After El Chapo's extradition, his criminal empire was inherited by four of his sons - known as Los Chapitos, or Little Chapos - who took over his faction of the cartel and became some of the biggest exporters of fentanyl to the US. El Mayo and Los Chapitos have had a fractious relationship since El Chapo's extradition, and the arrests of the two traffickers may trigger instability or even violence in Mexico. Garland said fentanyl was the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. 'The Department of Justice will not rest until every leader, member, and associate of the cartels responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,' he said. Joaquin's brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez was also arrested in Mexico , and extradited to the US in September to face his own long list of charges Zambada helped 'El Chapo' construct a network that has exerted its influence in illicit markets as close as the US and Colombia, and as far as New Zealand and Russia. They distributed cocaine, heroin and other drugs while tapping into the lucrative human trafficking business. Under the watch of the 76-year-old, the criminal organization has been able to haul in $11 billion based on seizures and pricing provided by the Drug Enforcement Agency. 'El Mayo' positioned himself as one of the richest men in the narcotics, earning $3 billion since 2001, despite his aversion to showing off his wealth. Mike Vigil, who once led the DEA's international operations, recognized 'El Mayo's' business smarts as the head of a criminal syndicate that has spread its wealth and laundered its unlawful profits through international banks and companies. The American agency tasked with battling drug smuggling and distribution has pointed out 250 business that have benefited from the Sinaloa Cartel's illicit earnings. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested on suspicion of drug-related charges in an operation carried out by Mexico City federal authorities Vincente Zambada, the oldest of 'El'Mayo's' three sons, is currently serving a 10-year sentence in the U.S. after he was extradited from Mexico in 2010 They included a dairy company, water park and a daycare center allegedly operated by his daughter Maria Teresa. 'Even though he's only had maybe an elementary-school education, he's received a Harvard-level education from some of the most prolific, knowledgeable and astute drug lords that Mexico has ever had,' Vigil told Bloomberg in 2018. In a 2010 interview with Proceso, 'El Mayo', admitted the possibility of being arrested created a sense of 'panic' despite how hard to he worked to maintain a low profile in public and wouldn't rule out committing suicide if it meant avoiding doing time in jail. 'I don't know if I'd have the courage to kill myself. I'd like to think so, that I'd kill myself,' he said. A Sinaloa Cartel faction led by the sons of El Chapo has allegedly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 66 people in the northern Mexican city of Culiacan in March. A series of narco mantas - or banners were found hanging from four highway overpasses and bridges before Tuesday morning's rush hour traffic. The banners insisted the abductions were in response a rash of criminal incidents orchestrated by a home invasion gang, which some claim is led by law enforcement agents. Each display featured a banner with a message signed off with the initials of El Chapo's son, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman, and had the pictures of the gang's four leaders. Narco mantas, or banners, were spotted in the Mexican city of Sinaloa and addressed the kidnapping of 66 people Alexia Monserrath Abrego Esqueda, one of five university students murdered by the cartel in Zacatecas, Mexico, in February, 2022 El Chapo, meanwhile, pleaded to have his his phone call and visitation rights reinstated at the ADX Florence super maximum security prison in Colorado. The 67-year-old co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, who once boasted about being behind the killing of 3,000 people, moaned that he has been feeling lonely ever since his rights as a prisoner were stripped away in a letter he penned on March 20. His visitation rights and phone privileges - previously two calls a month - were canceled out when he was convicted, and his appeal was denied in April. 'Sorry to bother you again with the request that I have asked you before with regards to my wife, Emma Coronel,' Guzman wrote in the letter. 'I ask that you please authorize her to visit me and to bring my daughters to visit me, since my daughters can only visit me when they are on school break, since they are studying in Mexico.' The former cartel boss showed his softer side despite proudly running a drug empire that saw thousands slaughtered - and millions more affected by his illegal wares. The former kingpin spends 23 hours locked in a 7-by-12-foot concrete cell with double doors in a section dubbed 'Range 13.' He is supervised round-the-clock and he is prohibited from mingling with the inmate population. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman penned a letter to federal judge Brian Cogan in New York requesting that his wife be allowed to visit him in prison and that the two 15-minute phone calls with the couple's 12-year-old twin daughters be reinstated The former kingpin spends 23 hours locked in a 7-by-12-foot concrete cell with double doors in a section dubbed 'Range 13.' Guzman has often complained of the jail conditions ever since he was found guilty in by a federal jury in February 2019 on 10 counts that included drug trafficking money laundering and the use of a fire arm to carry out crimes. Guzman was once consider the most powerful drug trafficker in the world - after Colombian Pablo Escobar. He was extradited from Mexico in January 2017 after he was recaptured in January 2016 following his second prison escape in June 2015 via a tunnel that his organization had constructed underneath the jail. Before that, he had been on the run for 13 years after he snuck out of prison on a laundry cart in January 2001. His wife was released from US federal custody in September 2023 after she completed 31 months of a 36-month sentence that was handed down by a Washington DC federal court in November 2021 after she pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering. A man was charged with murder after allegedly firing a gun, and killing another person, from the inside of a Muni bus. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle 2021 A San Francisco man was charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed a person from inside a Muni bus near San Franciscos Excelsior neighborhood, the San Francisco District Attorneys Office announced this week. Jose Adrian Flores Garcia, 28, was sitting in the back of a Muni bus before noon on June 18 when the victim, whom the DAs office did not name, boarded the bus with two friends, prosecutors said. When the victim and his friend got off the bus at Mission Street and Silver Avenue, Flores Garcia opened the bus window, stuck his arm out and shot the victim, according to the district attorney. Flores Garcia then reportedly yelled at the bus driver to drive away. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Flores Garcia was taken into custody a month later after an investigation by the San Francisco Police Department. He was charged with one count of murder and one count of discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle. The district attorneys office has moved to have him detained until his trial, citing public safety risk, and the police investigation into the case is ongoing. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins offered condolences to the victims family and friends in a statement. This cold-blooded killing and use of public transportation to flee the scene in this case is chilling, she said. Although nothing we do can bring the victim back, my office will do everything in our power to fight for justice in this case. Chipotle has been hit by a wave of criticism over claims it has become stingy with its portion sizes. The burrito giant has been accused of cutting back on everything from beans to veggies to their highly valued protein items, like chicken, steak and carne asada. The result: a trend in which several TikTok users have now claimed they get bigger portions by filming their servers, implying that, under the pressure of a mobile phone's camera lens, Chipotle employees are more generous. DailyMail.com decided to investigate, shopping at two locations of the fast food burrito chain in downtown Manhattan filming one location and respecting the other's privacy. 'Filming does not result in larger portion sizes,' a Chipotle PR representative said, after users on TikTok began filming the servers making their orders. DailyMail.com has now investigated two locations of the fast food burrito chain in Manhattan (our weight testing is pictured above) A war has raged for over two months between Gen Z influencers and TikTok users, on one side, and staff at Chipotle, on the other, over allegedly stingier new portions While our data collection efforts were far below the standard of a true scientific investigation, our test threw up results no advocates for the 'life hack' saw coming. DailyMail.com made identical steak and chicken burrito bowl orders at the two locations, in an effort to compare and contrast their serving portions by weight. For the chicken burrito bowl, all of the possible vegetable toppings, plus beans and hot sauce were requested, including the 'fajita'-style roasted peppers and onions. For the steak bowl, fajita veggies were skipped, and cheese was added to the mix. Contrary to the claims of numerous, passionate Chipotle consumers on TikTok, the total weight of the burrito bowls were actually lighter at the location where we recorded by approximately one-to-two ounces in each case. A likely explanation for these reversed findings was made public by Chipotle worker Atulya Dora-Laskey, who works at a Lansing, Michigan, store. 'We actually go lighter on portions, because we don't want to be on the record violating Chipotle's proportion policy,' as Dora-Laskey told The Guardian in June. 'You could get in trouble with your boss for giving a customer too much food,' she explained, as the corporate franchise has strict official guidelines for scoop size. Chipotle burrito bowl weights | recorded server v. unrecorded server meal by recorded server by unrecorded server by corporate portion guide chicken burrito bowl 26.90 ounces 28.15 ounces 26 ounces steak burrito bowl 25.05 ounces 28.80 ounces 25 ounces Chipotle has been under fire for issues involving the sizes of their orders online and in-store being different from one another Chipotle's employee 'pocket guide for portion sizes,' leaked to Reddit two years ago, does in fact show what the mandated proportions for each burrito ingredient should be. Using those charts ourselves, DailyMail.com's chicken bowl and steak bowl ingredients with this guide helped us assess what the weight of our burrito bowls should have been. The chicken burrito bowl should have clocked-in at 26 ounces. The steak burrito bowl, with less veggies and a 1-ounce allotment of cheese, would be expected to come in at 25 ounces. These figures come so close to the recorded Chipotle location's service for these bowls that the experiment lends credence to Dora-Laskey's claims. Chipotle's 'crew pocket guide for portion sizes,' leaked to Reddit two years ago (above), does in fact show - both visually and by the ounce - what the mandated proportions are for each burrito ingredient as dictated by Chipotle's corporate office 'You could get in trouble with your boss for giving a customer too much food,' Chipotle worker Atulya Dora-Laskey explained. She noted that recording is likely to yield less food for the customer, 'because we don't want to be on the record violating Chipotle's proportion policy' Estimates for Chipotle's official guidelines on portion sizes come so close to the weights delivered by our videotaped Chipotle location's service that the experiment lends credence to Dora-Laskey's claims. Above, one of our experimental chicken burrito bowls, ready to eat DailyMail.com's burrito bowl results also matched the weight figures reported by a much more comprehensive study of 75 orders from the chain, conducted by Wells Fargo analysts on a lark. The analysts, as they told Barrons, came to a median weight of about 21.5 ounces several ounces below DailyMail.com's orders, but close. The largest burrito bowl obtained by the team, led by Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem, came out to 27 ounces, while their smallest was just 14 ounces. Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem set out to test the theory that Chipotle sizes are getting smaller Fadem's team ordered and weighed their 75 test bowls from eight locations across New York City, and kept variables the same by ordering the same ingredients: white rice, black beans, chicken, pico de gallo, cheese and lettuce, according to Barrons. When they ultimately returned to their offices, they discovered that the consistency of the burrito bowls varied widely from restaurant to restaurant. Some locations served bowls that weighed up to 33 percent more than others, their study found. The frenzy over Chipotle serving sizes appears to have started in earnest around early May, thanks to Keith Lee, a former mixed martial arts fighter and TikTok food critic. Lee posted a video to his over 16 million followers on the app that appeared to depict the influencer digging into a burrito bowl and not finding any of the chicken he had ordered. 'These portions be crazy,' he said in the video. Later that month, another influencer, Isaac Francis, filmed himself ordering at Chipotle and indignantly demanding for more rice and chicken. 'Couldn't let [the employee] 'disrespect me with that protein size,' Francis captioned his video. In late May, as the intensity over this debate on TikTok reached a fever pitch, Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol went on camera to deny portion sizes had gotten smaller. Jewel Diaz, whose TikTok handle is @jeweldiaz, posted a video on April 8 and showed off her big bowl of food from Chipotle while sitting in her car Other TikTok users have shared their own experiences with ordering food at Chipotle and some of them claim to be past or present employees at one of their locations 'We always want to give people big portions to get them excited about the food,' he told Fortune. 'It's kind of who we are,' the CEO professed, adding that anyone could simply ask for more of a favored burrito topping at the chain. Laurie Schalow, Chipotle's chief corporate affairs officer, also told CNN that bowl sizes may vary by the number of ingredients a customer chooses or if they opt to make any ingredient 'light' or 'extra light.' She also denied that the company has changed its portion sizes. Addressing the TikTok 'life hack' head on, a company spokesperson told the New York Times, in no uncertain terms: 'Filming does not result in larger portion sizes.' DailyMail.com's analysis, bolstered by candid disclosure's from Chipotle staff and the Wells Fargo team's 75-burrito bowl review, lends support to the company's claim. 'Worryingly hot' temperatures will affect children and teachers in classrooms as climate change drives more heatwaves, experts have warned. The warning comes after research shows 85 per cent of classrooms breached a recommended maximum temperature of 26C during the recent heatwave in late June. A study by climate campaign group Round Our Way worked with teachers in seven schools across England to put sensors in classrooms that recorded the temperature automatically every hour over a period of four weeks. The period included the late June heatwave, when the UK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a yellow heat health alert for most of England as temperatures climbed to 30C. The data found that, while there is no legal maximum temperature for schools or workplaces, temperatures in six of the seven schools exceeded the 26C maximum which is advised by the National Education Union (NEU). 'Worryingly hot' temperatures will affect children and teachers in classrooms as climate change drives more heatwaves, experts have warned (stock image) The highest peak indoor temperature recorded was in Cambridgeshire, with 29.6C in the classroom by the end of the school day. Meanwhile, schools in West Sussex and Suffolk recorded peaks of 28.3C and 28.2C respectively. Simon, a teacher in the Lake District, explained how there have been 'some fainting incidents' linked to hot classrooms at his school. 'Students lose concentration, become lethargic and occasionally complain of feeling sick with headaches,' he explained. 'There have been some fainting incidents. This may have been compounded by being in warm rooms with little air circulation. 'For obvious safety reasons, the windows only open about ten centimetres at the bottom.' Roger Harding, director of Round Our Way, which describes itself as a not-for-profit supporting people impacted by climate change in the UK, said: 'This data reveals the worryingly hot temperatures our children are starting to face in the classroom thanks to climate change. 'Hard-pressed teachers have told us about children this summer who have fainted or even vomited due to the high heat, and there are many more who simply struggle to concentrate. 'This has been a mild summer by recent standards, so it is scary to picture how bad this will get when temperatures well above 30C return.' The warning comes after research shows 85 per cent of classrooms breached a recommended maximum temperature of 26C during the recent heatwave (pictured) in late June He warned that schools, like many of the UK's buildings, were not set up and funded to deal with the higher temperatures being seen because of climate change. 'The weather used to just be small talk but we now need our political leaders to ensure the country is better prepared for more extreme weather and to tackle the fossil fuel pollution that is causing it in the first place,' he said. It comes after analysis from the Met Office shows the UK is seeing, on average, more frequent periods of hot weather and an increase in extreme rainfall, bringing challenges for infrastructure, health and wellbeing. But the Government's plan to adapt to the risks posed by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court, by campaigners who claim the Tory administration's July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to properly respond to 61 climate change risks. Google executives may be fearing the worst once again as Microsoft-backed rival OpenAI launches a new AI-powered search tool. 'SearchGPT', which is being trialed as a prototype before a wider rollout, scours the web for live news and information just like Google Search. OpenAI says the new product is particularly useful for queries about current events, recent developments, or specific information that ChatGPT might not know. Social media users have noted the parallels with the world's biggest search engine, with one saying 'Google Search is definitely in trouble'. Another said: 'Anyone who has been paying attention knows there will be a new king of search within 10 years. SearchGPT is a new AI tool from OpenAI, the California tech company behind ChatGPT. Currently being tested with a small group of users, it gives 'fast and timely answers' with clear and relevant online sources What is SearchGPT? SearchGPT is a new AI tool from OpenAI, the California tech company behind ChatGPT. Currently being tested with a small group of users, it gives 'fast and timely answers' with clear and relevant online sources, it says. SearchGPT has more of a focus on scouring the internet for the latest news, trends and data compared to ChatGPT, which is more for 'conversational interactions', assisting with problem-solving, advice, tutoring and accessing older information. Advertisement OpenAI says it is testing SearchGPT with a 'small group of users and publishers' to get feedback before it's rolled out more widely. MailOnline contacted OpenAI for more information on when this could be but it wouldn't comment further. In a blog post, OpenAI said SearchGPT will give users 'fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources'. 'Getting answers on the web can take a lot of effort, often requiring multiple attempts to get relevant results,' it said. 'We believe that by enhancing the conversational capabilities of our models with real-time information from the web, finding what youre looking for can be faster and easier.' Sam Altman, the tech firm's CEO, said 'there is room to make search much better than it is today'. He posted on X: 'We will learn from the prototype, make it better, and then integrate the tech into ChatGPT to make it real-time and maximally helpful.' Compared to its famous sibling, SearchGPT has more of a focus on searching the net for the latest news, trends and data, as well as presenting web links to the relevant online sources. ChatGPT, meanwhile, is more for 'conversational interactions', assisting with problem-solving, advice, tutoring and accessing older information. Although it's revolutionized the way we access information online, ChatGPT sometimes has trouble accessing the most up-to-date information and also often gives inaccurate responses. In a blog post, OpenAI said SearchGPT will give users 'fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources' It could prove another headache for rival Google, which declared a 'code red' - an emergency situation - shortly after ChatGPT was released (file photo) Earlier this year, eagle-eyed tech fans also spotted that OpenAI had created a domain for search.chatgpt.com. The domain now takes users to the SearchGPT homepage, where they can sign up to become eligible to use the tool by clicking 'Join the waitlist'. If you're already signed up to ChatGPT it will take your email to put you on the SearchGPT waitlist, but if you are not you will be asked to sign up to ChatGPT first. It warns: 'Access is limited. If selected, you'll receive an email.' OpenAI said it plans to integrate the best of SearchGPT's features directly into ChatGPT in the future. Of those who have already tried, the response seems to be mixed. JL Patten, founder of financial site Intrder, said it's fast, user-friendly and lets you 'have real conversations with your search'. But Neil Patel, head of digital marketing agency NP Digital, said it 'seems like a mediocre search engine'. If you're interested in using SearchGPT, you can head to the official webpage and join a waitlist - but it warns 'access is limited' Social media users have noted the parallels with the world's biggest search engine, with one saying 'Google Search is definitely in trouble'. Another said: 'Anyone who has been paying attention knows there will be a new king of search within 10 years 'It doesn't seem revolutionary, and it doesn't give a good reason for people to switch from Google to SearchGPT,' he posted to X. He added: 'Just because ChatGPT is successful doesn't mean SearchGPT will be.' Regardless, SearchGPT should be causing a fresh headache for the top execs at Google fearing for its $150-billion-a-year search business monopoly. Following OpenAI's new announcement, shares of Google's parent company, Alphabet fell 2 per cent. Compared to its famous sibling, SearchGPT has more of a focus on scouring the internet for the latest news, trends and data, as well as presenting web links to the relevant online sources OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said his company believes 'there is room to make search much better than it is today' Shortly after OpenAI released ChatGPT over a year ago, Google internally declared a 'code red' an emergency situation and scrambled to develop an equivalent product. The result, formerly known as Bard but soon rechristened Gemini, operates very similarly to ChatGPT with conversational replies, but has been plagued with issues. In February, Google has to pause Gemini after it was accused of replacing white historical figures, including Nazi soldiers, with people of colour. A pair of Astronauts remain trapped in space with no end in sight to their near two month long ordeal while engineers try to fix their faulty Boeing spaceship. Sunita Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore have had their stay on the International Space Station extended indefinitely after hoping to visit the orbiting lab for 8 days. On Friday July 26, they hit day 51. Thruster failures and helium links on Boeing's new Starliner capsule has prompted NASA and Boeing to keep them in orbit for longer over fears a trip back on the spacecraft could end in disaster. NASA confirmed earlier this week that they are not ready to announce a return date. At a briefing, officials said that the Starliner was probably safe enough to fly the two home, but that decision would be made during a review. The space agency and Boeing have repeatedly said that the astronauts are not stranded and that in case of an emergency they could fly home in Starliner. But that has raised questions about why Williams and Wilmore can't just fly home now, if the Boeing craft really is safe. The work being done on the Starliner is also being performed remotely - with no engineer sent to space to work on the actual craft itself. Sunita Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore have had their stay on the International Space Station extended indefinitely after hoping to visit the orbiting lab for 8 days The Starliner is pictured docked in the International Space Station. The two astronauts who flew to space on the faulty aircraft remain trapped above the Earth indefinitely while NASA and Boeing probe a series of defects Thruster failures and helium links on Boeing's new Starliner capsule, seen here aboard a Atlas V rocket, has prompted NASA and Boeing to keep them in orbit for longer NASA's commercial crew program manager Steve Stich acknowledge that backup options are being reviewed, including SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The capsule blasted off from Florida atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on June 5, with NASA saying a few hours later that the capsule had sprung two leaks. While the capsule docked at the station on June 6, another leak was found and days later on June 10 another was spotted. In addition to the helium leaks, five thrusters temporarily malfunctioned during the flight but four came back online, with the fifth being shut off. If the spacecraft was to suffer another failure on the way back to Earth, the consequences could be catastrophic for its occupants. The Starliner fiasco heaps fresh embarrassment on Boeing, whose commercial aviation department has been plagued by scandals and crashes. Earlier this year, a 737 MAX plane burst open while flying over Portland, with two other MAX jets crashing in 2018 and 2019, killing more than 300. Boeing has been accused of putting profits before safety and has vowed to improve the quality of its products after the series of catastrophic failures. Williams and Wilmore, despite their unfortunate position, have to work conducting science experiments and upkeep on the station - including cleaning its toilets. During a briefing with reports, Williams said: 'We've been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew. 'It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up with the ISS team. So yeah, it's great to be up here.' Since their arrival, they have performing ultrasounds on their veins to collect data on how space affects the human body. They have also been tasked with chores on board including swapping out a urine processing pump, as well as taking an inventory of food supplies onboard. Wilmore, 61, was tasked with servicing a pair of freezers used to hold research samples as well as refilling the coolant in one of the station's water pumps. Wilmore, left, and Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner The capsule blasted off from Florida atop a United Launch Alliance Atlast V rocket on June 5, with NASA saying a few hours later that the capsule had sprung two leaks Prior to the flight, Williams said that she was aware that the nature of the test flight meant that her and Wilmore might have to improvise. She said: 'We do anticipate everything's going to go as planned. But if it doesn't, we'll take a moment and analyze it and talk about it, and we'll be okay. 'So our confidence in the mission is high. I'm not complaining that we're here for a couple extra weeks.' According to the Washington Post they had a scare last month when a satellite broke apart at an altitude near the station, posing a threat. The two jumped inside the Starliner capsule and prepared to undock in case debris from the satellite hit the station, prompting an evacuation. The debris ended up passing by the station without incident and the crew resumed operations. Scott Kelly, a former NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the station, said that two others onboard would deplete food and cause the air supply to work harder. Veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) and commander Butch Wilmore (right) prior to departure on June 5 Starliner is lifted at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, April 16, 2024 Speaking with the post, Kelly said: 'They're going to put a little bit of a strain on that. On the other hand, there are four extra hands to do more work. 'And there always seems to be a lot of work to be done up there. So that's a positive. 'It's spaceflight, it's risky, it's dangerous. Stuff can go wrong. But you've got to trust the hardware and the people, and I'm confident they're going to be fine.' Boeing and NASA officials first noticed issues with the Starliner even before it took off with the astronauts earlier this month. It has faced years of delays, setbacks and added expenses that have cost Boeing more than $1billion, CNN reports. Starliner was then set to launch on May 6, but teams detected a valve leaking helium and scrubbed the mission. Engineers suspected that the issue came from a defective rubber seal the size of a shirt button, and said that even if the leak worsens, it could be managed in flight - and set the next launch for June 1. During the flight Wilmore and Williams (pictured) were informed that the shuttle had developed two new helium leaks The crew has enough food rations for at least four months on the International Space Station NASA astronauts Suni Williams (bottom left) and Butch Wilmore (bottom right) are seen here after safely arriving aboard the International Space Station However, Starliner was again plagued with misfortunate when the capsule was automatically halted with minutes to go before liftoff by a computer-abort system. The postponement was triggered by computers on the Atlas V rocket's launchpad that coordinate the final moments before liftoff, but the Starliner capsule appeared healthy, officials said. Engineers last week completed testing on a spare thruster in the New Mexico desert and will rip it apart to try to understand what went wrong ahead of the Starliner's docking. The team will test-fire the capsule's thrusters this weekend while docked to the space station to gather more data, said Boeing's Mark Nappi. Each of the 28 maneuvering thrusters can fit in a hand and weighs 2 pounds (1 kilogram). The capsule is also outfitted with bigger engines for dropping out of orbit at flight's end. All these are part of a segment that is discarded before landing, which means nothing to study for future flights. After the space shuttles retired, NASA hired private companies for astronaut rides to the space station, paying Boeing and SpaceX billions of dollars. Archeologists have been left stunned after finding an ancient mummy that has been perfectly preserved for thousands of years in Italy. The team made the 'unprecedented' find after unsealing the 2,000-year-old sarcophagus in the historic 'tomb of Cerberus' in Naples. The remains had been preserved by plant-based creams that were applied on the bodies prior to being sealed in the chamber supplying new and detailed evidence that reveal how Ancient Rome embalmed its own dead. One of the bodies was found covered in a shroud, surrounded by grave goods, which the team unwrapped and found the individual was perfectly preserved. The particular care given to the deceased and the chronology of the objects found suggested that he may have been the founder of the family for whom the mausoleum was built. The burial chamber was discovered in Giugliano, a suburb of Naples, and is believed to be some 2,000 years old. It was uncovered after archaeologists spotted a wall featuring an ancient Roman construction technique known as opus incertum Archaeologists have previously found a large number of burial sites in the same area, which date from the Roman Republic era (510 BC to 31 BC) to the Roman Imperial Age (31 BC to AD 476). The 'tomb of Cerberus,' located in Giugliano, was discovered in 2023 after archaeologists uncovered the boundary of the necropolis. A deeper analysis revealed the structure was the entrance to a chamber tomb, which featured a stunning fresco depicting Cerberus, the three-headed dog from ancient Greek mythology that is believed to be the guard of the underworld. Guigliano, located in Campania, was colonized by the ancient Greeks between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. The tomb was discovered by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, who were not only shocked by how well-preserved the bodies were but by the method used. Researchers plan to share images of the newly found mummies at a later date. The remains had been lathered with cream made from chenopodium, a genus of perennial herb colloquially known as goosefoot, and absinthium (wormwood). The combination has been found on remains in the past, including the body of a 17th-century bishop found beneath a cathedral in Sweden. The roughly 2,000-year-old ancient sarcophagus, located in Naples in southern Italy, was first probed with a micro-camera in order to assess if breaking the seal might harm the precious artifacts and remains it contains (pictured above) by exposing them to the air A sealed sarcophagus at the 'tomb of Cerberus,' three-headed dog of Greek myth, has been opened - shocking experts with mummies in an 'excellent state.' The long-sealed chamber, part of a necropolis adorned with ornate frescos (above), was discovered outside Naples, Italy The mummy that has been unwrapped, however, was covered in a shroud that experts believe mineralized due to the climate conditions inside the chamber. Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo said in a statement: 'In recent months, in fact, laboratory analyses conducted on samples taken from the inhumations and the depositional beds have returned a considerable amount of data on the treatment of the deceaseds body and the funerary ritual carried out, significantly enriching the panorama of our knowledge.' The burial chamber was discovered after archaeologists spotted a wall built using an ancient Roman construction technique known as opus incertum. The method used irregularly shaped and randomly placed uncut stones, which emerged around in the second century BC. It later emerged that this was the front wall of the tomb, which had been sealed with a heavy slab made of tuff a light, porous rock created out of volcanic ash and other sediments. To get inside the burial chamber, the archaeologists had to carefully remove the tiles covering the ceiling opening, which revealed what experts said was an 'unprecedented' discovery. They inserted a micro camera into the small opening, allowing them to see the bodies enclosed inside. The project, financed by Italy's Ministry of Culture, is now conducting DNA analysis on the mummified human remains, to identify the multiple bodies uncovered. His journey was followed by hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok The River Thames looks mighty and awe-inspiring as it flows through London, but at the start, it's practically just a marsh. So reveals Ed Pratt, an adventurer who waded, swam and kayaked over 200 miles down the river, from its source to the sea. Ed has a history of madcap adventures and has previously travelled 22,000 miles around the world on a unicycle. His recent trip along the Thames was followed by hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok, with one of his videos receiving over 4.2million views. Ed began his journey in Gloucestershire - where the river originates. Its starting point, known as Thames Head, does not have a fixed location, but arises from a group of shifting springs near Cirencester and Coates. Adventurer Ed Pratt (pictured) waded, swam and kayaked over 200 miles down the River Thames, from source to sea. His journey was followed by hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok, with one of his videos receiving over 4.2million views Ed began his journey in Gloucestershire - where the Thames originates. Its starting point, known as Thames Head (above), does not have a fixed location, but arises from a group of shifting springs. Picture courtesy of Creative Commons licensing Ed paddled through London on his journey, where he passed by the Palace of Westminster and travelled under Tower Bridge For the first few days, Ed trudged through muddy and foliage-rich water while ducking under the arches of small bridges. On day four, once the water became more traversable, Ed picked up his kayak in Cricklade, Wiltshire. The small vessel, which he called 'Thamesy McThamesface', served him well for the rest of the journey. Ed paddled through Oxford, Reading, Henley, Windsor, Shepperton and Kingston before reaching the 'choppy' London section, where he passed by the Palace of Westminster and travelled under Tower Bridge. @mredpratt Source to sea down the River Thames here we go! Ahead of me is 210 miles of wading, swimming (!) and kayaking down quite possibly the busiest river in Britain. And Im doing the whole thing alone and self-supported. The rule Ive set myself for this mission is this: in order to make progress I have to follow the course of the river exactly. This allows for camping on the bank, but if Im moving towards the sea, I have to be IN it! Ive never been great at posting about trips as they are actually happening, but for this adventure Im going to try it - if only with a short update clip a day. Wish me luck! Day 1s progress: 3.5 miles Total distance: 3.5 miles original sound - Ed Pratt Ed paddled through Oxford, Reading, Henley, Windsor, Shepperton and Kingston on his journey. The above image shows the Thames flowing through Henley-on-Thames Ed spent most nights wild camping on the banks of the river, or in nearby car parks, aside from when strangers invited him in On his journey, Ed capsized twice, came across sunken boats and picked up plastic litter that had found its way into the river. He spent most nights wild camping on the banks of the river, or in nearby car parks, aside from when strangers invited him in. He spent one night on a Dutch barge and was even invited to stay in the captain's cabin of HMS Wellington, which is moored in central London alongside Victoria Embankment. Ed started each day at the exact point where he left the river the previous day. After 19 days, he arrived at Sheerness seafront in Kent, which is located near the mouth of the River Thames, where it flows into the Thames Estuary and eventually into the North Sea. On his journey, Ed capsized twice, came across sunken boats and picked up plastic litter that had found its way into the river. The above image shows the town of Windsor from the banks of the Thames After 19 days, Ed arrived at Sheerness seafront in Kent (above), which is located near the mouth of the River Thames In a TikTok video posted at the finish line, Ed described the last leg of his journey as a 'beautiful paddle' and felt 'relieved' to have made it to the end. The adventurer set off on the journey with the intention of 'raising money and awareness' for The Rivers Trust, a charity aiming to conserve the rivers across Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland. He set the goal of donating 10,000 to the charity and managed to raise over 20,000. In the video, Ed noted that the fundraiser was still open for donations, and thanked those who had followed along on the journey. An American living in the UK has discovered the north-south divide and reveals that it 'threw' him off. Kobie Jordan, who has lived in the UK for three years, declares in a thought-provoking TikTok video that it 'has to be talked about'. As he strolls through the streets of London, Kobie explains to camera that in America people are friendly down south and reserved up north, but notes that in Britain, it's the other way around. Kobie, known online as @kjordyyy, tells his 182,000 followers that 'back home in the South, things are a lot slower, people are much nicer and there's a more community feel to it'. Meanwhile, in the north, he says people are 'rude and reserved' and describes the environment as a lot more 'fast-paced' with 'lots of hustle and bustle'. TikToker Kobie Jordan explains that in America people are friendly down south and reserved up north, but notes that in Britain, it's the other way around Kobie says London (pictured) is the only place in the UK where 'people look through you' He adds: 'Someone could be on the side of the road dying and people would walk by.' In the north of the UK, however, he points out that 'people are way more down-to-earth'. Kobie claims northerners, such as in Newcastle or Liverpool, have the 'maddest accents', and says: 'I genuinely don't believe I've run into one bad northerner.' The content creator was particularly stunned by the difference up north on a trip to Manchester, where he says 'everyone was so polite'. Describing the visit, he says: 'I went to Poundland, and the cashier was like, "Are you alright love, how are you?" And you never get that in London. 'We had a 25-minute conversation. It was so awesome.' In the south of the UK, however, he says 'people are a lot more reserved, a lot more distant'. He adds: 'Some people may even describe them as snobby. Their accents are a lot more posh, and they're a lot more rude.' Kobie says that in the south of the UK people are a lot more reserved, a lot more distant. Northerners, meanwhile, such as those from Newcastle or Liverpool, have the maddest accents, with Kobie adding: I genuinely dont believe Ive run into one bad northerner Kobie was particularly stunned by the north-south difference on a trip to Manchester (above), where he says 'everyone was so polite' FOR MORE FROM KOBIE... To see more from Kobie, follow him on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@kjordyyy, or follow his Instagram account at www.instagram.com/kjordyyy/?hl=en. Advertisement Kobie points out that it's 'not common' to engage in 'polite small talk' with southerners. He says: 'They're very much in their own lane and their humour is dry.' London, in particular, is where he's noticed stunted socialising. He adds: 'You don't really stop and say "hey".' Instead, he says, 'you keep your eyes forward and walk past [people]'. London is also the only place in the UK where Kobie says 'people look through you'. His video was viewed nearly 300,000 times, with users flooding the comment section with their thoughts on the divide. User 'purpleshark21' said: 'I'm a southerner that now lives in Liverpool. Best move I ever made! Love it here. Been here 10 years and [would] never move back down South.' Others were quick to point out that London does not represent the entire south of the UK. User 'antontevola' said: 'I think you're describing London more than the south.' User 'anchoredwunderlust' agreed: 'Very true. But do try south-west too. Somerset, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon.' To which the creator replied: 'I used to live in Bristol... all I gotta say, "LUSH."' Forget everything you thought you knew about Yorkshire puddings (unless youre actually from Yorkshire). Because not only have you been making them all wrong youve been eating them at the wrong point in the meal. MailOnline Travel spoke to Luke French, co-owner and chef at JORO, a Michelin guide restaurant in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He notes that 'in Yorkshire' the correct, traditional way to eat a Yorkshire pudding is as a first course before the main event. That's right, Yorkshire puddings are a starter, not a side dish. Luke French, co-owner and chef at JORO, a Michelin guide restaurant in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, notes that 'in Yorkshire' the correct, traditional way to eat a Yorkshire pudding is as a first course before the main event Ellen Castelow, for Historic UK, supports chef Luke's statement and notes: 'The original purpose of serving the batter pudding was not as part of a main meal, in the way that its served with traditional roast dinners now, but instead served before, with gravy, as an appetiser course. 'This is because, when meat was expensive the Yorkshire pudding could act to fill the consumer, meeting the appetites of working men and allowing the meat to stretch further.' It was, and still is in some homes, common to see them served with gravy, piccalilli and 'Yorkshire salad', aka onions and cucumber quick-pickled in vinegar. Luke suggests some of his favourite ways to eat Yorkshire puddings as a starter for anyone unsure of the idea. He explains: 'I love them as a starter with smokey burnt ends (from pork or beef ribs) and pickles in them covered in truffled cheddar sauce all over. Just good old roast beef and horseradish cream in them also. 'A wedge of ham hock terrine, a wedge of cheese and some piccalilli is a treat, too, if we have leftovers.' So, next time you're taking the eggs out of the cupboard to make Yorkshire puddings, consider making your meal a two-course affair. It's only proper. The chef also insists that Yorkshires are best served when made in the traditional format - baked in a large, square tray. Just like Yorkshire grandmothers have done for generations. He says: 'I personally prefer a big, tray-baked Yorkie. Really tall and crispy around the outside. I love how the bottom with the big surface area (when cooked in a large tray) collects all the fat and is almost a tiny bit undercooked. 'Its got that naughty and delicious raw cake batter thing about it you know.' So far, so Yorkshire. Historic UK notes that bigger Yorkshire puddings are the more traditional variety, too. Luke says: 'I personally prefer a big, tray-baked Yorkie. Really tall and crispy around the outside. I love how the bottom with the big surface area (when cooked in a large tray) collects all the fat and is almost a tiny bit undercooked.' Above - file image It states: 'The pudding would have originally been cooked beneath the meat (usually beef) in a large, shallow tin and then cut into squares to be served, rather than the individual puddings you can buy in supermarkets today.' Luke offered his top cooking tips for those who want to try making proper Yorkshire puddings successfully. He advises: 'Only ever make your mix with a whisk and a spatula no blending allowed. Do not pass the mix through a sieve some lumps are good! 'Never weigh the ingredients. Only make the batter with volumes for example, take a cup or bowl and measure using this, equal parts whole milk, plain flour and good quality rich-yolk eggs.' His tactic for getting the perfect rise? Luke says: 'Use a heavy roasting pan, get it absolutely raging hot in the oven first. 'Then I always use roasted liquid beef fat (tallow) instead of oil (oil is fine, but beef fat tastes way better). Get the fat very hot in the preheated tray then add the batter, cook until golden brown and tall and crispy. 'Let them sit in the tray for a minute or two before removing from the tray or they may flop.' He also adds some sneaky ingredients to his batter. Give them a try if you want chef-standard puds. Luke told us: 'I always add a pinch of caster sugar, English mustard powder, salt and MSG to mine. This helps with colour, but more importantly flavour.' If any Yorkshire puddings go spare then you can also serve them up as a dessert - another traditional use for these Northern delights. Luke notes: 'I like them standalone with custard (proper vanilla custard but we make it with miso and duck fat in the custard) trust me, it's next level. Ice cream is unbelievable, too.' Cat Deeley showed off her incredible figure in a skimpy black bikini as she enjoyed a relaxing beach day with her husband Patrick Kielty on her family holiday to St Tropez on Wednesday. The presenter, 47, is enjoying a summer break from This Morning, and certainly made the most of the French sunshine by heading to the coast. Cat slipped into a strapless black two-piece as she prepared for a dip in the ocean with her sons Milo, eight, and James, five. Meanwhile her husband Patrick, 53, showed off his shirtless physique as he headed into the ocean for a swim. As she and her family prepared to leave the beach, Cat covered her bikini in an oversized navy blue dress, and finished her look with a wide-brimmed straw hat. Cat Deeley showed off her incredible figure in a skimpy black bikini as she enjoyed a relaxing beach day with her husband Patrick Kielty on her family holiday to St Tropez on Wednesday The presenter is enjoying a summer break from This Morning, and certainly made the most of the French sunshine by heading to the coast Meanwhile her husband Patrick showed off his shirtless physique as he headed into the ocean for a swim Cat's holiday comes after she and her co-host Ben Shephard, 49, announced they would be departing This Morning for several weeks. The new hosts, who joined the ITV daytime show in March and are said to be receiving an annual salary of 555,000, are set to take a seven-week break. During their summer break, a rotation of guest presenters will be brought in to front the show in their absence. Friday favourites Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary will kick off the summer shows from, Monday July 15, before a mix of familiar faces return to the sofa. Also stepping in to host will be Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Rylan Clark, Rochelle Humes and Joel Dommett, plus new mum Sian Welby also making her return to broadcasting since welcoming her baby daughter Ruby last month. Ben and Cat return to ITV's flagship daytime show on September 2, and Alison and Dermot return to fronting Fridays on September 6. This Morning's editor, Martin Frizell, said of the summer lineup: 'Viewers will not want to miss a moment this summer!' 'The shows will be packed and whatever the weather, the team in front of the cameras and behind will deliver plenty of content to keep the nation smiling.' Cat slipped into a strapless black two-piece as she prepared for a dip in the ocean with her sons Milo, eight, and James, five As she and her family prepared to leave the beach, Cat covered her bikini in an oversized navy blue dress, and finished her look with a wide-brimmed straw hat Patrick made the most of the stunning French ocean during the family holiday Cat's holiday comes after she and her co-host Ben Shephard announced they would be departing This Morning for several weeks The new hosts, who joined the ITV daytime show in March and are said to be receiving an annual salary of 555,000, are set to take a seven-week break During their summer break, a rotation of guest presenters will be brought in to front the show in their absence Friday favourites Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary will kick off the summer shows from, Monday July 15, before a mix of familiar faces return to the sofa Ben and Cat return to ITV's flagship daytime show on September 2, and Alison and Dermot return to fronting Fridays on September 6 'I'm delighted Alison and Dermot are kicking things off and together with our brilliant family of hosts - made up of the biggest names in TV - they will be serving up really exciting content on Britain's biggest daytime show.' However, viewers were left baffled when the early exit was announced. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, they shared: 'Ben and Cat only joined #ThisMorning back in April of this year'; 'Back in September?? Its July 11... ITS ONLY THE 11th of July part timers basically got TWO month off work what a Joke!'; 'Let's see if they do come back in September. Their viewing figures suggest maybe not #thismorning.' Other viewers were delighted by the shakeup, however, as they expressed their delight at seeing Irish presenter Craig back on their screens. Ben and Cat's summer break comes weeks after they took time off for Easter. The duo enjoyed two weeks away from the programme in April, during which time Alison and Dermot fronted Monday to Friday for the fortnight. Ben and Cat were officially announced as the new This Morning hosts in February after months of whispers. Sources at the channel said that they were 'thrilled' at the signing of the pair after 'so many obstacles had to be negotiated to get there'. The Mail first revealed that the duo were top of the list but in December Cat turned down the role because she wasn't able to commit to the programme at the time. This Morning's editor, Martin Frizell, said of the summer lineup: 'Viewers will not want to miss a moment this summer!' However, viewers were left baffled when Ben and Cat's early exit was announced, after the pair were unveiled as the new main hosts back in March Ben and Cat's summer break comes weeks after they took time off for Easter Ben and Cat were officially announced as the new This Morning hosts in February after months of whispers However, after further negotiations and the offer of more money, she agreed. One source said: 'Cat was the one they wanted all along and finally they have her. It is incredible news for them.' It's possible the reason for the sudden U-turn was financial, with Cat set to nab a bumper payday as the new host. When reports of her joining the show first emerged last year it was claimed she and Ben would receive an annual salary of 555,000. While hefty, the salary still paled in comparison to former hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, who were said to have been paid 700,000 annually for their roles. Holly left the show last October 'for the sake of her family' after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnap and murder plot and has since not been replaced permanently. Her departure came five months after Phillip's when his affair with a young male showrunner was made public, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host. Alec Baldwin looked weary as he stepped out with wife, Hilaria Baldwin, to grab a casual dinner in the Hamptons on Thursday. The 30 Rock alum, 66 - who was recently hailed as 'the kindest actor' by the mother of two child actors in the film Rust - stopped by Nick & Toni's restaurant alongside Hilaria, 40, for a tasty meal. His latest outing comes nearly two weeks after his Rust shooting trial came to an abrupt end, leaving the star in tears upon hearing the judge's decision to dismiss the case in a Santa Fe courtroom. Alec sported a light gray, checkered shirt that was buttoned at the front, as well as a pair of dark gray trousers during the evening excursion. He additionally slipped into a pair of brown loafers while easily carrying his wallet in his right hand. Alec Baldwin, 66, looked weary as he stepped out with wife, Hilaria Baldwin, 40, to grab a casual dinner in the Hamptons on Thursday The mother-of-seven was also stylishly casual in a pair of loose-fitting, denim jeans as well as a black, long-sleeved cardigan. The flared hem of her pants concealed the shoes she opted to wear for the Hamptons dinner, and allowed her brunette locks to flow down naturally past her shoulders. Hilaria - who tied the knot with the Beetlejuice actor in 2012 - opted for minimal accessories, and added a pair of mini, rhinestone earrings and a few flashy rings to complete her look. She was seen flashing a smile while holding hands with her husband as they strolled outdoors together. Baldwin's outing comes nearly two weeks after his Rust shooting trial was dismissed - causing an emotional reaction from the star and his wife. Most recently, one of the juror's on the case - which was dismissed on July 12 - told People in an article published on Tuesday that 'the case seemed mishandled from the get-go.' Martina Marquez - a resident of New Mexico - added that the fateful shooting, which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, was 'an unfortunate accident.' 'The indictment charge seemed a little bit harsh. Just starting from the lapel cam videos, it didn't make sense how they could point fingers directly towards him as a whole.' The actor sported a light gray, checkered shirt that was buttoned at the front, as well as a pair of dark gray trousers during the evening excursion Baldwin's outing comes nearly two weeks after his Rust shooting trial was dismissed - causing an emotional reaction from the star and his wife; seen on July 12 in Santa Fe, New Mexico Marquez also recalled seeing body cam footage during the trial which showed an assortment of people on the set not long after the shooting had occurred. Lieutenant Timoteo Benavidez also was seen looking for the prop gun in the footage and was finally given the item by armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed - who notably was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter. 'It didn't make sense. We all watch TV and we watch movies. You're not supposed to really touch evidence and move it from place to place,' Martina said. 'So that made me iffy about the situation because it could have been in so many people's hands by the time the lieutenant actually confiscated it.' 'I felt like she was liable for what happened,' Marquez said of Gutierrez-Reed. In regards to the charges against Alec and the case, the juror expressed to People, 'that it didn't need to go this far. And it did seem pointless.' The widower of the late cinematographer, Matthew Hutchins, released a statement after the judge's decision and said that he 'respects the court's decision.' However, he also added that, 'We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna.' Most recently, one of the juror's on the case - which was dismissed on July 12 - told People in an article published on Tuesday that 'the case seemed mishandled from the get-go'; seen earlier this month in Santa Fe 'The indictment charge seemed a little bit harsh. Just starting from the lapel cam videos, it didn't make sense how they could point fingers directly towards him as a whole,' Marquez added; Rust seen in October 2021 Baldwin is also planning on suing a New Mexico state prosecutor and sheriff after it emerged they withheld evidence from his defense team during their failed bid to prosecute him over the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set for Rust. Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dismissed after a New Mexico judge agreed that prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza withheld evidence about the source of the live round that killed Halyna Hutchins in 2021. The evidence came from a man who dropped it off at the sheriff's office in March, more than two years after the shooting, who said it may be relevant. But investigators believed it was unrelated and unimportant, and did not disclose it to Baldwin's defense team. Baldwin's lawyers sent letters to Morrissey and Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza earlier last week on Monday asking them to preserve documents for future litigation, according to copies of the letters seen by Reuters. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed it received the letter from Baldwin's legal team but declined further comment. Morrissey did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hutchins died when Baldwin pointed a gun at her as they set up a camera shot on a movie set near Santa Fe. The gun fired a live round inadvertently loaded by the movie's chief weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Gutierrez-Reed, serving an 18-month prison sentence, filed a motion for dismissal of charges in response to the prosecutors' failures to disclose evidence last week on Tuesday. Baldwin is also planning on suing a New Mexico state prosecutor and sheriff after it emerged they withheld evidence from his defense team during their failed bid to prosecute him over the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set for Rust; seen earlier this month in Santa Fe Hutchins died when Baldwin pointed a gun at her as they set up a camera shot on a movie set near Santa Fe; Hutchins seen in 2018 in Park City, Utah Gutierrez-Reed, serving an 18-month prison sentence, filed a motion for dismissal of charges in response to the prosecutors' failures to disclose evidence last week on Tuesday; Hannah seen in April in Santa Fe They claimed prosecutors failed to disclose evidence on the live rounds, testing of Baldwin's gun by firearms expert Lucien Haag and an interview with the movie's props supplier Seth Kenney. After the dismissal of the case, Alec broke his silence and penned on Instagram, 'There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now.' 'To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family,' he added. Over the past weekend on Saturday, Alec also made his first red carpet appearance since the end of the case while joined by wife, Hilaria, in East Hampton. He held a smile on his face as he attended the HamptonsFilm SummerDocs screening of War Game. Baldwin donned a pair of dark gray trousers as well as a light blue shirt and black blazer on top. The actor completed his ensemble for the weekend outing by slipping into a pair of black, leather loafers. Hilaria also dressed for the occasion wearing a figure-hugging, pink dress that clung to her frame and was held up with thick straps that wrapped around her shoulders. After the dismissal of the case, Alec broke his silence and penned on Instagram, 'There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now'; seen in 2021 in NYC Over the past weekend on Saturday, Alec also made his first red carpet appearance since the end of the case while joined by Hilaria in East Hampton (seen above) She slipped into a pair of closed-toed, white pumps and allowed her brunette locks to effortlessly flow down past her shoulders in elegant waves. The mother-of-seven opted for minimal accessories, and added a pair of small, rhinestone earrings as well as a few flashy rings on each of her hands. Alec and Hilaria struck a variety of poses together upon arriving to the special screening at the Regal UA East Hampton theater. He was also seen giving a friendly wave to fans while outside as he arrived to the venue as the sun was setting. The Assyrian Church in China, a Missionary Perspective In autumn 2022 I was lucky enough to interview Mar Awa III Royel, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East in Rome for Agenzia Fides. It is a Church that now it is small from a numerical point of view, but has a long history, and represents a direct heir of that Ancient Eastern Church which in the first centuries of Christianity was at the center of an extraordinary missionary adventure. An adventure that brought the Christian message from the Middle East to the Arabian Peninsula, India and even China. In the interview I asked Mar Awa what in his opinion was the secret of that great missionary adventure. The young Patriarch of the Assyrian Church replied to me that the missionaries of the ancient Church of the East were a singular "army", a spiritual army. He remembered that they were above all monks and nuns, who captivated the hearts of other people "with sweetness, and not through dynamics of conquest". For them -- added Mar Awa -- Every emergency, every concrete problem in life became an opportunity to do good, becoming friends and brothers with everyone. Various reasons in my opinion still make that extraordinary historical and ecclesial event very relevant today. For most of the references contained in my speech I am indebted to the rich and in-depth studies of the Italian sinologist Matteo Nicolini-Zani, monk of the Community of Bose. I am referring in particular to his essay "Monastic Mission in Dialogue" contained in the volume "The Mission of the Universal Church -- an Oriental Perspective, edited by Professor Germano Marani sj and published by Urbaniana University Press. Origin and specific traits of the Church of the East The communities of the Church of the East which took root for centuries also in China since the most distant antiquity are often defined as "Nestorian", because at the time of the Council of Ephesus (431), which condemned the Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople, wanted to remain linked to the theological and spiritual tradition of the Church of Antioch, from which Nestorius himself came. That Antiochian tradition strongly emphasized the incarnation and humanity of Christ, his human nature, recognizing that through the humanity of Christ the mystery of his divinity is revealed. Since the beginning of the 3rd century AD, the Eastern Church had begun to structure itself as an autonomous Church, outside the borders of the Roman Empire, distancing itself from the Church of the Empire. The Christians of the Eastern Church had their own Patriarch (Katholikos) based in Seleucia-Ctesiphon on the Tigris River, in Mesopotamia. The distancing from the Churches of the Empire and above all from the Church of Constantinople/Byzantium was not mainly due to theological or doctrinal reasons, but to reasons that we could define as political, in a broad sense. As its presence moved towards the East, between to the Persian Empire and beyond, the Eastern Church, also to avoid persecution, had to show that its Christians did not belong to communities linked to the Roman Empire, which for centuries had represented the enemy par excellence of the Persian world. The communities of the Eastern Church progressively increase their presence towards the east through different ways and processes. In some cases this occurs due to deportations of populations in the territories conquered by the Persian Empire, when among the deportees there are Christians and even bishops. In less troubled times, Christians moved eastward following trade routes. In any case, on their journey towards the East, the Christians of the Syriac Church encounter new peoples, new languages, new cultures and new religious communities. For example, when they found new Episcopal Sees in present-day Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, cities like Samarkand and Tashkent became the meeting place with the Sogdians, a population of nomadic merchants, who partly became Christians. To follow the Sogdian merchants, bishops who embraced their nomadic status were ordained. Therefore that of the East Syrian Church is a Christianity that expands following the events of history: migrations, deportations, movements along the flows of trade. In their fundamental work of missionary theology, Stephen Bevans and Roger Schroeder recognize that the originality and relevance of this "missionary movement" were linked to two of its characteristics: the monastic connotation and the openness to a dialogue attitude towards everyone. A monastic missionThe missions of the East Syrian Church were monastic undertakings. In the new territories, the first communities were always structured around monasteries. The missionaries sent to take care of the Christian life of the communities and also the metropolitan bishops of the new ecclesiastical provinces outside Persian territory were monks, raised in the monasteries scattered in Mesopotamia and Persia. Historical evidence documents that Patriarch Timothy sent the monks of the Bet'Abe monastery, located north-east of Mosul (in present-day Iraq), to China as bishops. The monks were well trained in the study of the Holy Scripture and in theology, and due to their faith they were ready to live in difficult situations. A letter from Patriarch Timothy reports that Many monks cross seas towards India and China carrying with them only a stick and a pouch". In the area currently included in the diocese of Zhouzhi, a few kilometers from Xi'an, the "Nestorian Stele" was found in 1625, today kept in the Stele Forest Museum of Xi'an: it is the relic/archaeological evidence which attests to the arrival of the first Christian announcement in China by the missionary monks of the Eastern Church as early as 635 AD. Built in 781 with texts engraved in Chinese and Syriac, the Stele represents -- as stated in its heading -- the "Memorial of the Propagation of Da Qin's Luminous Teaching in China". In Chinese, the term Da Qin originally referred only to the Roman Empire. Then the expression was used to refer precisely to the communities of the Syriac Church that had permanently settled in China. Also from the text of the Stele it can be deduced that monasteries were also present in Chang'an, the ancient eastern capital of the Empire, today Xi'an ).The Stele describes the Christian community as a community with monastic traits, made up of people who live without being subjected to worldly passions, practice fasting and penance, experience liturgical and prayer moments 7 times a day according to the office of the monks and they carry out works of charity The other characteristic of this missionary adventure is that of openness and dialogue, which can be seen taking place in three areas: dialogue with cultures, with religious realities and dialogue with power and political authorities. In dialogue with cultures When they arrive, the missionary monks of the Eastern Church do not place themselves in a position of strength, but as humble monks and traders. And precisely because they are well founded in their faith and doctrine, they can come into contact with the local culture and literary tradition with a dialogue attitude, as had already happened in the encounter between Christianity and Greco-Roman culture. The East Syrian communities flourished in China during the Tang (618-907) and Yuan (1272-1368) dynasties. When they arrive in China, the missionary monks are confronted with a superior culture, and to bear witness to their faith they begin a process of adapting the Christian theological language into the Chinese cultural context, preserving the heart of the Antiochian faith. Numerous quotations are also found in the text of the Stele modeled on the expressions taken from the Chinese classics. Thus the monks begin a process of sinicization which is not a flat and mechanical replacement of Chinese cultural data with oriental Syriac data, but a more gradual and vital process of contamination. Only in this way is adaptation real and fruitful. Mission and dialogue with religions In the experience of the Eastern Church in China, Christianity takes its words from religious ways and doctrines such as Buddhism and Taoism. Even the words chosen to describe monastic institutions, such as the word "monastery", are taken from Buddhism. Their attempt produces texts in which many key terms belong to the Buddhist and Taoist religious sphere. And the adoption of this language is not perceived as a loss of Christian identity, but as a tool to expose the "proprium" of the Christian faith in a pluralistic context. It is an adaptation of the announcement of Christianity in its essential terms, with words that belong to cultural contexts different from those of the Greek and Roman cultural world. To give an example, the mystery of the Trinity is evoked by referring to the salvation given through "Three Majesties of Luminous Teaching". The effects of this contamination are also documented for example in the iconography of the Christian tombs of Zaitun (13th century), where crosses are grafted into the lotus flower and celestial beings similar to angels painted in the Buddhist iconographic mode. Mission and dialogue with politics and power Another dimension of the dialogue approach of the missionary practice of the Church of the East in China is that adopted towards the authorities and the political power of the Tang Emperors and the Mongol Yuan rulers. The uninterrupted dialogue with it was accepted by the imperial authorities as a necessary tool to gain recognition as a legitimate and "orthodox" teaching in the sense of Confucian political meaning. This was the only way through which the Christian faith could be accepted in a Chinese society and to avoid being associated with cults considered pernicious and perverse, prosecuted by law. The Stele itself testifies to the intent of Christianity of Syriac origin to acquire legitimacy at the imperial Court. The entire Stele is permeated by the intent to show the connection and harmony between the just actions of the rulers and the presence of the Church in China, which makes its contribution to the social order and the common good. Therefore the Stele also testifies to a process of adaptation to the Chinese way of conceiving and managing relations between communities of faith and political authorities. A certain number of Christians were functionaries and officials in the political and military administration of the Tang empire, French Cardinal Eugene Tisserant , an expert and lover of Eastern Christianity, recalled in one of his writings on the Eastern Church that The Nestorian priests in China voluntarily offered their services to the government, taking on public roles. Among these there was also the donor of the Stele , the Bactrian Yazdbozid, who in China takes the name of Yisi. The Chinese section of the Stele, in the final part, reproduces his biography and highlights his high-ranking roles achieved in the imperial administration, and exalts his practice of the Christian virtue of charity. In this attitude of collaboration and service towards the political authorities, the Church finds its legitimacy in the political context so different from that of the Roman Empire. Christianity, in the way it is lived and witnessed by those communities in China, becomes a confession that can be embraced because it is not perceived as a doctrine of foreign people or those subjected to foreign powers or interests. The names of Christians who already in those centuries became court advisors and doctors in China show that the choice of dialogue and not opposition was useful in spreading the Gospel and bearing witness to it, in that period of history which was in many ways the antipodes of what would have been happened many centuries later, in the era of Colonialism. Conclusions The two aforementioned scholars Bevans and Schroeder underlined that the missionary experience of the ancient Eastern Church has a lot to say to our present. The attitude of openness to meeting and dialogue leads back to the sources of the mission. And in today's world, it appears increasingly clear that dialogue and openness to encounters are necessary attitudes for every Christian testimony. This was also demonstrated by the first Council of the Catholic Church in China, which took place in Shanghai 100 years ago, in 1924. On 21 May a conference organized in Rome by the Pontifical Urbaniana University in collaboration with Agenzia Fides commemorated that important Council. said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for the first evangelization and the new particular Churches), speaking of the Council of Shanghai, the announcement of the Gospel is not identified with a civilization and a culture , and precisely for this reason it protects and promotes the riches of individual peoples and their cultures. Because the liberation and healing brought by Jesus are a gift for each and every one, as Pope Francis always repeats. This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect. Chinese embassy in Syria celebrates 97th anniversary of PLA Xinhua) 14:07, July 26, 2024 Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas (at the podium) speaks during a reception marking the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Damascus, Syria, on July 24, 2024. The Chinese embassy in Syria hosted a reception Wednesday evening to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Syria hosted a reception Wednesday evening to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). Chinese Ambassador to Syria Shi Hongwei, Military Attache He Yongliang, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Army and Minister of Defense Ali Mahmoud Abbas attended the event. In his address, the military attache highlighted the significant contributions of the PLA over the past 97 years to achieving China's national liberation, defending national sovereignty, and safeguarding global peace. He praised the fruitful outcomes of recent cooperation between China and Syria in combating terrorism and other areas, reaffirming continued support for the efforts of the Syrian army and people in protecting their national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. Abbas expressed great appreciation for the achievements of the Chinese military and its positive contributions to maintaining global peace and security. The minister thanked the Chinese government for its robust support for Syria on the global stage and conveyed readiness to work with China to elevate bilateral relations and cooperation between their militaries to a new level. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) New housing developments abound on a strip of Harrison Street in downtown Oakland between Grand Avenue and 27th Street. Its part of where Lakeside Group plans to create a new neighborhood dubbed Northlake, with private investments to spur safety and development. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle Amid recurring reports about rising crime and safety issues in Oakland, a midday stroll along the northern tip of Lake Merritt suggests something different emptiness. The sidewalks around the shiny office towers facing the lake are swept clean and devoid of activity or audience. A retail spine along Grand Avenue is marked by vacancies. And while a handful of eateries have opened on nearby Valdez Street, there are no customers in sight. On top of Oaklands PR problem of danger and doom, workers in the area say this is one of the citys real issues. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You can throw a bowling ball around here and you wont hit anybody, said Nigel Jones, owner and chef of restaurant Calabash at 2300 Valdez St. Thousands of people live here, but you wouldnt know it from walking on the streets. Construction workers pave the concrete pedestrian area at the corner of Harrison and 24th streets in downtown Oakland. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle Jones is no longer looking to city government for answers, but is hopeful that a campaign launched by property owners in the area to fix the neighborhood which, with newly defined boundaries, has been dubbed Northlake will bear fruit. The vision for Northlake is a privately funded enhanced services district similar to a business improvement district, or BID, but fueled by private capital and without the taxing power that would aim to create a thriving, 24/7 environment in a stretch of downtown bounded by 19th and 27th streets, Broadway and Lake Merritt. The area is already home to a number of luxury multifamily buildings, retail shops and office towers including PG&Es new headquarters at 300 Lakeside Drive and the headquarters of card issuing platform Marqeta at 180 Grand Ave. making it an ideal location to perform an enhanced placemaking exercise, said Oakland investor and developer Isaac Abid, who is leading the Northlake project. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The effort comes as political tensions percolate in City Hall, where Mayor Sheng Thao and District Attorney Pamela Price face recalls in an election year. And a closer look at the area thats earmarked for investment reveals cracks in the sleepy cityscape: Wise Sons Jewish Deli confirmed its location at 1700 Franklin St. has shuttered permanently after nearly a dozen break-ins over the past two years. An attempted break-in this week left a window in the storefront of Calabash, located at the base of a luxury apartment complex, fractured. Restaurants are closing and we pretend its a one-off, but its not. Its systemic, said Jones, who estimated that his establishment could close in a matter of months if things dont turn around. Abid, formerly a founding partner at West Coast real estate development firm HP Investors, which owns multiple commercial properties in Oakland, has been a vocal critic of the citys state of affairs. Hes donated to a group seeking to remove Price from office. A former civil rights attorney, Price campaigned on promises to reduce mass incarceration, lighten sentences for defendants under age 25 and take a hard line on police misconduct. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lakeside Group founder Isaac Abid walks on Franklin Street in downtown Oakland. He believes private investment could help an area around Lake Merritt in ways the city government has not. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle So much of the criticism of Oakland and downtown is a difficult situation. Its a big city. Its obviously got fiscal challenges. And rather than complain about it, we asked: Where can we find a place to conduct this experiment? said Abid. The presence of concentrated private capital in a pedestrian scale neighborhood thats mixed use, felt like a unicorn type of opportunity. Earlier this year Abid stepped away from HP Investors to launch Lakeside Group, a company that he now heads with his wife, Puja. Lakeside Group will focus on investment opportunities in Northern California, but its first order of business is raising around $4 million from property owners and corporations in the proposed Northlake area to augment security and sanitation services, fund streetscape improvements and pay for programming to activate underutilized or vacant properties. Eventually, they also want to launch a public relations campaign to change the negative perceptions swirling around Oakland, which, in recent years, has seen a crime surge thats forced restaurants and businesses to close, hire security or stop accepting cash. There are perceptions and reality and there are realities around crime, but once those perceptions harden, it becomes irrelevant, Abid said. If I told you that there was not a single crime in this area for two weeks, would that change anything in your mind? Would you feel comfortable when you walk at night? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Graffiti covers 290 27th St., a dilapidated building that sits across from the residential developments along Harrison Street in downtown Oakland. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle By doing the work of activation, place making, investing in infrastructure, it shows that this area can be something different that helps change the perception. It gives the shot of adrenaline that I think is needed at this juncture to replace the organic growth that was happening in the last boom cycle, he said. Abid said that his team has already secured commitments from property owners and other stakeholders for about half of the funds it needs to launch the first phase of Northlake, which will focus on the area north of Grand Avenue and south of 27th Street, called Zone 1. While Abid did not disclose which groups are donating to the Northlake District project, an individual with insight into the matter told the Chronicle that Holland Partner Group, which owns three apartment complexes within the larger districts boundaries, is supporting the effort. Enrollment in the district is voluntary, but nearly all of the large multifamily owners in the area have shown up to meetings, the individual said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The PG&E office at 300 Harrison St. has sweeping views of Lake Merritt and the Oakland hills. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle Oaklands largest employers PG&E, Kaiser Permanente, Clorox and Blue Shield have also been engaged by Lakeside Group. In March, these companies announced that they would be spending $10 million collectively on a security plan that includes increasing security downtown and subsidizing transportation and escorts for workers in the area. That program is already underway and has received positive feedback from our employees, the companies said in a joint statement to the Chronicle. Kaiser and PG&E both have offices within the proposed Northlake District zone. Weve also had initial conversations with representatives from the Northlake coalition and were looking forward to continued collaboration with the city and community leaders to support our goal of creating a safer, more prosperous Oakland for all, the companies said in their statement. The initial funding that Lakeside is seeking to raise would allow it to hire a security firm through the existing Uptown Downtown Business Improvement District, which already oversees a team of unarmed community ambassadors who patrol the area during the day. The patches of land where the Lakeside Group plans to develop border downtown Oaklands Whole Foods Market. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle Puja Abid said that the ambassadors are more hospitality focused, serving to welcome and guide visitors and address quality of life issues. The extra security that Lakeside Group plans to fund would also be unarmed and supplement the BIDs services after hours with the goal of ensuring around-the-clock security in the Northlake District. We want the district to be friendly, inclusive and something that plays up the great vibe of Oakland, she said. Lakeside has partnered with Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, the place-making consultancy that programmed Salesforce Park and the East Cut neighborhood in San Francisco to assist with planning and activation. It is also working with global architecture firm Gensler, which has an office in the Northlake District zone. We care quite a bit about the environment we have 110 employees that come to work every single day in our building and eat and shop in the district, said Gensler managing principal Manan Shah. Along with helping to brainstorm activation opportunities in the Northlake zone, Gensler is tasked with pulling in the community. In May, the firm held a workshop with residents, local businesses, elected leaders and other stakeholders at its office. Weve got this map in our office that has 100-plus sticky notes all over it with tactical, grassroots ideas about what could be done all across the district, Shah said. Some of those ideas include installing new street lighting and signage, landscaping and transforming underutilized spaces for concerts, events and recreational or learning activities. Real estate firm Lakeside Group hopes to construct a new residential project on the site of this parking lot, on the corner of Webster and 23rd streets in downtown Oakland. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle A parking lot that was once envisioned for redevelopment into a housing tower at Broadway and 23rd Street is among the parcels being eyed for temporary activation. Part of the challenge economically is that theres high degrees of vacancies and lots that five years ago had plans for high-rise residential or other uses. I think everybodys accepting the reality that were not going to all of a sudden put up 15 new buildings, so we have to work with the fabric of the district as it is, Shah said. There are a lot of surface parking areas where we have the ability to bring in recreation, spaces that kids can use, that provide office workers needed amenities, that could bring in more retail or pop-ups. Earlier this year, Oakland adopted a long-awaited plan to revitalize downtown, which relies largely on incentivizing private construction of housing, offices and cultural spaces over the next two decades. City leaders have been mulling over a plan to patch a projected two-year $292 million budget deficit. Leigh Hanson, Thaos chief of staff, said private investment to bolster the citys economic health is welcomed. Nina Dobrev looked elegant alongside her three-time Olympic gold medalist boyfriend Shaun White on the eve of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The Vampire Diaries star, 35 who was recently hospitalized due to a serious e-bike accident and the former pro snowboarder, 37, attended Louis Vuitton's star-studded Prelude to the Olympics event in Paris on Thursday. Dobrev looked every inch a movie star in a leather jacket and a high-waisted black silk maxi-skirt. The actress also modeled a gold mesh top while appearing to be in good spirits in the City of Love. Her brunette locks were let loose and her signature bangs framed her face as she posed for photos with White. Nina Dobrev looked elegant alongside her three-time Olympic gold medalist boyfriend Shaun White on the eve of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony The Vampire Diaries star, 35, and the former pro snowboarder, 37, attended Louis Vuitton's star-studded Prelude to the Olympics event in Paris on Thursday The Canadian native paired the look with a black designer purse and a dainty gold necklace. She rocked a simple makeup look that included natural blush and rosy lips. Shaun, 37, looked dashing in a beige suit as he posed up a storm with his lady love at the star studded event. The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are slated to kick off on July 26 and will wrap on August 11. White, a California-born snowboarder and skateboarder, is a five-time Olympian and took home Olympic gold medals in the half-pipe event in 2006, 2010 and 2018. Nina and Shaun first met at an awards show in 2012 but were formally introduced at a Florida workshop organized by motivational speaker Tony Robbins in late 2019. 'I actually didn't know anything about her,' White told People of their first interaction. The pair dated secretly until going Instagram official in April 2020. Since, the pair have grown closer. White, a former snowboarder and skateboarder, has previously won Olympic gold medals in the half-pipe event in 2006, 2010 and 2018 Shaun, 37, looked dashing in a beige suit as he posed up a storm with his lady love at the star studded event In April, the athlete told the outlet that he felt 'no pressure' to propose to the actress. He said: 'We're just enjoying our time together right now, but I told her, I was like, "Look, after the Olympics, I finally got my freedom to do whatever. And let's just have fun and be together and support each other." 'But you never know. We'll see what happens,' he added. Dobrev has also starred in the series Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Let's Be Cops, Flatliners, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Dog Days and Then Came You. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available The lure of social media stardom has enticed many Australians to pursue a career as an influencer on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. But for every Bec Judd, Tammy Hembrow or Skye Wheatley, there are hundreds of Aussies struggling to make enough to survive in the world of online content creation. And ING's Head of Consumer Rights Matt Bowen has revealed the sad truth about Aussie influencers during an appearance on Sunrise on Friday. 'Most people who pursue careers as content creators are lucky to make ends meet,' host Edwina Bartholomew said, introducing the segment. Matt agreed, saying that while forecasts for the industry looked bright, the reality of starting and growing an influencer career can be much different. 'We're all dreaming about that side hustle to make it big online. We don't have to work the 9 to 5 like we do every day,' he said. 'And Goldman Sachs is saying this industry is actually gonna be worth $480 billion globally over the next few years. 'So it's nice to think that a nice little slice of that pie could be.' ING's Head of Consumer Rights Matt Bowen has revealed the sad truth about Aussie influencers during an appearance on Sunrise on Friday Matt went on to explain that given that there are only a handful of Australians 'making the millions on social media', managing expectations around income reliability, changing trends and brand preference was crucial. 'You need to be prepared for long stints without potentially any income coming in,' he said. 'As you start to monetise your audience, there'll be genuine questions around whether you believe the products that you're actually pushing. 'You need to be prepared for long stints without potentially any income coming in,' he said Matt went on to explain that given that there are only a handful of Australians 'making the millions on social media', managing expectations around income reliability, changing trends and brand preference was crucial 'And TikTok is the fastest growing platform here in Australia, but there are concerns about that being banned potentially in the US,' he added, questioning the longevity of the platform. Matt ended the segment by suggesting a side hustle might be a good way for burgeoning content creators to shore up income. 'I think for now, Eddie just set up the garage, the garage sale on the weekend and sell those unused clothes might be, might be an easier option,' he said. 'You don't have to pay tax on that.' Tammy Hembrow (pictured) with an estimated net worth of $50million rakes in as much as $82,998 per sponsored post, according to Yahoo! Lifestyle Hunter Talent, a management firm which represents some of Australia's biggest social media personalities, recently shed a light on their wild social media earnings. Tammy Hembrow boasts more than 17million followers on Instagram and her shock salary certainly reflects her huge rise to fame on the platform. With an estimated net worth of $50million, the fitness influencer, 30, rakes in as much as $82,998 per sponsored post, according to Yahoo! Lifestyle. Tammy's huge earnings for just one post are the same as the average Australian's annual salary, which is estimated to be around $89,000 per year. Kayla Itsines follows closely behind Tammy as she is said to charge as much as $71,550 for each of her Instagram advertising posts. The personal trainer, 32, boasts almost 16million followers on the social media platform after gaining huge popularity for her fitness and wellness posts. Strictly Come Dancing contestant Zara McDermott reportedly suffered a leg fracture during training for the BBC show. The Love Island star, 27, picked up the nasty injury while preparing for a performance with her professional partner Graziano Di Prima, and despite being in agonising pain, pushed through to compete in the dance-off. According to sources, Zara was unaware she'd suffered the injury until she sought medical help after being eliminated from the show, and it was only recently revealed to show bosses when she was interviewed about Graziano's conduct. Graziano was sacked by Strictly bosses earlier this month after it was alleged footage emerged that showed him physically and verbally abusing Zara in training. According to The Sun, Zara relied on painkillers to get through her ten-hour training sessions with Graziano, with the pair agreeing to plough on and compete in the dance-off, before being voted off the show in Halloween Week. Strictly Come Dancing contestant Zara McDermott reportedly suffered a leg fracture during training for the BBC show with professional partner Graziano Di Prima (pictured) The Love Island star picked up the nasty injury while preparing for a performance, but only sought medical help when she was eliminated (pictured wearing a moon boot in March) Zara was then reportedly taken to hospital, where an X-Ray revealed she had severe ligament damage plus a stress fracture on her left tibia. A source said: 'She started developing a really bad, niggly pain in her left leg at training. The pain got worse and by the last few weeks, she was in agony, popping painkillers before, during and after sessions. 'She made Graziano aware of her discomfort but he was pretty adamant they needed to crack on. 'Obviously they both wanted to get the highest scores possible, and unfortunately she pushed through the pain. She wasn't seen to by medics on site, and production weren't aware of the extent of her injury.' Zara is thought to have told BBC bosses of the 'rigorous' training sessions she endured while paired with Graziano on the show. However, a source close to Graziano told the publication that he encouraged her to take breaks, and she wanted to continue training despite her pain. A spokesman for Zara declined to comment to The Sun. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing, Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima for comment. After Zara was pictured in a recovery boot earlier this year, she shared on social media that she'd suffered a stress fracture on her tibia, but did not say at the time it stemmed from her time on Strictly. Zara is thought to have told BBC bosses of the 'rigorous' training sessions she endured while paired with Graziano on the show Graziano was sacked from Strictly after he was accused of kicking and spitting at former Love Island star Zara (pictured on the show) It comes following reports on Thursday that Zara's pal Pete Wicks has joined the Strictly lineup. A source told The Sun: 'Pete has joined the Strictly line up and is excited to get started. 'He isn't much of a dancer but that's what the BBC loved about him. They wanted the show to feel more like it did in the beginning. Pete is also going to attract younger viewers who have followed his career since Towie.' It comes following reports on Sunday that Graziano was accused of 'chasing' after Zara while 'screaming abuse,' leaving her so frightened that she 'locked herself in a toilet.' He has apologised for kicking his former partner, but added other allegations do not align with 'how he remembers it.' According to the reports, shock details have now been revealed which allege he 'called her nasty names, asked if she had gained weight and was forceful' leaving her 'visibly demoralised' and 'in tears.' Zara herself previously claimed in a statement there had been 'particular incidents inside the training room which were incredibly distressing.' She did not report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash, instead it was junior production staff who came forward. An insider told The Sun: '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. 'You could constantly hear Graziano screaming but when production staff opened the door he would stop. Hed say, "How the f*** are you not getting this right?", and "Why are we even bothering to come here?". Zara was visibly demoralised.' The insider added that Graziano would apologise each time and 'promise to not do it again.' On Thursday, 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 [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 believed the matter had been resolved at the time. The investigation into his behaviour was triggered by Strictly's bid to clean up the show after fellow Italian Giovanni Pernice was accused of abusive behaviour by his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington, which resulted in him leaving the show. Giovanni denies the claims. 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. 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.' A BBC Spokesperson told MailOnline: '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.' Zara broke her silence after Graziano was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing over reports he 'hit and kicked' her on Tuesday. The Love Island star wrote on Instagram 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 begain. '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.' It comes following reports on Sunday that Graziano was accused of 'chasing' after Zara while 'screaming abuse,' leaving her so frightened that she 'locked herself in a toilet' '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 explai-ned 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 Pernice was taking place. Giovanni was suspended while a BBC probe is underway over allegations made by Amanda Abbington 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. On Tuesday, Paralympics star Will Bayley became the latest star to speak about his time on the show. The 36-year-old, who was paired with Janette Manrara in 2019, said he was left with life-changing injuries after being made to redo a jump in a routine as he criticised the show's duty of care. Ioan Gruffudd and his fiancee Bianca Wallace have recently been spending some time in America, and have opted to stay in a budget hotel during their holiday. The couple, who are staying in the States while Bianca films her latest project, were seen leaving a $77-a-night hotel on Wednesday. It comes after Alice Evans' lawyers have accused her ex-husband Ioan of giving Bianca $77,000 in just a single month while she was struggling for cash to look after their children. But Ioan put the claims and divorce drama behind him as he enjoyed a relaxing stroll in the sunshine during Bianca's day off work. The actor, 50, later shared a sweet embrace with Bianca, 31, as he supported her through on set through out the filming of her new movie Cougar. Ioan Gruffudd and his fiancee Bianca Wallace have recently been spending some time in America, and have opted to stay in a budget hotel during their holiday The couple, who are visiting the States while Bianca films her latest project, were seen leaving a $77-a-night hotel on Wednesday The actress revealed on Thursday that filming had wrapped up as she shared a beaming snap to Instagram. She wrote in the caption: 'Cougar wrapped! What a dream job, cast & crew - So grateful, MB. Country crime incoming from the supremely talented guy who does it best' It comes after bombshell court papers revealed Evans claims that the Fantastic Four actor stopped paying him either child or spousal support in April. According to a court filing on July 1 seen by MailOnline, she claims she is in a dire financial crisis, behind on rent and utility payments and struggling to put food on the table for their daughters Ella, 14, and Elsie, 10. Meanwhile, she alleges Gruffudd, 50, and Wallace have been travelling the world and even recently bought new Rolex watches. A page from the court filing appears to show the $77,000 that Gruffudd is said to have paid out to Wallace in December last year. The biggest single payment is $53,760 - for a 'loan repayment'. It seems that there are three of them in the divorce battle, with Evans, 55, saying that Wallace made a 'completely false' and highly defamatory attack on her on Instagram in April this year. In the post, aspiring actress Wallace said she had been contacted by thousands of people who claimed Evans had abused or threatened them - declaring that she was going to 'stand up' to 'bullies'. Evans' lawyers argue this means that Wallace was in breach of a custody stipulation, which forbids either of them from being negative about the others in front of the children. The actor, 50, later shared a sweet embrace with Bianca as he supported her through filming of her new movie Cougar The actress revealed on Thursday that filming had wrapped up, as she shared a beaming snap and wrote: 'Cougar wrapped! What a dream job, cast & crew - So grateful, MB. Country crime incoming from the supremely talented guy who does it best' Because their eldest daughter, Ella, has Instagram, her lawyers say this is a breach. In the papers, Evans adds that Ella was very upset when a school friend told her about the post and 'cried out she never wants to see Ioan again.' The documents say that Evans' lawyers emailed Gruffudd's lawyers to ask for Bianca's Instagram post to be removed, but received no response. They note that Bianca used the pronoun 'we' in the post, which implied that her fiancee agreed with her. It is also the case that Evans, after hundreds of outbursts on social media and elsewhere in the immediate aftermath of their separation in 2021, is subject to a restraining order which means that she was not able to respond at the time. The filing is an urgent request for funds. In it, Evans, who met Gruffudd on the set of the film 102 Dalmatians, says: 'As it stands, I have very little money coming in each month. I earn approximately $300 per month in royalties. 'I have drained all of my personal savings paying my prior attorneys in this case and paying for my expenses 'I have some personal property, such as vintage designer items, held in storage, that I could possibly sell, but they are in danger of being sold at auction because I cannot pay the monthly storage fee (Ioan stopped paying post-separation even though our daughters' childhood mementos are stored there.)' She adds: 'As it stands, I am behind on rent and utility payments, and friends have started dropping off groceries and food so the children and I can eat. I will be applying for food stamps and welfare. 'While I am struggling to put food on the table for our children, Ioan is jet setting around the world. Ioan could not appear at his noticed deposition for custody issues because he travelled to the UK. Since April 2024, according to his Instagram page and press releases, he has been in the UK, Cardiff, Sardinia, Rome, Spain, and Seattle. Alice Evans pictured with her two daughters - amid her messy divorce from Ioan Gruffudd Gruffudd is pictured kissing his smiling fiancee Bianca Wallace in an Instagram post announcing their engagement in January Gruffudd paid Wallace $77,000 in December 2023, Evans says. This image from the court filing appears to show the payments in question 'Based upon stories in the media, Ioan purchased an expensive engagement ring for his fiancee and they recently purchased new Rolex watches. ' She acknowledges she signed a prenuptial agreement in 2007 before marrying Gruffudd. It gives her 20 per cent of his earnings as spousal support in the event of a split, or 10 per cent if they have children. She notes: 'This provision punishes me for having children, which I contend offends the public policy of the State of California that both parents are to contribute to the financial support of the children, especially in this case where I now have 100% custody of the children.' At the time of the prenup, which is attached to the filing, Gruffudd said he had a net worth of 2million, and she had $40,000 in various accounts. The couple split up in January 2021, and in September of that year he went public with Wallace, who was an extra on the show Harrow which was filmed in Australia. It was only at the end of 2023 that some interim spousal and child support was settled. The agreed payment was $3,000 a month in interim child support and $7,000 a month in spousal support. Evans says that Gruffudd only paid the spousal support from December 2023 to April 2024 and has paid nothing since. Her lawyers say that he earned on average $21,000 a month in 2023, but during the marriage had earned between $500,000 and $1million a year. They claim that Gruffudd earns tens of thousands of dollars a month, per his tax filings, and that he also received 'approximately $390,000 from the sales proceeds of the home just in December 2023'. 'In this case, a disparity in access to funds to pay fees exists because Alice earns only a few hundred dollars per month, while Ioan's self-reported average monthly income on his Income and Expense Declaration filed January 24, 2024, is $21,023 for the 36 months ending December 31, 2023 and $18,264 for the 12 months ending December 31, 2023,' the legal filing states. 'Moreover, Ioan continues to get roles in movies, such as Bad Boys 4, which was just released this year. Ioan also received approximately $390,000 from the sales proceeds of the home just in December 2023.' Evans is asking the court to pay her attorneys and alleges that he has been paying two different law firms and a forensic accountant. It was initially understood that the financial issues would go to trial by April 2024 but that has now been put off to August. Evans, Ella, Elsie and Gruffudd attending the premiere of Show Dogs in Hollywood in 2018 'Alice is applying for public assistance because she is unable to support herself and the children,' her lawyer states in the latest legal filing. 'It appears that the financial trial will be several months away and Alice will not be able to survive without the receipt of guideline spousal support. 'Ioan has the ability to pay spousal support based upon his greater ability to earn income and his ongoing lavish lifestyle. For these reasons, Alice requests guideline child and spousal support.' The issue of custody has been settled, with both parties signing a stipulation two months ago. Following an evaluation by a child custody expert, which took several months, Evans was granted 100 per cent custody. Gruffudd had wanted a 50-50 arrangement. Her lawyer Janina Verano also says that since May 2023, Gruffudd has not seen the children outside of reunification therapy nor has he 'exercised his court ordered right' to have a telephone call with them three times a week. Reunification therapy ended in February this year. 'Ioan has not telephoned the children or returned their text messages since May of 2023,' Evans says. She adds: 'The children have been left in limbo and are completely confused about when or if they will see Ioan.' Through an order filed by her lawyer, Evans says that she does not agree to the sealing or keeping private of their stipulation, or custody agreement in its entirety, which is what Gruffudd has requested - accusing him of being 'disingenuous' in his request to seal the legal proceedings in order to 'protect the children'. Evans' attorney notes that Gruffudd 'did not seek to seal any of DVRO [domestic violence] pleadings nor any of the custody pleadings wherein he falsely accuses Alice of abusing the children' - calling out the fact that he only wishes to seal those proceedings in which the allegations were resolved. Evans was made subject to a restraining order by her estranged husband in February 2022 after she posted a number of messages about him and his new girlfriend on social media and allegedly sent him over 100 texts. One suggested: 'You've got your nuts stuck in her veneers.' She denied abusing or harassing him. The order was extended for three years in August 2022, and Evans was forbidden from posting about either Gruffudd or Wallace. In June last year, elder daughter Ella, then 13, applied for a restraining order against Gruffudd after a custody visit ended in chaos. She said: 'I was so mad at my dad because this was an overnight visit, and I had told him in the past that I didn't want to meet his girlfriend who was now his live-in girlfriend.' She claimed that Wallace had slammed a door against her head as she was running from their apartment after pouring milk and mustard around in protest. In publicly available documents she said that she was 'afraid' of her father and said that he had threatened to 'call the police on her anytime she misbehaves' during visits. The request for a restraining order was dropped in court by Ella, who faced her father's legal team. The couple married in Mexico in 2007 after meeting on the set of the Disney film 102 Dalmatians. Gruffudd's representatives were contacted for comment. Bianca Censori continued to put on a risque display while stopping by the Chateau Marmont in LA on Thursday in a skimpy ensemble with husband, Kanye West. The Australian-born architect, 29 - who also wore a daring outfit last week to grab a bite at the iconic landmark - returned with the Heartless rapper, 47, to enjoy lunch together at the hotel. She barely covered up her cleavage in a skimpy, nude-colored bralette top as well as a pair of white, micro shorts - not paying any heed to the business casual dress at the Chateau Marmont. Censori additionally slipped into a pair of closed-toed, black heels that were secured with thin straps that wrapped around her ankles. Her short, brunette locks were parted to the side, and fell down in natural waves to nearly brush the tips of her shoulders. Bianca Censori, 29, continued to put on a risque display while stopping by the Chateau Marmont in LA on Thursday in a skimpy ensemble with husband, Kanye West, 47 She barely covered up her cleavage in a skimpy, nude-colored bralette top as well as a pair of white, micro shorts - not paying any heed to the business casual dress at the Chateau Marmont Bianca chose to not wear any flashy pieces of jewelry to allow the outfit to be the main focal point during the daytime outing. She was seen arriving to the legendary venue on Thursday while stepping out of a sleek, Tesla Cybertruck West - who is also known as Ye - joined his wife for the lunch date and opted for an all-black ensemble that comprised of a black hoodie and comfy sweatpants. The performer also slipped into a pair of black shoes while also sporting black shades and a bracelet in his left wrist. Censori's return to the Chateau Marmont in another daring look comes shortly after an insider revealed whether the architect was welcome at the hotel - which costs around a whopping $774-a-night. A valet at the landmark told DailyMail.com on Wednesday, 'She comes here all the time. I always know when she's here because there's always a lot of paparazzi.' 'She comes a lot. She stayed here awhile, a few months I think, and last time she was here was before the weekend, Tuesday or Wednesday.' In regards to her risque looks when paying a visit to the hotel, the valet revealed, 'She always dresses like that.' Her short, brunette locks were parted to the side, and fell down in natural waves to nearly brush the tips of her shoulders Censori additionally slipped into a pair of closed-toed, black heels that were secured with thin straps that wrapped around her ankles West - who is also known as Ye - joined his wife for the lunch date and opted for an all-black ensemble that comprised of a black hoodie and comfy sweatpants Bianca chose to not wear any flashy pieces of jewelry to allow the outfit to be the main focal point during the daytime outing She was seen arriving to the legendary venue on Thursday while stepping out of a sleek, Tesla Cybertruck Censori's return to the Chateau Marmont in another daring look comes shortly after an insider revealed whether the architect was welcome at the hotel - which costs around a whopping $774-a-night Earlier last week on Wednesday, both Censori and West were spotted at the Chateau Marmont to enjoy lunch together. At the time, she wore a semi-sheer, fitted nude top that clung to her frame - but opted to not wear any bottoms, easily showing off her nude, thong underwear. She added a tan cap that was placed on top of her head, and for a finishing touch, donned a pair of chic black pumps. It comes shortly after Bianca could possibly face jail time, a fine and mandatory registration as a sex offender due to her daring looks while out in Los Angeles. Before her visit to the iconic hotel last week, the architect - who tied the knot with Kanye in 2022 - flaunted an X-rated outfit as she stopped by a tanning salon. She flashed her cleavage in a see-through, mesh top as well as a pair of nude-colored, micro shorts during the errand run. Censori added a camouflage hat on top of her dark locks while also slipping into a pair of closed-toed heels for the daytime excursion. The jaw-dropping ensemble could possibly be considered as indecent exposure under California state law. A valet at the landmark told DailyMail.com on Wednesday, 'She comes here all the time. I always know when she's here because there's always a lot of paparazzi' 'She comes a lot. She stayed here awhile, a few months I think, and last time she was here was before the weekend, Tuesday or Wednesday,' the valet said Earlier last week on Wednesday, both Censori and West were spotted at the Chateau Marmont to enjoy lunch together It comes shortly after Bianca could possibly face jail time, a fine and mandatory registration as a sex offender due to her daring looks while out in Los Angeles The California Penal Code Section 314(1) is a crime of indecent exposure when a person exposes his/her naked body or genitals in public and causes individuals to feel both offended or annoyed. A person found guilty of the crime has to pay a fine of $1,000, can face six months in a county jail while also being required to register as a sex offender for at minimum 10 years. She was also seen at the hotel on a separate occasion in a skimpy, black bikini top as well as shorts while grabbing drinks with close pals. However, some tourists and residents of Los Angeles appear to be unbothered by Bianca's daring style. Tourist Emily Martinez told DailyMail.com, 'It's not something I'd wear but if she wants to, that's for her.' A couple were asked to give their opinion, but needed clarification on who Bianca was. The man then shared, 'She thinks no and I think yes. Whatever anyone wants to wear is fine.' Another tourist named Devontae, stated, 'Everyone should have the freedom to wear what they want. I wouldn't wear it though!' But some restaurateurs have differing opinions on the outfits, and have vowed to ban Censori and West from their eateries. However, experts say that her outrageous outfits 'won't stop,' with PR guru Mark Borkowski telling MailOnline, 'Where does it end?' But some restaurateurs have differing opinions on the outfits, and have vowed to ban Censori and West from their eateries However, experts say that her outrageous outfits 'won't stop,' with PR guru Mark Borkowski telling MailOnline, 'Where does it end?'; seen in February in Milan She clearly is very comfortable with her public image and demonstrates it with this extreme fashion statement.' Mark added, 'I can only think this is a considered act. It feels to be a desperate attempt for publicity. It feels like a living embodiment of the Empress has no clothes.' And earlier this week on Wednesday, both Bianca and Kanye stepped out for a cinema date in L.A. She flashed her cleavage in a sheer cropped top as well as nude-colored micro shorts, while Ye covered up in an all-black outfit. The two seemingly had issues with their Tesla Cybertruck and appeared to have trouble getting into the vehicle. The pair were spotted re-entering the movie theater as their security guard made a call. Claire Stokes was among the who's who of Australian showbiz, politics, and business who gathered to mark a major milestone for a newspaper on Thursday night. The wife of the Channel Seven media mogul Ryan Stokes, showcased her expensive taste as the couple attended The Australian's 60th birthday bash at The Australian Museum near Sydney's Hyde Park. Claire opted for a sexy $400 black velvet jumpsuit from NBD which featured a U-shaped bust to show off her ample cleavage. She paired her look with a cropped black blazer and a black $3,000 Dolce & Gabbana handbag, while accessorising with black platform heels and dazzling silver jewellery. Meanwhile, Ryan looked dapper in a black tuxedo. Their outing comes after the Seven Network axed about 150 workers amid financial woes. Claire Stokes was among the who's who of Australian showbiz, politics, and business who gathered to mark a major milestone for a newspaper on Thursday night Staff across editorial, television, marketing and sales teams have been axed, with a number of high-profile - and highly-paid - TV presenters already chopped. One high-profile victim was long-serving Brisbane newsreader Sharyn Ghidella, who was sacked over the phone while at a hair salon preparing for an upcoming network promotion. The situation is so dire the network's billionaire owner Kerry Stokes, Ryan's father, will fly into Sydney from Perth next week and take up residence on the executive floor of Seven's Eveleigh headquarters. The wife of the Channel Seven media mogul Ryan Stokes, showcased her expensive taste as the couple attended The Australian's 60th birthday bash at The Australian Museum near Sydney 's Hyde Park Claire opted for a sexy $400 black velvet jumpsuit from NBD which featured a U-shaped bust to show off her ample cleavage It is understood that he will take a hands-on approach as the troubled network attempts to arrest months of damaging headlines and internal turmoil - and his impending arrival has done little to ease staff concerns. Seven's title as the country's most popular free-to-air network largely spiralled in the wake of the Bruce Lehramnn Spotlight saga, when former producer Taylor Auerbach began slinging allegations at his former employer in the Federal Court. He alleged the network had reimbursed Lehrmann for drugs and sex workers while trying to seduce him into doing an exclusive interview on Spotlight. She paired her look with a cropped black blazer and a black $3,000 Dolce & Gabbana handbag, while accessorising with black platform heels and dazzling silver jewellery The network repeatedly refuted those allegations, but the damage was done - Seven has now been struck with a wave of leadership turmoil and financial cuts. Among those to depart recently include director of news and current affairs Craig McPherson, managing director James Warburton, commercial director Bruce McWilliam, and Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn. Replacing Mr McPherson was Anthony De Ceglie, who previously worked as a newspaper editor and had no experience in television, was promoted to the top editorial position at Channel Seven in April. Veteran journalist Robert Ovadia also left the network after ABC Four Corners made inquiries about the alleged toxic culture in the Seven newsroom. Ovadia allegedly took images from a female producer's personal Instagram page and turned them into a 'caricature' before sharing them with her, Daily Mail Australia previously revealed. He has now filed a claim with the Fair Work Commission against both De Ceglie and Seven, and is seeking compensation and to be reinstated to the job he held for 23 years. There are also rumours that long-standing news presenter Mark Ferguson - who is reportedly on a salary of up to $750,000 - could be in the firing line, with presenter Angela Cox turning heads with a rare series of solo appearances this week. Meanwhile, Ms Ghidella was reportedly axed from the network's Brisbane bureau because she was on a much higher salary than her co-host Max Futcher. 'When you work in TV for as long as I have, not a day goes by when you aren't expecting the proverbial tap on the shoulder... After 38 years, my shoulder tap has finally come,' she wrote on social media. Their outing comes after the Seven Network axed about 150 workers amid financial woes. Kerry Stokes (pictured with his wife Christine Simpson Stokes) is flying to Sydney to deal with the ratings issues Seven's long-time Sydney newsreader Mark Ferguson (pictured) could also be in the firing line 'It wasn't quite how I expected it to end at Channel Seven. 'I was actually sitting at the hairdressers for work, when I got the call informing me, that after 17 years with the network, my time was up. 'While somewhat saddened by this decision, there is also some sense of relief. As has been widely reported, the past couple of weeks in TV has, sadly, been a miserable affair.' Secret internal ratings figures obtained by Daily Mail Australia revealed that in just two weeks, Seven News Brisbane has shed a significant 29,000 viewers. The ratings freefall put Seven some 88,000 viewers behind Nine's Brisbane news on Monday - whereas on Monday, July 8, prior to her axing, Seven was just 60,000 behind. Viewers were shocked when the face of Seven News in Queensland Sharyn Ghidella was abruptly sacked earlier this month. And her fans were stunned when the beloved 58-year-old TV veteran disappeared from screens without offering an on-air 'goodbye'. Now Sharyn has revealed that she knocked back the chance to say farewell to her large and loyal audience. In a touching admission the journalist said that after 17 years at the news desk she merely wanted to stay 'professional' during her final bulletin. 'I think it was the emotional side of it,' she confessed on Friday in The Courier Mail. 'I was not certain I could keep my emotions in check. I didn't want to be on air, trying to communicate the news, which is a very serious business, if I was not completely composed. 'If I'd made mistakes, if my voice had a wobble in it, that's not professional and our viewers deserve better than that.' Elsewhere in the chat, Sharyn said she considered viewers 'friends'. Viewers were shocked when the face of Seven News in Queensland Sharyn Ghidella was abruptly sacked earlier this month. (Pictured) 'Family, actually,' she added and continued: 'When you are in their lounge rooms at 6pm, five days a week, they have to trust you. 'They have made a connection with me, that connection has now been broken and I feel a little lost.' It comes after Ghidella confirmed the news of her sacking in a fiery Facebook post earlier this month. Her former co-host Max Futcher spoke emotionally and passionately about her on air when he hosted the 6pm bulletin solo after her untimely exit. 'First tonight, she didn't want a farewell, and she's too humble to want us to make a fuss. But we would like to thank Sharyn Ghidella for her 17 wonderful years behind the desk here at 7News Brisbane,' he said. 'A true professional, an accomplished journalist, and for all of us here a friend and mentor. And my good mate. 'We know Sharyn has also been a big part of your lives, and we know she sees that role as a great privilege. 'Sharyn leaves with our respect, our admiration, and wishes for an amazing future. Love you Shaz.' Ghidella said in her post that her 'tap on the shoulder' finally came while she was at the salon, admitting it was a 'relief' of sorts after several anxious weeks of media job cuts. 'When you work in TV for as long as I have, not a day goes by when you aren't expecting the proverbial tap on the shoulder... After 38 years, my shoulder tap has finally come,' Ghidella began. Now Sharyn has revealed that she knocked back the chance to say farewell on air to her large and loyal audience. In a new interview with the Courier Mail she said that after 17 years at the news desk, she wanted to stay 'professional' during her final bulletin 'It wasn't quite how I expected it to end at Channel Seven. 'I was actually sitting at the hairdressers for work, when I got the call informing me, that after 17 years with the network, my time was up.' She said her recent time at the network had been 'miserable' and she was glad to be heading out the door. 'While somewhat saddened by this decision, there is also some sense of relief. As has been widely reported, the past couple of weeks in TV has, sadly, been a miserable affair,' she wrote. Sharyn said she was not sure she could keep her emotions in check and wanted to stay professional. She had been on the News Desk since 2007 'A long list of talented, loyal and dedicated employees have been shown the door, in what seems to have been an interminable process of pulling the Band-Aid off slowly when it comes to removing what has been deemed excess stock. 'These people are some of the best content creators in the business. They are good people and it's been heartbreaking to watch.' Sharyn added she was not a fan of the network's rebranding of its news programming, with comedian Mark Humphries doing regular skits and an astrology 'report'. 'I'm also not one to have my evening news served up with humour and horoscopes either, so, to be honest, it is time to go,' Ghidella sniped. She ended her take-no-prisoners post by thanking the many friends she had made throughout her long career with the network. Hugh Jackman has paid tribute to the Hollywood mogul who helped make the Australian-born actor a global superstar. The 55-year-old fan favourite a guest when Marvel boss Kevin Feige, 51, received a 'star' on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Thursday. The Wolverine star decided to have some fun at the expense of his old mentor. As part of his tribute, Hugh presented the multi-millionaire Marvel Studios president with a $15 voucher to a well-known steakhouse chain. A video shared to Facebook shows the cheeky star struggling to keep a straight face during his presentation. 'I honestly would go with you, but Im kind of a massive movie star now [so] it would not look good for me,' Hugh joked. In his speech Hugh explained the meaning of his 'gift'. Speaking in front of a star-studded group of guests including Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pratt, Hugh told how he had known Feige since he first auditioned for the part of Wolverine for the X-Men movie 25 years ago. Hugh Jackman has paid tribute tp Marvel boss Kevin Feige, 51, as he received a 'star' on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Thursday. As part of his tribute, Hugh presented him with a $15 voucher to a well-known steakhouse chain At the time, Feige was a producer for Marvel and had offered to drive the then little known Aussie to the airport. 'And all of a sudden he pulls over at a restaurant,' Hugh continued. 'Now at this point I know Im not getting the part. Kevin knows Im not getting the part. The waiter in the restaurant knows Im not getting the part. But Kevin says: ''I want to buy you a steak''. 'And like, Im an actor, it's free steak, Im in totally...He [Kevin] took the time to take care of me. And I will never ever forget it. 'Its 25 years later. And this is kind of a full circle moment. So is there any way I can show my affection for this man today? Other than saying a few words? 'I got you this gift certificate to Mastros Steakhouse. This is a full $15 gift certificate... valid on Tuesdays between 3 and 3pm. Don't cry.' Hugh has played the Marvel character in eight X-Men films from 2000 until 2016, and was last seen as Wolverine in standalone movie Logan in 2017. Deadpool and Wolverine will be the 10th time the Aussie has strapped on the big claws for the popular role. Speaking in front of a star-studded group of guests including Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pratt , Hugh told how he had known Feige since he first auditioned for the part of Wolverine for the X-Men movie 25 years ago Kayla Itsines has criticised children's play centres after she came down with a nasty eye infection after visiting. The fitness influencer and personal trainer, 33, went to the kid's activity venue during the school holidays with her daughter Arna, five, who she shares with ex-boyfriend Tobi Pearce. But on Monday, Kayla took to social media to reveal to her 15.8million followers that she'd contracted conjunctivitis, also known as 'pink eye'. 'Well... I somehow ended up with conjunctivitis,' she captioned her post, which documented Arna having a fun time at the play centre. 'I'm all better now but who's going to be the one to tell Arna we're never going again?' 'I recently took the kids to a play centre during their school holidays (because they were begging me to go) and EVERYONE told me not to because apparently they're a cesspool for gastro and conjunctivitis,' Kayla added. 'I even went as far as researching to find a place that shows videos on how they clean everything daily.' Kayla, her husband Jae Woodroffe their son Jax officially moved from Adelaide to the Gold Coast earlier this year after months of speculation. Kayla Itsines has criticised children's play centres after she came down with a nasty eye infection after visiting. Pictured with daughter Arna and son Jax Kayla and Jae tied the knot in December last year following a two-year engagement, but their fairytale romance first blossomed under unusual circumstances. From getting together just months after leaving their respective exes to Kayla's subsequent falling out with Jae's ex-girlfriend - things weren't always so simple. Kayla debuted her relationship with personal trainer Jae on September 26, 2021, when the couple was spotted packing on the PDA outside a kebab shop in Adelaide. The sighting came just a few weeks after Kayla had split from her former boyfriend, a videographer known only as 'Mitch G'. The fitness influencer and personal trainer, 33, went to the kid's activity venue during the school holidays with her daughter Arna, five, who she shares with ex-boyfriend Tobi Pearce But on Monday, Kayla took to social media to reveal to her 15.8million followers that she'd contracted conjunctivitis, also known as 'pink eye' Earlier that month, 'Mitch G' was pictured packing his personal belongings into a moving van outside Kayla's home, confirming their brief relationship was over. Coincidentally, Jae also moved on with Kayla shortly after splitting with his long-time ex-girlfriend Lauren Benotti, who also happened to be close friends with Kayla. Jae and Lauren are believed to have started dating in 2016, as indicated by loved-up Instagram photos posted by Lauren at the time. The last photos of the former couple together were uploaded on May 23, 2021, following a night out with a group of friends which included Kayla. A group photo taken during the outing even shows Kayla, Jae and Lauren all posing side by side. In January 2022, Kayla finally debuted Jae on her Instagram page, uploading a photo of the pair cuddling alongside a caption describing him as her 'best friend for years and now partner' Kayla and Jae debuted their romance four months later. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any party has ever been unfaithful. Kayla declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, but her spokeswoman Sara Bergstrom said the 'media narrative' suggesting Kayla and Lauren fell out because of Jae 'was false then, and [is] still false now'. Kayla and Lauren's relationship appears to have soured, and the pair no longer follow each other on Instagram. In January 2022, Kayla finally debuted Jae on her Instagram page, uploading a photo of the pair cuddling alongside a caption describing him as her 'best friend for years and now partner'. The happy couple welcomed their first child together, a boy named Jax, in January last year, with Kayla sharing custody of her daughter Arna, five, with ex Tobi Pearce. Kayla and Tobi share custody of their daughter Arna. Kayla also welcomed her first child with Jae, a boy named Jax, in January 2023. Zara McDermott has broken her silence after it was revealed close friend Pete Wicks will perform in Strictly Come Dancing this year. The documentary maker, 27, and former TOWIE star, 36, joke they are in a throuple relationship with Zara's long-term boyfriend Sam Thompson, 31, who has been best pals with Pete since 2019. Despite their close-knit friendship, Pete has landed a spot on the Strictly line-up amid shocking reports Zara performed on the show with a 'fractured' leg following an injury in training and needed painkillers to get through ten-hour rehearsals. The latest revelation comes after professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, admitted to kicking Zara during their sessions, causing him to be sacked from the BBC series. It follows claims his abusive behaviour was caught on video, in clips Zara stated were 'incredibly distressing to watch.' Zara McDermott has broken her silence after it was revealed Pete Wicks will perform in Strictly Come Dancing this year The documentary maker and the former TOWIE star are close pals and even joke they have a throuple relationship alongside Zara's long-term boyfriend Sam Thompson A source told MailOnline: 'Zara is so happy for Pete landing the Strictly gig. 'Her experience on the show was so individual she hopes no one will go through the same again. 'She knows that Pete will have an amazing time and could even impress the judges, he's incredibly hardworking and a good person, and will thrive in the environment, which can be intense, but he performs best when he's challenged and under pressure. 'Zara doesn't want anything that happened to her to taint his Strictly journey and backs Pete even if it is a bit close to home.' Pete joined Sam in the Strictly studio audience last year and together they wore patterned shirts embellished with Zara's face to show their support. They posed for photographs alongside Zara and Graziano, who has since fled to his native Sicily in the wake of his Strictly axing. Reality stars Sam and Pete became friends following their appearance on E4 show Celebs Go Dating in 2019 and have since hosted podcast Staying Relevant together. As well as their podcast, the pair's working relationship sees them prank each other in viral social media videos based around Sam's enthusiasm and eagerness to please juxtaposed with Pete's moodiness. Zara often features in the clips, which has seen the trio perform fun dance routines for their huge combine following. The latest revelation comes after professional dancer Graziano Di Prima admitted to kicking Zara during their training, causing him to be sacked from the BBC series Zara often features in social media videos alongside Sam and Pete, which has seen the trio perform fun dance routines for their huge combine following The BBC star has spoken out about her experience in the Strictly training room and being 'scared' about her future and 'victim shaming' in the wake of the revelations The Sun revealed Zara needed painkillers to get through ten-hour training sessions after breaking a leg bone on Strictly. A source told the publication the TV star danced during the show's Halloween week with a fractured leg, and it was 'literal horror in every sense of the word.' An X-ray revealed severe ligament damage plus a stress fracture on her left tibia. Show bosses learned the full extent of the injury only two weeks ago when Zara spoke to private investigators amid the inquiry into Graziano's behaviour. Professional dancer Giovanni Pernice has also been sacked from the show following an ongoing investigation into his conduct after actress Amanda Abbington told the broadcaster she had been mistreated. On Wednesday, Amanda revealed to Channel 4 the BBC had failed to offer any 'aftercare' following her departure from Strictly and the onslaught of trolling she experienced once Giovanni was booted off the series. She revealed there are '50 hours of footage which have been blocked' to back up her claims Giovanni created a 'toxic' environment in the training room. Speaking to former Strictly co-star Krishnan Guru-Murthy, she said: 'It's bullying and it's aggressive behaviour and there were other things that happened that were very upsetting that you manage at the time in the room because you're a woman and you have to manage those things because otherwise what do you do?' A split tray of paella at Bellota in San Francisco, as seen in 2016. John Storey/Special to the Chronicle A popular San Francisco destination for Spanish fare like tapas and paella will be closing soon after eight years in business. Bellota, at 888 Brannan St. in SoMa, will close on Aug. 17, according to an announcement from the restaurant on social media. Eric Vreede, operations director and vice president of the Absinthe Group, cited low activity in the area caused by a slow return to office as the main factor behind the decision to close. The restaurant opened on the first floor of Airbnbs headquarters in 2016, but during the pandemic, the company adopted a generous remote work policy and shrank its footprint in the area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We never really rebounded since COVID, he said. Its been a struggle. Bellota recently lowered prices to entice diners a strategy that some restaurants are starting to consider but it didnt pay off. The Tierra Verde cocktail at San Francisco Spanish restaurant Bellota, photographed in 2016. Laura Morton/Special to The Chronicle Vreede added that pop-ups at the restaurant may continue past its closing date, and that all 33 Bellota employees will continue to be paid through Sept. 20. The Absinthe Group notified the state on July 22 of its intent to close and lay off its workers, ahead of the minimum 60-day period required by California law. Sagan Piechota Architecture, a San Francisco firm, designed the space with a capacity of 140 seated diners, accented with industrial details and surrounded by windows. The current menu features paellas, a variety of tapas, and meats such as grilled Iberico pork and whole fish. The wine focuses exclusively on Spanish vintages. Diners can also choose from a variety of gins and tonic to create a customized gin and tonic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bellotas plans to close follow the departure of another leading Bay Area Spanish restaurant, Duende, which recently shuttered in Uptown Oakland after more than a decade. With the closing on the horizon, the Absinthe group will look at the possibility of reopening with a new business by the end of the year. Vreede declined to share any details, but said it wont be a successor to Bellota. It will be a different name and a different focus, Vreede said. A ham outside the kitchen at Bellota in San Francisco, as seen in 2016. John Storey/Special to the Chronicle Bellota was named to the Bay Areas Michelin Guide, which called the restaurant a Spanish stunner. Former Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer called the restaurant The Absinthe Groups most ambitious project, and its best, in his 2016 review published just two months after the opening. He also praised the restaurants then-chef Ryan McIlwraiths varied versions of paella, which can be ordered on large split pans to sample two in one order. All paellas at Bellota have one thing in common, Bauer wrote. A perfectly caramelized rice crust. Advertisement Article continues below this ad McIlwraith is currently the chef at Alora, a new Mediterranean restaurant on the Embarcadero. Rebecca Judd shared a sweet tribute to her beloved son Oscar as she marked his 13th birthday on Friday. The AFL WAG, 41, took to Instagram to share an array of throwback snaps of herself and Oscar over the years as she commemorated the occasion. She kicked off the gallery with photographs of herself cuddling up to Oscar when he was a baby as she documented his first few years of life. One picture showed Bec sweetly feeding Oscar ice cream on holiday, while another shot showed them cuddled up together on the couch. She also documented Oscar's love for AFL - proving he following in his father Chris' footsteps - as she posted snaps of him attending footy matches as a toddler. In an accompanying caption, Bec gushed over Oscar as she shared her disbelief that he is already a teenager. 'My best little mate is 13 today. I have a TEENAGER. I love you Oscar Judd. Long may I always be your favourite person,' she penned. As well as Oscar, Bec also shares a daughter Billie, ten, and twins Tom and Darcy, eight, with former Carlton captain Chris, 40. Rebecca Judd shared a sweet tribute to her beloved son Oscar as she marked his 13th birthday on Friday (pictured) The AFL WAG, 41, took to Instagram to share an array of throwback snaps of herself and Oscar over the years as she commemorated the occasion Chris and Bec met at a pub in Perth 17 years ago when they were both teenagers, and wed on December 31, 2010, at Melbourne's Albert Park. The family live in a $7.3million mansion in the upmarket Melbourne suburb of Brighton. They all recently jetted back home from their annual family trip to Broome, western Australia, for some winter sun. She shared a whole host of holiday snaps to her Instagram page, and even shared her son Tom's savage verdict on one of her dinner outfits. For one night out for dinner, Bec slipped into a gorgeous $400 outfit from Viktoria and Woods, consisting of a silk beige concert shirt and matching pants. She kicked off the gallery with photographs of herself cuddling up to Oscar when he was a baby as she documented his first few years of life One picture showed Bec sweetly feeding Oscar ice cream on holiday (pictured), while another shot showed them cuddled up together on the couch She also documented Oscar's love for AFL - proving he following in his father Chris' footsteps - as she posted snaps of him attending footy matches as a toddler As well as Oscar, Bec also shares a daughter Billie, ten, and twins Tom and Darcy, eight, with former Carlton captain Chris, 40 (all pictured) She completed her effortlessly chic outfit with a singlet from Henne, white heels from Lana Wilkinson and earrings from Pandora. Despite looking every inch the fashionista in the glamorous outfit, Bec revealed her son Tom hilariously mistook it for sleepwear. '"Very fancy PJs" - Tom Judd,' Bec explained as she quoted the youngster in the comments, before adding: 'Not PJs but I'm digging this vibe.' Kate Walsh was showing off her chic fashion sense as she arrived at Sydney Airport on Friday. The Grey's Anatomy star, 56, looked incredibly stylish in a cream wool coat with a loose cut. She added a fluffy sweater underneath, while wearing a pair of caramel toned patterned trousers. Kate added a brown felt cap to her look and wore a black designer bag in a crossbody style. The Emily in Paris star completed the ensemble with a gold choker and a pair of stacked gum boots. The American actress had on a natural makeup look and tucked her hair under her hat. She carried a large water bottle and added some extra interest with a pair of dainty gold earrings. Kate couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she made her way through the airport during the low key arrival. Kate Walsh (pictured) was showing off her chic fashion sense as she arrived at Sydney Airport on Friday The star lives in Australia with her Aussie farmer fiance Andrew Nixon, who she met in 2020. Kate has settled into her new life in Perth, Western Australia after finding love with her fellow Aussie beau. The actress relocated to the isolated state nearly four years ago after getting engaged to the Western Australian farmer. She recently revealed she had fallen in love with Australia's laid back lifestyle and was happy to call Perth home. The Grey's Anatomy star, 56, looked incredibly stylish in a cream wool coat with a loose cut Kate added a brown felt cap to her look and wore a black designer bag in a crossbody style 'I really love Western Australia I think nature here eclipses everything. It drives me,' she told news.com.au. 'I like the slowness. It's really good for me. And then you go back overseas and you're like, "Oh my god. People are insane,'' she added. Walsh then said she often flew to America for filming and then returned to Australia when she was free to spend more time with her fiance. 'I feel very fortunate I can pop back to LA, go to work, and then come back here and live my best life.' 'I needed my life to be a lot more balanced. And then, I fell in love with an Aussie, and here I am. I love it. I'm very grateful,' she added. The star lives in Australia with her Aussie farmer fiance Andrew Nixon, who she met in 2020. Pictured together The California native reportedly met Andrew, of Nixon Farming, on a cruise just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. The Nixon family have been farming predominantly malt barley and canola in the Moora/New Norcia area of Western Australia for close to 100 years, according to their website. This will be the second time down the aisle for Kate, who ended her 15-month marriage to Day Shift executive producer Alex Young in 2010. The showbiz couple legally separated in 2008. They cited the celeb favourite 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the split. Sami Lukis has revealed the one surprising household item she always takes on holiday with her. The radio star, 54, is known for her jet-setting lifestyle and has shared some of her top travel tips, including the unexpected item she always has on hand. Sami revealed she always takes a small ziplock bag filled with washing powder so she can wash her delicates in the sink in her hotel room. Sharing her surprise travel trip, Sami told 9Travel: 'You get to a destination. Maybe you can't find a laundry or you can't find a supermarket, and if you do, you have to buy an entire box of washing powder. 'But if you take a little bag of washing powder from home, you can wash your dedicates and your smalls in the sink in your hotel room.' Sami shared her other top travel tips, including taking earplugs in case of a noisy flight or hotel and rolling rather than folding clothes in luggage to make more room. Last week, Sami was caught in the global IT outage during her latest travels as her flight from Orlando was delayed amid the chaos. Thousands of flights around the United States were either delayed or cancelled in the days following the massive Microsoft outage. Sami Lukis (pictured) has revealed the one surprising household item she always takes on holiday with her Sami detailed the chaos at Orlando International Airport on Friday as she admitted it wasn't a good day to be flying in posts shared to X - formerly known as Twitter. She penned: 'Sitting here at Orlando airport waiting for my flight and no one on the ground seems to know whats going on. 'Some flight cancelled. Some flights are boarding. Most are showing as delayed. For now.' Hours later, Sami confirmed flights were beginning to board after the outage caused chaotic scenes at airports all around the globe. 'So flights at Orlando airport are now starting to board. Lets hope this thing is sorted before they put planes back in the air,' she shared. Giving an insight into her top travel tips, Sami revealed she always takes a small ziplock bag filled with washing powder so she can wash her delicates in the sink in her hotel room Windows is the most used operating system in the world, meaning the outage affected almost every part of the global economy. The technical fault - from an update pushed out to customers of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike - caused Windows software to suddenly shut down, prompting departure boards to immediately turn off at many airports. In a sign of the global impact of the IT failure, passengers were seen sleeping in passageways at Los Angeles International Airport, huge queues formed at terminals across Spain, and in Delhi staff set up a whiteboard to record departures. Shops in Australia shut down or went cashless after digital checkouts stopped working, while in the US emergency services lines went down in Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Ohio. Holidaymakers faced days of travel chaos in the days following the outage as flights continued to be cancelled or delayed amid a huge backlog. Fearne Cotton looked in good spirits as she enjoyed a family day out on Friday to watch her brother-in-law Tyrone Wood tie the knot with businesswoman Faye Harris. The radio presenter, 42, was a vision as she headed to the ceremony at Marylebone Old Town Hall in London in a stylish summer dress. She looked effortlessly chic in the pale orange garment that featured a blue floral print and shirred detailing on the bust. Fearne added to the look with lace up heels adorned with flowers and a small taupe handbag. By her side for the ceremony was husband Jesse Wood, who matched their 11-year-old son Rex by donning a blue suit with a plain white T-shirt. Fearne Cotton looked in good spirits as she joined son Rex, husband Jesse Wood and stepson Arthur to watch her brother-in-law Tyrone Wood marry Faye Harris in London on Friday The radio presenter, 42, was a vision as she headed to the ceremony at Marylebone Old Town Hall in London in a stylish summer dress Fearne and Jesse are also parents to nine-year-old daughter Honey, who was not pictured on the day. Jesse has two children from his previous marriage - Lola, 18, and Arthur, 22 - who looked dapper at the wedding in a linen suit. The family watched on proudly as groom Tyrone emerged with his new wife Faye, who looked incredible in an off-the-shoulder white mini dress. They were cheered by his famous father Ronnie, mum Jo and guests including a whole host of rock royalty. Ronnie has six children from his first marriage Krissy Findlay. The Rolling Stones rocker and his current wife Sally have been married since 2012 and share six-year-old twins Gracie Jane and Alice Rose. He also has Tyrone and Leah from his relationship with Jo and six grandchildren. Leah, lives in Kentish Town with her TV producer husband Jack MacDonald and their two children Maggie, 14, and Otis, nine. She looked effortlessly chic in the pale orange garment that featured a blue floral print and shirred detailing on the bust Fearne added to the look with lace up heels adorned with flowers and a small taupe handbag By her side for the ceremony was husband Jesse Wood, who matched their 11-year-old son Rex by donning a blue suit with a plain white T-shirt Fearne seemed in great spirits as she caught up with friends and family at the event The actress, only eight months younger than Ronnies wife Sally, moved there in 2011 after her mother Jo bought the house for just over 3 million. Mayfair art gallery owner Tyrone previously dated Rita Ora as well as models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Daisy Lowe, before settling down with Faye. The stunner, who was first linked to her now husband back in 2022, is the co-founder of 'genderless' perfume company Eauso Vert. After exchanging their vows the party headed to the Michelin star George pub on Great Portland Street in swanky Fitzrovia. Also on the guest list was Iron Maiden legend Steve Harris, 68, who appeared in great spirits. The George is an 18th century Grade II listed Victorian pub that boasts original 18th century features including marble fireplaces and ornate plasterwork. According to it's website the venue has welcomed famous writers and poets of the 20th century. The family watched on proudly as groom Tyrone emerged with his new wife Faye, who looked incredible in an off-the-shoulder white mini dress Christina Hall's ex-husband Ant Anstead surfaced in a rare sighting in Newport Beach, California this week amid her divorce from Josh Hall. Ant, 45, and Christina, 41, exchanged vows in Newport Beach in 2018 and the following year they welcomed their son Hudson, four. They ultimately separated in 2020 and finalized their divorce in June 2021, just days before news broke that he was dating his current girlfriend Renee Zellweger. Meanwhile, Christina moved on with Josh, a police officer turned realtor whom she secretly tied the knot with in October 2021. Now, less than two weeks after Christina and Josh filed for divorce, Ant was spotted emerging for a casual outing in sunny Southern California. Christina Hall 's ex-husband Ant Anstead surfaced in a rare sighting in Newport Beach, California this week - amid her divorce from Josh Hall The British television presenter showed off his toned physique in a fitted black t-shirt and a pair of fossil grey trousers, teamed with flip-flops and a watch. Ant was with his first wife Louise for 12 years and welcomed two children with her before they went their separate ways in July 2017. Meanwhile, Christina shot to fame on the HGTV series Flip Or Flop alongside her first husband Tarek El Moussa, with whom she has two children. She and Ant went Instagram official on New Year's Day 2018, and they tied the knot three days before Christmas that year at their Newport Beach home. Ant's sighting this week came after Christina broke her silence on her latest divorce, labeling Josh an 'insecure man' on her Insta Stories this Thursday. Josh is said to have been stunned by the end of the marriage, as he was devoted to Christina and her three children, sources in his camp told TMZ. Although he acknowledged that the relationship had its troubles, he allegedly did not anticipate that they would split the way they did. Insiders close to him claim that after one particular argument, Christina stopped talking to him directly and began communicating with him through a lawyer. Less than two weeks after Christina and Josh filed for divorce, Ant was spotted emerging for a casual outing in sunny Southern California Ant and Christina finalized their divorce in June 2021, just days before news broke that he was dating his current girlfriend Renee Zellweger; Ant and Christina pictured in 2019 Ant, 45, and Christina, 41, exchanged vows in Newport Beach in 2018 and the following year they welcomed their son Hudson, four; Ant pictured with Hudson Josh, understanding that divorce was now in the offing, is said to have also secured legal representation at that point. However he was allegedly crushed by the breakup and feels his world has evaporated, having reportedly reorganized his social and work life around Christina. At present, he is said to be in Nashville, where he frequents church services and has been maintaining his physical health at the gym. Christina - who recently claimed that Josh transferred $35k from her bank account - addressed the shock split on Thursday after it was revealed last week that the pair filed for divorce after nearly three years of marriage. She penned, 'Over here waiting for the typical Hired PR rep speech of "how was I blind-sided and how I'm working on myself and taking time to heal at her ranch...' 'Meanwhile I'm over here not as nice and quiet as I used to be,' the mother-of-three continued. In another slide, Christina added, 'I have worked my a** off to build this life for myself and my children and anyone who would try and take what they don't deserve/what they did NOT work for should be ashamed.' The TV personality got candid over the shock split after it was revealed last week that the pair filed for divorce after nearly three years of marriage She penned, 'Over here waiting for the typical Hired PR rep speech of "how was I blind-sided and how I'm working on myself and taking time to heal at her ranch...' She then added, 'An insecure man with a large ego can sure try and derail you - but, "still rise"...' 'For those that aren't aware...divorces do not happen overnight.. & there is always a breaking point. This one is personal........,' Christina concluded to her 1.8 million fans and followers. The TV personality's latest post on her stories comes just on week after it was reported that the estranged couple officially filed for divorce - with the date of separation dated as July 8 by Joshua, while Christina cited July 7. Joshua has also requested for alimony from the HGTV star, and doesn't want to have to give her money, per TMZ. The split will be Christina's third divorce - who was previously married to Tarek El Moussa from 2009 until 2018, and also Ant Anstead from 2018 through 2021. She shares her children Taylor, 13, and Brayden, eight, with El Moussa, as well as son Hudson, four, with Anstead. Shortly before the pair's separation, both Christina and Joshua had signed on to appear together on the new 2025 HGTV series, The Flip Off, alongside Tarek and his wife, Heather Rae El Moussa. Joshua also broke his silence following the divorce news by also jumping to his Instagram stories earlier this week on Wednesday. In another slide, Christina added, 'I have worked my a** off to build this life for myself and my children and anyone who would try and take what they don't deserve/what they did NOT work for should be ashamed' 'For those that aren't aware...divorces do not happen overnight.. & there is always a breaking point. This one is personal........,' Christina concluded to her 1.8 million fans and followers The TV personality's latest post on her stories comes just on week after it was reported that the estranged couple officially filed for divorce - with the date of separation dated as July 8 by Joshua, while Christina cited July 7 He shared a snap that was taken from behind him as he strolled through a forest while surrounded by green trees. Towards the bottom of the image, he simply added a praying hands emoji. Christina seemingly trolled her estranged husband after sharing a selfie on her main Instagram page on Thursday. In the caption of the post, the media personality simply added a praying hands emoji - possibly referencing to his own snap one day earlier. Christina's ex-husband, Tarek El Moussa, also shared his thoughts on the divorce while recently talking with E! News. 'I think life's tough, s*** happens. I think she's gonna get through this. We're here to support her. We got one shot at life, we gotta do what's best for us. Whatever she needs, we're here to help.' Christina notably did not sign a prenuptial agreement with Joshua - who is asking for alimony and to equally split their community property, including their $12.6 million mansion located in Newport Beach, per Us Weekly. And following their back-to-back divorce filings, Christina has now accused her estranged husband of transferring $35,000 of her money into his bank account. Per legal documents obtained by ET, the HGTV personality has claimed, 'Josh was able to divert over $35,000 of my separate property rental income into his account.' She shares her children Taylor, 13, and Brayden, eight, with El Moussa, as well as son Hudson, four, with Anstead Joshua also broke his silence following the divorce news by also jumping to his Instagram stories earlier this week on Wednesday Christina seemingly trolled her estranged husband after sharing a selfie on her main Instagram page on Thursday, and also shared a praying hand emoji in the caption She went on to say in the court paperwork, 'I am asking for Josh to account for the funds taken and return them to me as those funds are specifically used to pay any loans, obligations, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance for these rental properties.' The money came from Christina's various rental properties around Tennessee, which Josh was allegedly able to obtain via a text sent to the property manager on July 8. The text message from Josh read, 'Hi. For June payments, can we please get it sent to a different account when it's time? Thank you,' with the 'we' seemingly indicating that both he and his soon-to-be ex-wife were on board with the request. However, Christina, who included a screenshot of the message as evidence in her filing, said she found out about the transfer on July 21. She noted in her documents that she 'had no personal contact with Josh on July 8, 2024,' adding, 'I would not have asked him to send himself my money the day after I told him we are getting divorced.' Furthermore, she explained the property manager followed through with the request 'believing I had authorized the change of accounts and asked for account details and Josh provided his own Wells Fargo Bank account.' The documents were filed in Orange County Superior Court in California, and the mother-of-three has requested that a judge order Josh to return the money. Additionally, she is seeking exclusive use of the Newport Beach, California, residence she and her ex once shared. She recognizes that the home is titled in both of their names, but maintains that the money used to purchase the home came from the sale of a house in Dana Point that she owned. Christina notably did not sign a prenuptial agreement with Joshua - who is asking for alimony and to equally split their community property, including their $12.6 million mansion located in Newport Beach, per Us Weekly Per legal documents obtained by ET, the HGTV personality has claimed, 'Josh was able to divert over $35,000 of my separate property rental income into his account' In another twist, Christina shared that Josh's attorney sent her a letter demanding that she keep 'electronic evidence without it being automatically deleted' from their home cameras, per ET. Christina noted in response, 'I unplugged cameras so the system would not automatically overwrite the hard drive. Each time Josh has returned to the house he has plugged the cameras back in, which would allow him to keep me and my children under surveillance. I object to him having that access into my home.' The Flip or Flop star also got in front of spousal support orders, officially stating, 'I understand that at some point this court may require that I pay some spousal support to Josh and reasonable attorney's fees to his counsel. 'However, it is my belief that this is a simple case with straightforward accounting over a short period of time, [therefore] any fees and costs should be minimal.' It was added, 'Like all hard-working mothers, my life revolves around my children and my work. It is my understanding that Josh has his own income and therefore he should not need any spousal support from me. 'He has sufficient assets of his own to pay his own attorney's fees and costs. Quite frankly I am shocked and concerned by the fact that he has diverted over $35,000 of my separate property money to his separate account on July 8, 2024. 'The fact that this is the same date he now alleges to be our date of separation, even though it is actually July 7, 2024, makes it clear why he chose the next day.' Following the diversion of cash, Christina says she is now wondering 'what else I am not aware of as it relates to his financial situation and that is why I am having a full forensic accounting performed for the entire term of our marriage.' She never misses an opportunity to show off her incredible figure. And Amanda Holden once again took to her Instagram to flaunt her slender physique on Friday while on holiday with her family in Greece. The BGT judge, 53, soaked up the sun in a tiny pink bikini for a slew of sizzling snaps draped over the back of a boat. Her ample assets and toned stomach were on full display as she shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of oversized sunglasses. In her typical playful manner, Amanda also shared a video of her leaping off the boat and throwing her arms wide to dive into the cooling water. Amanda Holden once again took to her Instagram to flaunt her slender physique on Friday while on holiday with her family in Greece The BGT judge, 53, soaked up the sun in a tiny pink bikini for a slew of sizzling snaps draped over the back of a boat Her ample assets and toned stomach were on full display as she shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of oversized sunglasses While her eldest daughter Lexi showed the apple does not fall far from the tree, as she shared her own bikini-clad snaps, looking the spitting image of her famous mum. The 18-year-old has often been compared to Amanda, being called her miniature twin thanks to their almost identical features. And in photos she shared to her Instagram Stories of herself having dip in the sea and sunbathing while playing backgammon, the resemblance was uncanny. In one shot of her posing while climbing out of the clear blue, she donned a bold yellow two-piece and black shades, in a mirror image of Amanda's photos. Lexi is Amanda's oldest child with her husband Chris Hughes, with whom she also shares daughter Hollie, 12. But their holiday comes after Amanda revealed last week that Lexi was recently admitted to a hospital with life-threatening E. coli amid the latest outbreak. The aspiring model, who was sitting her A-levels at the time, was reportedly on a ward for five days with her parents at her bedside. While discussing the warning signs to look out for amid the latest outbreak, Amanda revealed to The Sun that her daughter had been suffering from bloating and stomach cramps. In her typical playful manner, Amanda also shared a video of her leaping off the boat and throwing her arms wide to dive into the cooling water While her eldest daughter Lexi showed the apple does not fall far from the tree, as she shared her own bikini-clad snaps, looking the spitting image of her famous mum In one shot of her posing while climbing out of the clear blue, she donned a bold yellow two-piece and black shades, in a mirror image of Amanda's photos The 18-year-old has often been compared to Amanda, being called her miniature twin thanks to their almost identical features (pictured together in December) 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.' 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 that's 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'. Lexi is Amanda's oldest child with her husband Chris Hughes , with whom she also shares daughter Hollie, 12 (pictured together) But their holiday comes after Amanda revealed last week that Lexi was recently admitted to a hospital with life-threatening E. coli amid the latest outbreak (pictured earlier this month) The mother-of-two admitted that being told that her daughter was in danger of 'contracting sepsis' was 'terrifying' to hear The mother-of-two admitted that being told that her daughter was in danger of 'contracting sepsis' was 'terrifying' to hear. 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. Tammy Hembrow was turning heads on Friday night. The 30-year-old stunned in a slinky black dress as she attended the Petal & Pup's ten-year anniversary collection launch in Brisbane. The fitness influencer opted for an off-the-shoulder gown with bow details at the straps. It clung close to her famous figure and featured gathering around the hips as well as maxi length skirting. Tammy carried a dainty Chanel handbag and added a pair of strappy heels that matched her frock. For makeup, the influencer went for a rosy hue with lots of blush and highlighter as well as a dark nude lipstick. She wore her blonde locks down around her face and added a pair of gold statement earrings. Tammy worked her angles in the dress, flaunting her infamous derriere as she turned her back to the camera. Tammy Hembrow (pictured) was turning heads on Friday night It comes after Tammy wowed her fans last week by revealing the gruelling exercise routine she is undergoing ahead of her upcoming wedding. The blonde, who is engaged to Love Island Australia star Matt Zukowski, posted a jaw-dropping clip to Instagram which captured her hard at work at a gym. She looked focused as she worked up a sweat by lifting weights and performing a variety of lunges and lower body exercises on a Seated Leg Press. The clip showcased just how dedicated Tammy is to achieving her fitness goals before she ties the knot with Matt in November. The 30-year-old stunned in a slinky black dress as she attended the Petal & Pup lastest launch in Brisbane The fitness influencer opted for an off-the-shoulder gown with bow details at the straps. Tammy carried a dainty Chanel handbag and added a pair of strappy heels It clung close to her famous figure and featured gathering around the hips as well as maxi length skirting The brunette beauty captioned the footage with some revealing words. 'This challenge is based on the way I love to train and the way I personally see the most results' she said. It follows reports that Hembrow is busy planning her wedding - and her honeymoon. The fitness influencer and Matt, 28, got engaged in December after just three months of dating and are set to tie the knot in Byron Bay later this year. Tammy shared a series of loved-up selfies with her beau to Instagram, revealing that the pair are already dreaming up a special wedding night. For makeup, the influencer went for a rosy hue with lots of blush and highlighter as well as a dark nude lipstick She wore her blonde locks down around her face and added a pair of gold statement earrings Tammy worked her angles in the dress, flaunting her infamous derriere as she turned her back to the camera It comes after Tammy wowed her fans last week by revealing the gruelling exercise routine she is undergoing ahead of her upcoming wedding 'Just a tall guy and his short girl. We're in the midst of planning our honeymoon (and wedding) but any guesses where we're going?' Tammy wrote in her caption. The jet-setting pair were engaged in the Maldives late last year, before heading off to Greece and Bali for luxury holidays in recent months. Tammy recently addressed the online backlash she received after her wedding invitation was leaked by a handful of influencers. 'You guys might know that recently my wedding details were leaked online accidentally,' she said in a TikTok video. The blonde, who is engaged to Love Island Australia star Matt Zukowski (left) posted a jaw-dropping clip to Instagram which captured her hard at work at a gym She looked focused as she worked up a sweat by lifting weights and performing a variety of lunges and lower body exercises on a Seated Leg Press 'This has caused a few issues for me, I have had to change a lot of the details because we want it to be very private and it's been a bit frustrating.' The Gold Coast-based blonde then clarified the interesting details on her wedding invitation which have been causing a stir on social media. Tammy and Matt asked for a wishing well - donation box in which guests can deposit cash gifts instead of material items. The decision raised eyebrows as Tammy's net worth is said to be a staggering $50million, according to AFR's Young Rich List. A Place in the Sun host Danni Menzies showed off her jaw-dropping figure in a bikini as she gave an insight into her stunning Mykonos holiday on Thursday. The Scottish presenter, 36, looked sensational in the blue two-piece while cooling off in the sea. Displaying her toned midriff, she slicked her hair back and posed for a photo before getting changed into a black bandeau top and patterned bottoms. For the evening Danni opted for a plunging blue dress with cut-out detailing and a leg slit. She teamed it with a pair of gold strappy heels and carried a Dior saddle bag in cream to top off her chic look. A Place in the Sun host Danni Menzies showed off her jaw-dropping figure in a bikini as she gave an insight into her stunning Mykonos holiday on Thursday The Scottish presenter, 36, looked sensational in the blue two-piece while cooling off in the sea The TV personality was joined by a group of her friends as they soaked up some sun on the Greek Island. Danni recently opened up about what it's really like to work on the popular Channel 4 show - revealing that she's even 'seen a few flashers' while filming. The host has been a fan favourite presenter for viewers of the property show since she began co-hosting it back in 2016. However, she announced her departure from the programme earlier this year and has opted for a surprising career move. In conjunction with The Health Lottery, Danni will spearhead an 'inspirational' podcast where she will speak to personalities such as Loose Women's Kaye Adams. Reflecting on her time on the show, the presenter spoke to the Daily Star about what it was like behind the scenes on A Place In The Sun, including the 'dodgy things' that sometimes happened in the background of her takes. She told the newspaper: 'I was doing a piece to camera in Lanzarote and had a nudist running in the background. 'I was filming and they said, "One minute guys, there's something dodgy behind you". Displaying her toned midriff, she slicked her hair back and posed for a photo before getting changed into a black bandeau top and patterned bottoms For the evening Danni opted for a plunging blue dress with cut-out detailing and a leg slit The TV personality was joined by a group of her friends as they soaked up some sun on the Greek Island Danni recently opened up about what it's really like to work on the popular Channel 4 show - revealing that she's even 'seen a few flashers' while filming (pictured on the programme in 2023) The Scottish star has been a fan favourite presenter for viewers of the British property show since she began co-hosting it back in 2016 'We had it in Spain too, we were filming and this guy cycled past on his bike totally naked. There's lots of it, I've seen a few flashers.' Danni added that 'living out of a suitcase' took its toll and she found it 'hard to date and do normal things'. The star's new podcast show will be available on all platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music from May 23. Also appearing on the pod will be award-winning filmmaker and photographer Doug Allan, Michelin star chef Andy Beynon, and bestselling author Chris Brookmyre. Her show is part of the Pay it Forward campaign launched by The Health Lottery which has raised over 130 million for wellbeing causes across the UK. Before her podcast well and truly kicks off, Danni took a luxurious holiday to the Cayman Islands in April to visit her friend Steph and shared photos from the trip to Instagram. The Channel 4 star recently confirmed that she's single and shared she was just enjoying life after a brief relationship with Love Island star Jay Younger, 30 - also a Scot. However, Danni announced her departure from the programme earlier this year and has opted for a surprising career move Before her podcast well and truly kicks off, Danni took a luxurious holiday to the Cayman Islands in April to visit her friend Steph and shared photos from the trip to Instagram Back in February, Danni paid a heartfelt tribute to her co-host Jonnie Irwin, following his death at the age of 50 after tragically losing his battle with lung cancer Danni said: 'Things didn't work out with Jay but that's fine. Travelling a lot for work does make it trickier to meet someone.' Back in February, Danni paid a heartfelt tribute to her co-host Jonnie Irwin, following his death at the age of 50 after tragically losing his battle with lung cancer. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared a poem by Ida Banks and told her followers how her former colleague would 'continue to exist in those who loved him'. The post read: 'When we die I want to believe that we are scattered throughout all the people that have ever loved us'. 'That we will continue to exist in them, in their bloodstreams, for generations, for lifetimes.' Naomi Isted displayed her jaw-dropping physique as she posed in a red bikini during a sun-soaked holiday in Turkey. The British TV presenter, 45, showed off her toned abs in the skimpy two-piece, adding a fashionable touch with chic shades and a straw hat. She finished off the look with a pair of tan sandals for her beach outing in the gorgeous city of Fethiye, and later added a nude beach cover-up. 'Another day another #outfitpost wearing @dancing_leopard #twopieceset and @naia_beach #bikini and #kaftan ! #beachvibes #turkiye lots of #styleinspiration coming your way over the next few weeks ladies! ,' Naomi wrote. Another incredible shot captured the fashion journalist posing in front of an astonishing view of the luxurious 5-star Liberty Signa Hotel. Naomi Isted displayed her jaw-dropping physique as she posed in a red bikini during a sun-soaked holiday in Turkey The British TV presenter, 45, showed off her toned abs in the skimpy two-piece, adding a fashionable touch with chic shades and a straw hat The siren posed barefoot by a swanky pool, in a nude co-ord with tropical leaves print, which included a maxi skirt with a very risque split and a wide-straps crop top. The columnist had praised the hotel's wellness event as well as the place's hospitality during her very first visit on Turkish soil. The wellness event at Liberty Signa Hotel brought together British journalists and global celebrities, emphasizing the hotel's dedication to luxury and holistic wellness. Naomi is a renowned fashion and beauty television presenter and journalist who has captivated UK audiences with her work on Harley Street Beauty on Wedding TV as well as various lifestyle segments on ITV's Good Morning Britain and This Morning. The star - born in Grimsby - is also known for her fashion columns with the likes of Evening Standard, Herald Scotland and HELLO Magazine. 'I absolutely loved my time at Liberty Signa Hotel,' the TV icon said. 'Turkey is beautiful, and the hospitality was truly impressive. The wellness event was a remarkable experience, and I am delighted to have been part of it.' Liberty Signa Hotel, part of Liberty Hotels and Resorts, offers unparalleled luxury and wellness in Fethiye, Turkey. She finished off the look with a pair of tan sandals for her beach outing in the gorgeous city of Fethiye, and later added a nude beach cover-up Another incredible shot captured the fashion journalist posing in front of an astonishing view of the luxurious 5-star Liberty Signa Hotel The brand-new hotel is renowned for its stunning location, exceptional hospitality, and commitment to providing rejuvenating experiences for its guests. Naomi seemed relaxed and carefree while making the most of the luxury retreat after she had been seriously ill for months due to health issues. Since December of last year the star took some time off from social media after she has undergone some surgeries at Harley St Skin. During her swanky getaway, she was joined by her daughter Fleur as the pair posted about meditation, yoga, fire ceremonies and more - while her husband Haydn and her son Rocco joined the pair later. One of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' children has a cameo in his new movie Deadpool & Wolverine. The couple shares daughters James, nine, Inez, seven, Betty, four, and baby Olin, one. It was revealed on Friday that Inez Reynolds makes a surprise cameo as a character named Kidpool. This comes after news his wife Blake, 36, has a role as Ladypool near the end of the film. Lively and Inez's faces are completely disguised under Deadpool masks. One of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' children has a cameo in his new movie Deadpool & Wolverine. Seen on July 22 in NYC Ryan and Blake seen with two of their children in Hollywood This comes after Blake shared a very rare photo to Instagram on Monday morning. The blonde beauty was seen kissing her husband while he was dressed up on the set of his new Deadpool movie. It was a professional photo shot by their longtime friend Guy Aroch to promote the new film with Hugh Jackman, Lively said in her caption she was 'proud' of her spouse for the work he put into the project. It also appears that she has a red costume of her own on suggesting she plays Lady Deadpool, which has been widely speculated. Deadpool & Wolverine opens on July 26. Lively plays Lady Deadpool with blonde hair The power couple at the Deadpool & Wolverine New York Premiere on July 22 'Brb Im buying milky pens to write your name on my hand @vancityreynolds,' began Blake's Instagram caption. She then went on a fun rant. 'My y2k girlies, I should be competitive bc @itendswithusmovie is coming out in 3 weeks BUT when your middle school obsessions, your feelings post baby, or about Nice men who use feminism as a tool, your love of the Wizard of Oz, Succession, Sandy & Danny, driving with Avril blasting, the way the choreography of a certain boy*band song got me, of Baz Luhrmann fireworks to punctuate a moment, even down to the fact that our hair color is determined by seasons and the French method by which its painted are all so seen 'MY WORD its hard not to encourage my ladies to spot all the ways weve influenced @deadpoolmovie Ive never been more proud. And Ive given birth 4 times. .' This comes after Ryan made a joke about a friend. Reynolds said Taylor Swifts babysitting fee for his and his Blakes four children is 'cost-prohibitive.' Hugh Jackman started the conversation with E! News as he said Swift was Ryan's nanny. 'The cost of that is I believe the accountant said, "Cost-prohibitive,"' Reynolds replied. 'But I think what he meant was, "Cost-insane-what-are-you-doing-Im-no-longer-youre-accountant."' Reynolds is seen at Good Morning America in New York City on Monday Brad Pitt looked pensive whilst at Formula One in Belgium on Friday amid his ongoing drama with Angelina Jolie. The Hollywood star, 60, called time on his marriage to his Mr and Mrs Smith co-star Angelina, 49, and the pair have endured a lengthy legal battle ever since over their Chateau Miraval winery. He rejected her recent plea to 'end the fighting,' after he sued her for selling her half of the winery in October 2021 for $67 million. But as the weekend kicked off he was seen looking forlorn at the annual racing event. The Fight Club star donned a large pair of tinted glasses and long-sleeved white during practice ahead of the release of his upcoming movie F1. Brad Pitt looked pensive whilst at Formula One in Sweden on Friday amid his ongoing drama with Angelina Jolie The Hollywood star, 60, called time on his marriage is Mr and Mrs Smith co-star Angelina, 49, and the pair have endured a lengthy legal battle since over their Chateau Miraval winery since In further snaps, Brad looked deep in concentration as he placed one hand on his hip and appeared to have been letting out a sigh at one point. The former couple 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. Angelina - who has Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne, and Knox, 16, with Brad had begged her estranged husband to call a truce earlier this month. 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 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. The Hollywood star, 60, called time on his marriage is Mr and Mrs Smith co-star Angelina, 49, and the pair have endured a lengthy legal battle since over their Chateau Miraval winery since The Fight Club star appeared to heave a sigh at one point as he made an appearance at the annual sporting event ahead of his film F1 The Oscar winning star was hounded by clamouring fans upon arrival all reaching at him with their phones Brad seemed in better spirits as he waved to the hoards of people there and gave a small smile 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 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) '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 didn't 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 she's fighting him. She's the one out there saying they should focus on healing their family and he should drop his relentless attacks on her, but he's 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 he's now in.' Sandra Bullock is 'doing okay' and focusing on her children as she turns 60 today - almost one year on from the death of her partner Bryan Randall from ALS. Bullock - who marked the milestone on July 26 - dated Randall from 2015 until his death aged 57 in August 2023 - with the actress calling him 'the love of my life.' A source close to Bullock's friend Jennifer Aniston, 55, told People: 'Shes doing okay now. Her kids are amazing. She's very happy to be a mom. 'Her friends gave her the support that she needed both during his illness and afterwards. She is grateful for all the love. Everyone helped to lift her up after Bryan passed.' Bullock is mom to Louis, 14, and Laila, nine who she adopted in 2010 and 2015 respectively. Sandra Bullock is 'doing okay' and focusing on her children as she turns 60 today - almost one year on from the death of her partner Bryan Randall from ALS, seen in 2018 in NYC A source close to Bullock's friend Jennifer Aniston, 55, told People : 'Shes doing okay now. Her kids are amazing. She's very happy to be a mom - pictured 2022 Randall passed away at the age of 57 on August 5, 2023 following a private three-year battle with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). ALS is a 'nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,' per Mayo Clinic, and there is no cure for the disease. At the time of the photographer's tragic death, his family released a statement to People. 'It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS.' 'Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request,' the family had continued. 'We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours.' 'At this time we ask for privacy to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.' In conclusion, Randall's loved ones added, 'His Loving Family.' Bullock's sister, Gesine, had also mourned the loss of the photographer's death at the time, and praised the 'amazing' way Sandra had cared for her longtime partner during his private ALS battle. Although Sandra and Bryan never married, the two were seen 'exchanging vows' during an intimate ceremony held in December 2017 - three years before the photographer's ALS diagnosis; seen in 2018 in NYC She had taken to Instagram to pen: 'I'm convinced that Bry has found the best fishing spot in heaven and is already casting his lure into rushing rivers teaming with salmon.' 'ALS is a cruel disease but there is some comfort in knowing he had the best of caretakers in my amazing sister and the band of nurses she assembled who helped her look after him in their home,' Bullock-Prado added. Gesine concluded the post by writing, 'Rest in peace, Bryan,' and encouraged donations to both the ALS Association and Massachusetts General Hospital. Sandra and Bryan first crossed paths in 2015 when he photographed her son Louis's birthday party. Later that same year in October, the pair went public with their relationship while attending the premiere of Our Brand Is Crisis. Bullock and Randall were last pictured together in July 2020 when they arrived to a small gathering with the star's two children, Louis, 13, and Laila, 11, in Studio City. The model-turned-photographer also has a daughter of his own, Skylar, 30, from a previous relationship. Sandra - who was married to Jessie James from 2005 through 2010 - opened up about her relationship with Bryan during an interview in 2021 on Jada Pinkett-Smith's Red Table Talk. 'I am someone who went through the divorce process,' the Bird Box actress expressed, but then added, 'I found the love of my life.' 'We share two beautiful children - three children, his older daughter. It's the best thing ever,' Bullock stated. She also recalled informing Bryan that she planned to adopt a second child, although they 'hadn't been together that long.' 'I said, "Remember that NDA you signed when you photographed my son?" I said, "You know, that still holds."' 'He said "Why?" I said, "I'm bringing a child home when I come back from Toronto." He was so happy, but he was scared.' She continued, 'I'm a bulldozer. My life was already on the track and here's this beautiful human being who doesn't want anything to do with my life, but the right human being to be there.' Although Sandra and Bryan never married, the two were seen 'exchanging vows' during an intimate ceremony held in December 2017 - three years before the photographer's ALS diagnosis. In a video obtained by DailyMail.com, the couple could be seen dancing in celebration after the ceremony was held - with close friends and family also in attendance. A close friend informed DailyMail.com that, 'They really did this for the children, to kind of seal the deal and show them this was a forever thing. After the ceremony Louis and Laila started calling Bryan dad.' The Oscar-winning actress was previously married to Jessie James from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in 2010; former couple seen in 2010 in L.A. The ceremony took place at Arpaud Busson's Three Bees Villa on Harbor Island in the Bahamas. A guest in attendance also stated, 'It was Bryan's birthday on December 31 so it's like they wanted to celebrate everything all at once.' At the time of his passing, Sandra and Bryan had been 'more together than ever,' a separate source revealed to DailyMail.com. 'Sandra kept Bryan hidden away in the back of the house. It's so big that you could conceal what was going on with him but towards the end she really didn't let people into the home beyond the doctors and nurses who were looking after him.' 'It was quite convenient for them to have these rumors that they'd broken up because it helped conceal what was really going on. It was easier to let people assume they hadn't seen him because they were no longer together.' At the time of his passing, Sandra and Bryan had been 'more together than ever,' a separate source revealed to DailyMail.com; seen in March 2022 in Texas According to a close friend, Bullock 'stopped throwing her annual Easter parties, they used to do big Thanksgivings and Christmas in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but she really has a very small group of friends these days and when she does see them, she goes to their homes.' 'She wouldn't let anyone come to her place anymore unless it was outside by the pool.' However, those who had visited the star's home were mostly in the medical field, including nurses and specialists. 'It was just a horrible situation for them all but she didn't abandon him no matter how tough it got.' Gigi Hadid rocked a casual look while stepping out on Friday in New York City - four days after she attended the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in New York City with pal Blake Lively. The model, 29, showcased her shaggy haircut for her solo outing, paired with a no makeup look. Gigi flashed a hint of her midriff in a graphic cropped top, paired with jeans that featured panel detailing along the sides. The mom of one - who is dating 49-year-old actor Bradley Cooper - carried a polka dot patterned handbag and rocked small framed sunglasses. Gigi Hadid rocked a casual look while stepping out on Friday in New York City - four days after she attended the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in New York City with pal Blake Lively The model, 29, showcased her shaggy haircut for her solo outing, paired with a no makeup look Gigi is in a relationship with actor Bradley Cooper, 49 - and their romance has gone from strength to strength. 'Bradley has already determined that he is going to ask Gigi to marry him,' an insider revealed to Dailymail.com exclusively. 'That is not even a question. They discussed family and marriage early on their relationship,' the source revealed. 'They have been committed to each other and to their plans for some time and now it is just a matter of when,' they added. Gigi and Bradley were first together in October 2023, despite their 21-year age difference. In early October, a source told ET Bradley and Gigi were 'hanging out casually,' adding that they 'have known each other for a while.' They were first seen together on Thursday, October 5, for a dinner date in the Big Apple. Gigi was last linked to Leonardo DiCaprio; whom she dated on and off from September 20022 until their romance fizzled in February 2023. The runway star has a three-year-old daughter named Khai with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik; they dated on/off from November 2015 until October 2021. Bradley and ex-partner Irina, 38, share daughter Lea, seven. They dated from 2015 until 2019. Gigi's sighting came four days after attending the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere with pal Blake Lively. Gigi is in a relationship with actor Bradley Cooper, 49 - and their romance has gone from strength to strength; seen with Bradley on February 27 in New York City Gigi's sighting came four days after attending the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere with pal Blake Lively; seen at the premiere on Monday night in New York City The model channeled Wolverine in her yellow crop top and skirt for the premiere - all by Miu Miu including her purse Blake, who is married to Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, channel Deadpool in a burgundy Versace jumpsuit; Ryan, Blake, Gigi and Hugh Jackman. Hugh plays Wolverine in the film The model channeled Wolverine in her yellow crop top and skirt for the premiere - all by Miu Miu including her purse. Blake, who is married to Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, channel Deadpool in a burgundy Versace jumpsuit. Armie Hammer's mother has broken her silence on her son's career ending cannibalism and abuse allegations. The Call Me By Your Name actor, 37, who was at the peak of his fame, fell from grace when a series of disturbing allegations were made against him by multiple women, who accused him of violent abuse and harboring cannibalism fantasies. In February 2021 his ex-girlfriend, Effie Angelova, 26, accused him of 'violently' raping and abusing her in 2017. He denied the accusations of rape through his attorney and said all of his sexual encounters were 'completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance and mutually participatory'. Dru Hammer - who has tell-all book Hammered coming out - told TMZ: 'I was very careful during the whole ordeal because my own son didn't come out and defend himself. 'I had a pastor at the time who said if you come to your own defense, it's the only defense you're ever gonna have, so we believe that God is our defense and now the truth is coming out. Armie Hammer's mother Dru has broken her silence on her son's career ending cannibalism and abuse allegations Dru Hammer - who has tell-all book Hammered coming out - told TMZ: 'I was very careful during the whole ordeal because my own son didn't come out and defend himself Referring to her son's recent interviews with Bill Maher and Piers Morgan, she said: 'He was not criminally wrong, he was morally wrong but it's changed his life forever and he's sober and he's happier than he's ever been. 'And coming back to God and that's the most important thing to me.' She said things were looking 'so good' for Armie now and he was set for a return to Hollywood. Dru added that she detailed her son's scandal in her new book - and that he signed off on it with no edits, adding he said: 'I wouldn't change anything, I'm really proud of you mom.' Hammer recently confirmed his ex-girlfriend Paige Lorenze's accusation that he once 'branded' her with a knife but he claims it was 'more like a scrape' or 'tattoo.' The actor made the admission in a new interview with Piers Morgan as he seemingly tried to downplay Lorenze's disturbing version of events. At the height of Hammer's cannibalism and abuse scandal in 2021, Lorenze came forward to accuse him of 'marking and branding' her during their 'traumatic' four month relationship in 2020. The Dairy Boy founder alleged to DailyMail.com at the time that Hammer had carved his first initial into her groin with a knife and licked the blood from the wound during a kinky sexual encounter that got out of control. Referring to her son's recent interviews with Bill Maher and Piers Morgan, she said: 'He was not criminally wrong, he was morally wrong but it's changed his life forever and he's sober and he's happier than he's ever been ' - pictured 2017 with Armie's now ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers Dru added that she detailed her son's scandal in her new book - and that he signed off on it with no edits, adding he said: 'I wouldn't change anything, I'm really proud of you mom' Hammer, who was at the peak of his fame, fell from grace in 2021 when a series of disturbing allegations were made against him by multiple women, who accused him of violent abuse and harboring cannibalism fantasies; seen in 2019 But Hammer claimed to Morgan on Thursday, as per Page Six, that he didn't technically 'brand' Lorenze and that blood was never drawn. 'I wouldn't say brand, no,' Hammer said.'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.' He continued: '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.' Morgan pointed out that taking a knife to someone's skin is 'a bit different to a tattoo.' '[It's] less permanent. I guarantee it was such a small thing,' Hammer fired back. After Morgan confessed he was 'shocked' by the whole thing, Hammer tried to frame it as a 'romantic gesture.' 'Yes, I think to some it probably sounds really strange. To some, it probably sounds like a very romantic gesture,' he explained. He also insisted that he had nothing to 'gain' from 'having a sexual experience that my partner didn't appreciate or enjoy. 'That was also a huge sense of validation for me, making this person that I'm with feel good, making this person that I'm with, I don't know if I can say this, climax,' Hammer explained to Morgan. 'Like, these were things that made me feel good and made me feel powerful, which I desperately needed, because I didn't know how to give them to myself.' Lorenze shared an image of her 'A' scar with DailyMail exclusively back in 2021 as she detailed their four-month romance. Last month Hammer revealed he is grateful for the shock cannibalism and abuse allegations which imploded his once-stellar Hollywood acting career. Speaking on the Painful Lessons podcast, the actor said of the scandal: 'Whatever it was that people said, whatever it was that happened, I'm now at a place in my life where I'm grateful for every single bit of it, He denied the accusations of rape through his attorney and said all of his sexual encounters were 'completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance and mutually participatory'; seen in 2020 'I'm actually now at a place where I'm really grateful for it because where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me I didn't feel good I never felt satisfied I never had enough I never was in a place where I was happy with myself where I had self-esteem. 'I never knew how to give myself love. I never knew how to give myself self-validation but I had this job where I was able to get it from so many people that I never had to learn how to give it to myself.' On being accused of cannibalism - the actor reportedly said he was '100% a cannibal' in 2021 texts - he added: 'People called me a cannibal. Like I ate people! What???? You know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to eat people!' He added of his downfall: 'It was an ego death, a career death. A neutron bomb went off in my life. It killed off [everything]' His then-wife Chambers split from him in July 2020 - the former couple share two young children. Hammer was told 'he had issues' but he's 'not what people are saying' in a psychiatric evaluation report - after cannibalism and abuse allegations imploded his career in 2021. The star said he had contemplated suicide during that period, saying: 'There were a lot of times when I thought I can't take this anymore. I was getting hateso it just went right in there was a time 'I was standing at the shore and I swam out really far and just laying there..a half-assed suicide attemptBut I thought I couldn't do that to my kids.' He admitted his Hollywood career is 'nowhere now' and said he's 'creating his own sandbox' and planning to write a screenplay. Jenelle Evans broke down in tears while obtaining a restraining order for herself and kids against her ex David Eason, following their split after six years of marriage. On Thursday's episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the reality star, 32, opened up about feeling 'harassed' and 'stalked' by her estranged spouse, who she shares her seven-year-old daughter Ensley Jolie Eason. In an attempt to distance herself from Eason, Evans, who rose to fame as a teenager on MTV's 16 & Pregnant, made the move from North Carolina to Las Vegas. 'I think Vegas is definitely gonna be a space - life my safe haven and definitely a good safe haven for my kids. There's just so much to look forward to for this move to Vegas,' Evans said in a confessional interview after touring a number of properties. She continued: 'So much has happened in North Carolina, it's just traumatized all of us in different ways.' Jenelle Evans broke down in tears while obtaining a restraining order for herself and kids against her ex David Eason , following their split after six years of marriage Despite her hopes of getting a fresh start in Sin City, Evans was forced to return to North Carolina to request a restraining order from Eason. 'I really don't want to be here. But this week, I have a court case for a pending restraining order, so we'll see how that goes,' she said after having to come back to her home state. 'But this week, I have a court case for a pending restraining order, so we'll see how that goes.' The mother-of-three continued: 'I don't feel safe when I'm in North Carolina, because I don't know if or where I can run into David.' Evans proceeded to explain that her ex is 'just capable of intimidating' and that she feels nervous whenever she sees a 'white truck on the highway' since she doesn't 'know if it's him.' Ahead of the court hearing, she told viewers her nerves were 'shot' and she was 'having panic attacks.' 'I keep thinking how I have to go on stand. It's just all very scary. And I'm like, shaking. But I gotta do it,' she said. 'I'm really sick of feeling this way. And even though he's not here, it's like I'm still walking on eggshells, which sucks.' The episode goes on to document her legal victory as she was, ultimately, granted a six-month restraining order from her ex-husband that protected her and her children. While reacting to the news, she told her castmate Briana DeJesus over FaceTime that 'all these fears in' her head were 'just poof, gone now.' On Thursday's episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the reality star, 32, opened up about feeling 'harassed' and 'stalked' by her estranged spouse, who she shares her seven-year-old daughter Ensley Jolie Eason; seen with Eason in 2016 In May, Evans was granted a six-month domestic violence protective order that also required Eason to surrender his firearms. Additionally, he is not allowed contact of any kind with Evans or her children, including posting about them on social media or visiting the kids' school. Eason did not have any representation in the North Carolina courtroom after he asked for multiple continuances to obtain a lawyer. Evans and Eason are involved in an active child custody case over their little girl. Evans also shares son Jace Vaughn, 14, with ex Andrew Lewis, and 9-year-old son Kaiser Orion with ex Nathan Griffin. 'I don't feel safe when I'm in North Carolina, because I don't know if or where I can run into David,' she admitted during a confessional The 16 & Pregnant alum filed for legal separation from Eason in February, citing his recent 'erratic behavior' and accusing him of 'substance abuse.' Evans also referenced when Eason killed the family's French bulldog puppy Nugget in 2019, as well as his assault on Jace, after he was charged with child abuse for allegedly strangling the teenager in October. Jace was placed in the custody of CPS and ultimately reunited with his father earlier this year after running away multiple time. Evans revealed in February that CPS dismissed their case against her and Eason. Earlier this year, Evans announced that she was pulling her children out of class and homeschooling them for the rest of the year after she 'found out their school is not safe.' The mother-of-three said she 'wouldn't go into detail about that,' adding: 'I want to keep them safe, I want to keep them at home, I want to keep my eye on them.' John Deere has laid off even more workers - at the same time it is moving more of its tractor and farming gear manufacturing to Mexico. The agricultural giant on Wednesday informed officials in Iowa that 103 employees - 34 in Dubuque and 69 in Waterloo- are being laid off in the state immediately. It takes the total this year to around 1,830. They layoffs are across several Iowa sites - Ankeny, Dubuque, Ottumwa, Urbandale, Waterloo - plus Davenport and East Moline in Illinois, as well as a research center in Urbandale. In many instances, production that these US workers were responsible for has been shifted to new locations in Mexico. At the start of the year, John Deere employed about 22,600 salaried and production workers across the two states. DailyMail.com asked John Deere how many new jobs had been created in Mexico in recent years - as the US workforce has been cut. It did not answer. In a statement, it said the reason for the layoffs is to 'position John Deere strongly for the future'. John Deere manufactures everything from tractors, construction vehicles, mowers and even snowmobiles. The company is facing backlash over its ongoing plan to lay off increasing numbers of American workers in favor of relocating production to Mexico Employees are furious at the cuts. A longtime John Deere worker at the Harvester Works plant in East Moline, Illinois, said it comes down to one thing: Greed. 'We get wind of more layoffs daily, it seems, and it's causing uncertainty all over,' said the worker, who stayed anonymous for fear of retaliation. 'The only reason for Deere to do this is greed.' The company has blamed a 20 percent fall in sales from 2023 to 2024. Demand for tractors is down as crop prices stay low amid rising costs for farmers. The company was founded 187 years ago. More layoffs are expected later this year - despite John Deere raking in over $10 billion in profit in 2023 while also paying CEO John May $26.7 million in total compensation. Laid-off workers get up to 12 months of severance pay - based on years of service - payment for unused time off, and access to health benefits. 'While the decision to reduce roles across the company was a challenging one, the company is confident that these adjustments, coupled with our ongoing efforts to reduce costs and align production and inventory levels, will position John Deere strongly for the future,' the statement added. John Deere said it is still committed to US manufacturing. Bosses pointed to a $2 billion investment in US factories since 2019. Iowa State University professor Peter Orazem told KWQC that the job losses will have a wider impact on other businesses in the local economy. A John Deere factory in Brazil. The company is moving production there, as well as Mexico Workers at a plant in Ottumwa, another tiny town in Iowa, had been expecting layoffs for two years after John Deere announced a portion of its production line would be shifted to Mexico Inside a John Deere plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, where over 100 jobs were cut this year More than 10,000 workers at John Deere went on strike for five weeks in 2021. They won a 10 percent raise for hourly earners and increased retirement benefits 'This is going to be a serious problem, not just because John Deere is such a large employer, but because a lot of inputs John Deere uses are produced in the area.' He warned that suppliers to Deere might also reduce their workforce in response. John Deere said: 'While the decision to reduce roles across the company was a challenging one, the company is confident that these adjustments, coupled with our ongoing efforts to reduce costs and align production and inventory levels, will position John Deere strongly for the future.' Sees Candies has been toppled as America's favorite candy store in an annual ranking by thousands of shoppers. Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1921, the iconic American store brand has fallen to second place in this years list by Newsweek. Top spot has been taken by Lindt, the upmarket Swiss chocolatier founded in 1845, that was in third last year. The company set up a US arm in 1989 - bringing the European style of chocolate making, considered to be superior, across the Atlantic. The introduction of the Lindt Gold Bunny three decades ago created a whole new market for so-called hollow figure segment that also includes Santas and reindeers for the holidays. Topping the candy and chocolate store section this year was Lindt. See's feel to number two To help Americans find the best places to shop, Newsweek partnered with data intelligence platform Statista to survey 7,000 customers on their opinions on retailers spanning 40 industry categories. Participants were asked to rank the retailer based on prices, the selection of goods, atmosphere, customer service, accessibility and how likely they would be to recommend the store. Lindt scored 90.65 out of 100 in the ranking to take top spot among chocolate and candy stores. See's Candies scored 90.18 as it slipped down a space. Last year's number two, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, dropped to fifth. Sees Candies soon expanded after Mary See opened the first shop in 1921. By the late 1950s, there were more than 124 shops across California, and mail order arrived in the 1960s. There are now around 280 across America. The same Newsweek survey showed that Wegmans - the upmarket store founded in Rochester, New York - lost its crown as America's favorite supermarket. Topping the supermarket section this year was Great Wall Supermarket, an Asian American supermarket chain which opened its first store in New York City in 2003. Among the other categories ranked by the survey participants are apparel, bridal fashion, department stores, bookstores and toy stores. See's Candies has around 280 stores in the US, but it is no longer America's favorite confectionary shop Swiss chocolatier Lindt is now rated as the best candy store in America Trader Joe's tops the list for discount supermarkets this year, followed by WinCo Foods and Aldi. Costco, meanwhile, ranks the highest when it comes to Superstores and Warehouse Club Stores. In second place is Walmart's warehouse chain Sam's Club, followed by Target and BJ's. A North Carolina bartender has revealed how many customers leave the bar without closing out their tabs. Bartender Michelle Kimball posted a viral TikTok video showing how many tabs she had to complete at 2.30am after a busy Saturday night. In the video Kimball, who has a TikTok following of 4.8 million, shows the the huge number of receipts of 'walk out' customers. 'These are the open tabs, the tabs nobody closed out for, y'all are not going to believe this' Kimball said. The bartender's colleague then dragged the line of receipts around the large bar. Bartender Michelle Kimball, who has a TikTok following of 4.8 million, revealed the open tabs The video revealed 372 open tabs left at the end of a busy Saturday night 'Now for all 372 of those tabs I get to go in here and add 20 percent tip to every single one' she explained. 'Thank God I can do math really quickly' she joked. In a separate video Kimball answered a user's question about whether bartenders dislike when tabs aren't closed before a customer leaves. 'First of all no' Kimball explained, 'we appreciate that you started a tab.' 'It takes so much longer if you just get one beer each time and close out each time instead of starting a tab. 'Second, if you walk up to the bar and it is so busy and you can't get a bartender's attention right away that means we are making drinks for other people, aka we're making money. 'So if you just leave without tabbing out and you were already going to tip 20 percent, we love you. 'It takes so much less time to close you out at the very end of the night and then just add the 20 percent' she added. Some viewers of the video agreed that leaving an open tab with the expectation of a 20 percent tip is a helpful practice. 'When the bar is busy and I know they will close with 20% tip I feel like I'm doing both of us a favor but correct me if I'm wrong' one user wrote in the comments. 'Its actually cheaper for the bar to swipe your card just once. Those swipe fees can be killer for the business' another added in agreement. While many are happy to leave a customary 20 percent tip a recent study found that three-quarters of Americans believe tipping culture has gone too far. The findings come amidst a widespread backlash against 'tipflation' which has seen tipping culture spill out from bars and restaurants and into stores, takeout chains and even self-service machines. 84 percent of respondents to the CouponBirds survey argued that the minimum wage should be increased to off-set the need for gratuity. Across the board, tipping was most common for restaurant service. Some 59 percent of consumers said they would tip at dinner while 43.8 percent they would for food delivery. It was followed by hairdressing and beauty services - which 41.1 percent of individuals said they would tip for. Some 39.6 percent said they would add gratuity in a taxi while 36.8 percent said they would tip at a bar. The least likely place shoppers would tip was at a convenience store or Bodega. Some 4.9 percent of survey respondents said they would add gratuity in this instance. Southwest Airlines' loyal passengers are up in arms about the carrier's plan to ditch its open seating policy. Under the major change announced Thursday, the low-cost airline will soon assign seats - something it has never done in its 56-year history. The move is part of a bid to boost profits. It will offer flyers the chance to pay extra to pick seats early or get coveted extra-legroom ones. There will also be so-called premium seating, which is likely to be similar to the basic first-class offered on the Delta, United and American. It marks a significant shift away from its traditional business model. A passenger checks in for her Southwest Airlines flight at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, July 25, 2024. Southwest Airlines plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines Southwest boss Robert Jordan said those complaining are in the minority. 'I know there are going to be customers who say "I want to stay with open seating". It's a minority,' he told CNBC. 'But we had the same thing when we switched from plastic boarding passes. We had the same thing when we took peanuts out of the cabin. I'm convinced we can win them over.' But it is a big minority if the noticeboards of Reddit and posts on Facebook and X are anything to go by. At the same time customers have complained to the Wall Street Journal. Bradley Bolin, a 64-year-old from Minneapolis, told the WSJ that he feared Southwest is mutating into 'another Delta or United.' He liked that it wasn't divided into different cabins - with the rich up front and the rest at the back. 'I don't know if I'm just an old socialist, but I liked that you didn't have to walk through all the beautiful people to get to your seat,' he said. On Reddit, one customer who said they fly 60 to 70 times a year on Southwest for business wrote: 'This new seating policy is really going to suck for those of us that use Southwest for its ease of flight changes. 'I fly 60-70 times a year and half of those are pre booked flights that I end up changing because I finish a job faster than anticipated or end up having to stay a day later. Moral of the story, I change more flights than I stick to the original. 'Im curious to see how A List Preferred is handled. I love being able to book a flight three hours before and still being able to board after the As. I dont sit in middle seats on an airline I spend over 15-20k a year with.' The post had more than 200 comments - most agreeing. The seating change was announced Thursday as Southwest reported second-quarter earnings. It had adjusted profit of 58 cents per share, about half of what it reported a year earlier, but managed to beat analysts' average estimate of 51 cents per share, according to LSEG data. Southwest is facing pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which is pushing for a management and board overhaul. Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan announced on Thursday plans to potentially revamp the airline's boarding and seating procedures Elliott took an about 11 percent stake in the carrier and has urged it to consider making commercial changes to its business model, including exploring revenue opportunities such as assigned seats, checked bag fees and premium products. Historically, Southwest has shied away from these changes. The airline has also been hit hard by Boeing's jet delivery delays and is reeling from elevated operating expenses, including high aircraft maintenance costs, as it keeps older planes in the air. Southwest said it was in discussions with Boeing about the negative financial impact it faces from the delayed deliveries. A million-dollar price tag on a home is no longer a signifier of luxurious living. In over 200 cities across the US, budding homeowners will have to fork out the sum for a typical starter home, according to new Zillow analysis. The real estate marketplace defines a 'starter home' as properties among the lowest third of home values in a given region. It found that the typical starter home has surpassed this staggering price threshold in 237 US cities - almost tripling from 84 five years ago. Nearly half of the cities are in California, which is notorious for its high housing costs, but exactly half of all states have at least one city where a million-dollar starter home is the norm. Nearly half of the cities are in California, which is notorious for its high housing costs (Pictured: A street in San Francisco) Your browser does not support iframes. Starter homes in these cities cost more than five times the national average of $196,611, according to Zillow, which is comfortably affordable for a median-income household. A housing shortage which worsened over the Covid-19 pandemic has driven up the cost of homes across the US to new heights. Starter home values have grown 54.1 percent since 2019, which is even more than the 49.1 percent increase for the typical American home in the same time frame. This has priced many would-be homebuyers out of the market, and delayed the first home purchase for millions. In 2023, the median age of a first-time homebuyer was 35, Zillow found, which is a year older than in 2019. California is home to 117 cities where the typical starter home costs more than $1 million, including places such as Santa Monica, Montecito and Carmel Valley. This figure has more than doubled since 2019, when it was home to 53. California is well ahead of New York, which has 31, and New Jersey, which has 21. Florida and Massachusetts round out the top five with 11 each. While the Sunshine State was home to four cities with million-dollar starter homes five years ago, Massachusetts did not have any. States including Utah, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, which did not have a single city with million-dollar starter homes in 2019, are now all home to one. For example, in Utah, it is Alta, a ski town near Salt Lake City, and in Kansas it is Mission Hills, a suburb of Kansas City. Exactly half of all states have at least one city where a million-dollar starter home is the norm (Pictured: Seattle in Washington, which is home to eight cities) 'Home buyers are battling affordability and availability,' said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow Irvine, California, which has a population of more than 300,000 is the biggest city with $1 million starter homes, Zillow found. Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro, which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has 48 cities with million-dollar starter homes - the highest in the country. The San Francisco metro has 44, Los Angeles has 35, San Jose has 15, and Miami and Seattle each have eight. 'Home buyers are battling affordability and availability today. So much so that $1 million is the norm for a starter home in hundreds of cities,' said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. 'However, it's looking more and more like there will be some good news ahead for first-time buyers. 'More homes are for sale, price cuts are on the rise, and buyers have a few more days to weigh their options as homes sit on the market.' It comes as experts warn that house prices are set to see a dramatic fall in pandemic-era 'boomtowns' in the South. Already, recent reports have shown parts of Florida and Texas are seeing elevated costs begin to come down. Bridging the skills gap through targeted initiatives can not only enhance employability but also drive economic growth and social stability Few would believe that 26-year-old Kevin Dahima - a young, successful entrepreneur from coastal Gujarat - was once unemployed. Today he himself employs his thriving niche. Kickstarting his business in 2021 and providing a 24-hour service, Kelvin brings home over Rs. 55,000 per month. Having trained as a Hospital Assistant. It all began at a hospital where he saw patients discharged, but still in need of various forms of care - elderly patients who require dressings; ex-ICU patients who need oxygen daily; and cancer and post-surgery patients what if he could provide nursing care to them, from the comfort of their own homes? Not only is he being productive in life, but he is helping people in their hour of need, whilst building something for the future. And his journey to success all began when he signed up for skill training. One doesnt have to look too far to see the social impact of high levels of youth unemployment. In South Africa, where youth unemployment has hit a high of 59.7%, unemployment is considered to be the root cause of many problems the country faces today - including crime, poverty and suicide. Closer to home, the epidemic of drug use in Punjab has been fuelled by social and economic factors including high unemployment, and underemployment; and pressing national issues like youth suicide are compounded by youth unemployment. Never has it been more important for our young people to have opportunities for bright and productive futures. Around the world, youth unemployment and underemployment are significant problems in many societies, which can lead to feelings of hopelessness and frustration which can often fuel social unrest. Over the next decade, the World Bank estimates one billion young people will try to enter the job market, but less than half of them will find formal jobs. This will leave the majority of young people, many in minority and marginalized groups, unemployed or experiencing working poverty. With the largest youth population in the world (with 66% of the total population under the age of 35), and the latest data from CMIE (a think tank) claiming youth unemployment could be as high as 45.5% - among the highest in the world - it is important that India takes note here. There is a lot we can do to ensure we take a preventive approach to these issues to secure productive futures for our many young people.In a country with a gaping skills gap, this presents a major opportunity to invest in skills collaboratively to meet the needs of both youth and industry. According to recent studies, Indias employable population is far too low to meet the demands of the skilled labour market. Two-thirds of the countrys workforce arent qualified for current job openings. With such a shortage of qualified workers, businesses are struggling to fill positions creating a significant challenge. Its not just the quantity of skilled labour thats lacking. The quality of available talent is also wanting. Recent research shows that only 33% of workers in India possess the skills employers seek most. The need of the hour to tackle issues at both ends of the spectrum lies in skill training. Whilst the India Skills Mission abandoned its goal of training 500 million youth by 2022, there is still a clear need for corporates, skill training providers and civil society to step into the breach. Rural youth, in particular, need greater access to quality skill training providers who also support placement, whilst also requiring help to convince families that skills are indeed the way to go a route often in conflict with the white-collar aspirations of both youth and their families. Sadly, half of all graduates in India are unemployable due to a lack of industry-relevant skills.The world faces a multitude of challenges today, many of which affect our youth. Conflicts that disrupt education and stability, a polarized online environment that fosters negativity, and economic inequality that limits opportunities. These issues threaten not only individual futures but the overall stability of communities. It is therefore crucial to equip youth with the necessary skills to become productive citizens and create a more sustainable future for all. (The writer is CEO, of Ambuja Foundation; views are personal) China's growing role as a mediator in international conflicts hints at a shifting power dynamic, challenging the traditional Western dominance in international diplomacy He flew to Washington; they went to Beijing. While leaders soar through the skies, ordinary civilians are engulfed in the flames of war. Their children scream not for the luxury of education, but for the sheer will to survive amid the relentless rains of bombs. Famine devastates their lives, and in Gaza and beyond, people are not just yearning for food but for the basic necessity of drinking water. This grim reality highlights the stark polarization in the global order, as non-Western nations struggle with age-old problems made worse by those wielding power. Harvard-educated former combat soldier of Sayeret Matkal in the IDF, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, commonly known by his nom-de-guerre Bibi, flew to the United States to address Congress, followed by a meeting with President Joe Biden, who, battling COVID-19 for the third time, was expected to announce his inability to run for a second term officially. Amidst thousands of protesters and a boycott by dozens of Congress members, Netanyahu addressed Congress. Meanwhile, representatives from fourteen Palestinian organisations flew to Beijing to sign a peace agreement. The presence of fourteen organisations for a population of just over 5 million highlights the profound divisions within this land, once a nation-state ravaged by intricate schemes.Following the horrific October 7 attack, where thousands of Israelis were brutally killed and many more kidnapped by Hamas, the regions conflict landscape has been irrevocably altered. This incident has significantly hampered Israel's efforts to normalise relationships with neighbouring countries. In response, China swiftly intervened, brokering an unprecedented rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. This diplomatic achievement was monumental during Ebrahim Raisis presidency, although tragically overshadowed by the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Raisi and his dynamic Foreign Minister while returning from a joint irrigation project inauguration in Azerbaijan province.In his record-breaking address to Congress, Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined his vision for peace, affirming that he would not cease fire until victory was achieveda notion that seems illusory given the ground realities. Ironically, before the speech, his entourage hinted that he would present "a vision" for the future of Gaza and the region. Ultimately, that vision consisted of "a demilitarized and deradicalized" Gaza. Netanyahu, who struggles to convince his ultra-Orthodox partners to teach their children basic math, now claims to plan on educating "a new generation that must be taught not to hate Jews." This plan remains unclear, but he quickly shifted to slogans about an "Abraham Alliance" between Israel and "moderate" Arab nations, conveniently ignoring his coalition's refusal to even utter the words "two-state solution," the very foundation for this alliance.Following our victory, with the help of regional partners, the demilitarisation and deradicalisation of Gaza can lead to a future of security, prosperity, and peace. Thats my vision for Gaza, he proclaimed to Congress. He continued, A new generation of Palestinians must no longer be taught to hate Jews but to live in peace with us. Those twin concepts, demilitarisation and deradicalisation, were applied to Germany and Japan after World War II, leading to decades of peace, prosperity, and security.Despite his lofty words, Netanyahu's visit was not about peace but about expanding the war towards Iran, a country he mentioned twenty-seven times in his 52-minute, record-breaking fourth address. Tragically, there was not even the slightest hint of how he plans to extricate Israel from the tragic impasse it is trapped in under his watch.Israeli analysts expose these hyperboles, stating, The goal of Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington, including his appearance before the U.S. Congress, is not and never was to advance a diplomatic agreement to bring home the Israeli hostages safely and to end the fighting and suffering. Rather, it is designed to enlist domestic American support to keep waging the war. Another analyst remarked, Netanyahu may have won 52 standing ovations from the rapturous, majority-Republican audience, but his rhetoric, which so impressed Washington, offered nothing for Israelis watching back home. Meanwhile, in Beijing, 14 Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Fatah, signed the Beijing Declaration. This rare display of unity, facilitated by China, marks a significant shift towards reconciliation among Palestinian factionsa unity long deemed unattainable due to numerous internal and external challenges. The persistent disunity has exacerbated the Palestinians' suffering beyond Israeli oppression. Therefore, the recent declaration offers a glimmer of hope for a more cohesive and effective Palestinian political movement, provided the commitments are genuine and actionable. The Beijing Declaration signifies a remarkable step towards Palestinian unity and sovereignty. The declaration's commitment to post-war governance in Gaza and the establishment of a temporary national reconciliation government underscores a unified vision for Palestinian self-governance and independence.The significance of the Beijing Declaration is profound, echoing ancient and contemporary sentiments on diplomacy and conflict resolution. Chinese scholar Zhu Weilie aptly noted, "The Beijing Declaration represents the mainstream opinions of various Palestinian factions," marking a critical step toward Palestinian statehood. Historical divisions between factions like Fatah and Hamas, ongoing since the late Yasser Arafat's era, have long impeded progress. The success of this meeting, which saw all factions in attendance for the first time, symbolizes a breakthrough in Palestinian unity and reflects the global south's emerging solidarity and cooperation. The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.The impact of the Beijing Declaration extends beyond Palestinian internal politics. It poses significant implications for the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Palestine moves towards internal unity, Israel's political trajectory appears increasingly extreme and radical. The continuous violence and rising death toll highlight the urgent need for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts. Yet, Israel's alignment with U.S. interests and electoral politics hinders progress. In contrast, Palestine's willingness to engage with China's diplomatic initiatives offers a hopeful pathway towards reconciliation and peace, reminiscent of Sun Tzu's assertion that "the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."China's role as a mediator and leader in global conflicts is likely to expand. The successful reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran under China's mediation last year, followed by the current Palestinian unity efforts, signals a shift in West Asian diplomacy. China's "active actions," characterized by leadership and initiative, have garnered widespread acceptance and support from various countries in the region.Concurrently, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, during his visit to Beijing this week, informed Chinas Foreign Minister that Ukraine is ready and willing to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Russia aimed at a permanent settlement. Kuleba is in China to secure their assistance in future negotiations with Russia. He emphasised that the negotiations should be rational and lead to lasting peace. There is no mention of NATO, the US, or the UK being involved, but they cannot be pleased with the prospect of peace in Europe being facilitated by China. This could drive President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to rethink his approach to destructive promises he was given by his masters behind the screen.These developments indicate that Beijing is emerging as a new pivotal key player in global conflicts, advocating its strategic ambitions. As regional powerhouses in Asia, both India and China have the potential to elevate the Global South to new heights. Not only Beijing but also Delhi, with Prime Minister Modi's first foreign visit to Russia after his third election, shares this strategic vision. In this context, it is important to consider the words of Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs: It is also obvious that the United States is trying to drag India into its anti-China project. Both China and India are much more deeply involved in the Western system of globalisation in terms of the volume of financial, investment, and trade agreements and many other things. But the fact is that just like us (Russia), China and India are fully aware of the discriminatory nature of what the West is doing. Transcending political affiliations and beliefs, the most noble and imperative pursuit, as Albert Camus profoundly stated, is the fight for peace. Humanity prevails when, at such critical moments, we forge a united front against the relentless forces of conflict and injustice. Humanity triumphs when, at pivotal moments, we unite resolutely against manufactured conflicts and unyielding forces of injustice, setting aside political differences to stand together. (The writer is a journalist and author. Views are personal) Sending out a terse message to the neighbouring country on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned Pakistan by asserting that the Indian soldiers will crush terrorism with full force and the enemy will be given a befitting reply. In his maiden visit to Ladakh after taking the oath of office for the third time, Modi also reminded Pakistan that it has not learned anything from the past. Without mincing any words the Prime Minister said, In Kargil, we not only won the war, we presented an incredible example of truth, restraint and strength. The Prime Minister threw light on Pakistans deceit at a time when India was making all efforts to maintain peace. Falsehood and terror were brought down to their knees by truth, he added. Condemning terrorism, the Prime Minister said Pakistan has always faced defeat in the past. Pakistan has not learned anything from its past and has continued to wage war in the garb of terrorism and proxy wars to stay relevant. Addressing the Shradhanjali Samaroh after paying homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty the Prime Minister said, Today I am speaking from a place where the masters of terror can hear my voice directly. I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their nefarious intentions will never succeed. Our soldiers will crush terrorism with full force and the enemy will be given a befitting reply, he added. India will overcome all challenges that come in the way of development, be it Ladakh or Jammu & Kashmir, the Prime Minister reiterated. On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced the successful culmination of Operation Vijay, reclaiming the positions occupied by Pakistani infiltrators/army regulars on the Indian side of the LoC in the Kargil region after a nearly three-month-long battle in Ladakh. Responding to the political muscle flexing over the Agnipath scheme, the Prime Minister responded by clearly saying the purpose of Agnipath is to keep forces young and continuously battle-ready. Referring to the blatant politicization of this sensitive subject, the Prime Minister said, The truth is that the Agnipath scheme will increase the strength of the country and the country will also get capable youth. Announcements have been made to give priority to Agniveers in the private sector and paramilitary forces as well, he said. Rejecting the propaganda about the intention of saving pension burden as the main reason behind the Agnipath Scheme, the Prime Minister reminded that the pension burden of the soldiers being recruited today will come up after 30 years, therefore, this can not be the reason behind the scheme. We have respected this decision taken by the armed forces because for us the security of the country is more important than politics, he added. The Prime Minister pointed out that those misleading the youth of the nation today had no regard for the armed forces in the past. Recalling the false promises made by past governments on One Rank One Pension, the Prime Minister underlined that it was the present government that implemented the scheme where ex-servicemen were given more than Rs 1.25 lakh crores. He further pointed out the neglect of past governments and said, These are the same people who did not build a war memorial for the martyrs even after 7 decades of independence, did not provide enough bulletproof jackets to our soldiers deployed on the border and kept ignoring Kargil Vijay Diwas. The Prime Minister along with the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brig (Dr) B D Sharma, Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan and the Chiefs of Army Staff of the three armed forces were present on the occasion. The Prime Minister heard the Gaurav Gatha: Briefing on Kargil War by NCOs and visited Amar Sansmaran: Hut of Remembrance. He also visited the Veer Bhoomi. The Prime Minister also witnessed the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project in Ladakh, virtually today. Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel to be constructed at around 15,800 feet on the Nimu Padum Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. Referring to the historic decision taken by his government, Modi said that in a few days from now on the 5th of August, the abrogation of Article 370 will complete 5 years and the Jammu & Kashmir of today is talking about a new future full of dreams. The Prime Minister gave examples of progress and mentioned holding G20 meetings in the UT, the governments focus on infrastructure development and tourism, cinema halls opening up, and the tazia procession being initiated after three and a half decades. This heaven on earth is swiftly moving in the direction of peace and prosperity, the Prime Minister added. Referring to the ambitious targets for the border areas, the Prime Minister informed that the Border Road Organization (BRO) has completed more than 330 projects including Sela Tunnel, showcasing New Indias capabilities and direction. Emphasizing the importance of upgrading military technologies, the Prime Minister said in the changing global scenarios, our defence force needs the latest weapons and equipment along with a modern working style and arrangements. Modi said that the defence sector had felt the necessity to upgrade in the past as well, but unfortunately, this issue was not given much importance. However, in the last 10 years, Defence reforms have been prioritized, making our forces more capable and self-reliant, he added. Assams historical treasure, the Charaideo Moidam royal burial complex and shrines built by Ahom dynasty that ruled the Northeastern State for around 600 years, has received the prestigious UNESCO tag, marking the first cultural site from the region to receive this honor. This was announced during the 46th World Heritage Committee session in India. With this addition, India now proudly hosts 43 World Heritage Sites. The Moidams in Assams Charaideo district with their striking pyramid-like structures captures the States regal past, and simultaneously offers a fascinating blend of history, architecture, and folklore of the Tai-Ahom dynasty. The UNESCO tag highlights the global appreciation of the Tai-Ahom dynastys rich cultural heritage and historical contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pride and joy over the inclusion, highlighting the cultural and historical value of the Moidams. while Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called the decision a day etched in golden letters. Moidams was submitted as Indias nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2023-24. The Moidams at Charaideo showcase the glorious Ahom culture, which places utmost reverence to ancestors. I hope more people learn about the great Ahom rule and culture. Glad that the Moidams join the #WorldHeritage List, Modi said in a post on X. The Moidams are a mound burial system that served as a resting place for Ahom kings and queens. They were constructed by providing an earth cover over a hollow vault made of bricks, stone or earth. The designated site contains 90 moidams of different sizes, which were created over a period of 600 years, and include other cultural features like ceremonial pathways and bodies of water, said a spokesperson from ICOMOS, the advisory body of the World Heritage Committee. Reports say that there are actually over 150 moidams, but only 30 are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Assam State Archaeology Department. Ranjan K Baruah, Advisor to the Skill Employment and Entrepreneurship Department of the Bodoland Territorial Council and a Tourist guide trainer, lauded the inclusion of the Charaideo Moidams on UNESCOs World Heritage List as a moment of immense pride for the people of Assam and beyond. These remarkable sites epitomize the grandeur of the Ahom dynastys heritage and stand as an architectural marvel akin to the pyramids of Egypt, he remarked. Baruah emphasiSed that further exploration by the Archaeological Survey of India or similar institutions could unveil additional insights into the rich legacy of the Ahom dynasty, enriching our understanding of this historical treasure. The Tai-Ahoms migrated to present-day Assam in the 13th century and selected Charaideo as their first capital and location for the royal necropolis. They established the first capital at the Patkai hills in eastern India and named it Charaideo, which means a dazzling city above the mountain in their language. Even though the clan moved across cities, the burial site they built was seen as the most sacred place for the departed souls of the royals. According to the UNESCO website, the site has the largest concentration of these vaulted mound burials, and reflects the sculpted landscape of the surrounding hills. Moidams are characterized by vaulted chambers, often double-storied, accessed through arched passages. The chambers housed centrally raised platforms where the deceased were laid to rest along with their royal insignia, weapons, and personal belongings. The construction of these mounds involved layers of bricks, earth, and vegetation, transforming the landscape into undulating hillocks reminiscent of celestial mountains. Several objects used by the deceased during his/her life, like royal insignia, objects made of wood, ivory or iron, gold pendants, ceramic ware, weapons, clothes to the extent of human beings (only from the Luk-kha-khun clan) were buried with their king, according to the website. Reacting to Moidams receiving the UNESCO tag, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said it is a day etched in golden letters and thanked UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee for understanding the outstanding universal value of Moidams. In the Northeastern State, the Kaziranga National Park and the Manas National Park fall in the natural and mixed heritage categories respectively. Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a PIL challenging the Centre's decision to declare June 25, the day the Emergency was imposed in 1975, as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'. The petitioner said the decision was not only in violation of the Constitution but also "insulting" as it used the word "hatya (murder)" with the "Samvidhan (Constitution)" -- a "living document". A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan said the Centre's notification was not in violation of the Constitution as it was not issued to challenge the issue of the proclamation of Emergency but against the abuse of power, misuse of law and the excesses that followed. "It is in that context that the word 'hatya' is used. It does not disrespect the Constitution," the bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, said. Assembly Member Chris Ward and members of the LGBTQ caucus announce a bill to ban school policies forcing teachers to out trans students to their parents on May 22 in Sacramento. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on July 15. Courtesy of Assembly Member Chris Ward Regarding Musk is right to leave (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, July 22): In Gloria Judds letter about AB1955, the state law concerning student gender identity, she expresses her outrage to the point of considering switching political parties. It also exposes a problem in the news media and consumers: twisted headlines. Judds understanding of the law mirrors the headlines, which distort the actual law with sound bites and clickbait. The law does not forbid teachers from informing parents about their transgender preferences; it forbids forcing a teacher to notify parents. This is due to concern for the safety of the child, a mandate that supersedes any parental right. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I agree with Judd that parents are the primary people in a childs life. A transgender child should feel safe revealing that identity to a parent. Sadly, not all are safe. With the new law, a teacher can keep that childs identity confidential for their safety. Ms. Judd, do you really want to align yourself with a party that would force a teacher to put a child in harms way? Susan Cislo, American Canyon Be wary of new park Regarding S.F. Bay waterfront site once slated for 1,200 homes will be turned into park after yearslong fights (Real Estate, SFChronicle.com, July 17): The story speaks of turning the land into a nature park, and that few opportunities remain to create significant parkland, especially in the Richmond region, according to a spokesperson for the East Bay Regional Park District. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Im happy that Point Molate isnt going to be converted into a casino and housing for the wealthy, but Im mystified by whats meant by this so-called turning and creating, and what impact that is going to have on the pristine, beautiful, natural shore and coastline thats already there. When a governing body decides it needs to improve something thats perfect, should diminishment be unforeseen? Rocky Leplin, Richmond Pay scale is off Regarding S.F.s top-paid employee made $840K. Heres what every city worker gets paid (Data Spotlight, SFChronicle.com, July 19): I couldnt help but think about how these salaries compare with what we pay teachers and other people working in the San Francisco public school system. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You would think that salaries for teachers, such as myself, would be similar to those of people with similar education requirements and work responsibilities in city government, particularly if these salaries reflect what it costs to live in San Francisco. This is additional evidence that we need to rethink how we fund schools in California. Meghan Byrne, San Francisco What about homelessness? Regarding Could S.F.s Embarcadero Plaza become a world-class park? There are plans to make it happen (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, July 17): Putting a park on the Embarcadero? What good is that in a city thats lost its soul? No matter how beautiful that park may be, it wont help with homelessness. Spending all that money for appearances rather than on San Franciscos major problem is tone-deaf and uncaring. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nancy Hume, Pleasant Hill Criticism misguided The indignant congressional attack on Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned as Secret Service director on Tuesday, managed to elide the most significant element of the incident the easy legal access to guns, including the assault weapon used in the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The loudest voices declaiming against Cheatle were among those congressional members, particularly Republicans, most likely to vigorously defend the rights of American citizens, including people like the perpetrator Thomas Matthew Crooks, to obtain guns. John Stedman, San Francisco Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bravo, Mr. President Regarding Biden saved America in 2020, and he may have just saved it again on Sunday (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, July 21): I applaud Jack Ohmans op-ed touting the accomplishments of President Joe Biden. Not mentioned was that President Biden is a decent, caring man. Time caught up with him and his frailty can not be denied. Age does that. 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 Biden put country before self. Can we, as Americans, who greatly benefited from his lone term, ever be able to thank him for all he did? Hopefully, history will thank him for being one of the greats. He certainly gets loud applause and a standing ovation from me. Kamala Harris speaks with MSNBC host Chris Matthews in the Spin Room after the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season in Miami on June 27, 2019. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images 2019 Four years ago, I wrote in the pages of the Chronicle that Kamala Harris would be Joe Bidens best bet for vice presidential running mate. I made that judgment based on her television appearances, but also in person. As a senator, Harris always struck me as whip-smart with a far wider cultural reach than someone who is simply winning at electoral politics. In person, when she came to my show Hardball and whenever we had a chance to talk off the air, she was even more impressive. We will soon discover if my 2020 commendation will do the trick for her as President Joe Bidens Democratic successor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Vice President Harris has already made a couple of top choices since Biden announced he was dropping his reelection campaign. She began with a solid political compass reading by establishing Jen OMalley Dillon as her top campaign manager. Cant get better than that. You hear of many political staffers being introduced as strategists. OMalley Dillon actually is one. Starting at the presidential level with Vice President Al Gores campaign, she has proven herself ever since. Her 2020 campaign defeated an incumbent president, Donald Trump. Keeping OMalley Dillon was the simplest move but also the right one. She is what we call in politics thegenuine article. Confirming her position at the top gives confidence to the staff and keeps them solidly at work instead of out somewhere looking for the next job. It made no sense to chop apart a campaign structure and top fundraising effort in the middle of July that needs to deliver by November. People need to get to work in the morning, not worry about whether they need to find another job. Beyond staffing, Harris is emphasizing her own political roots, not letting the Trump people assign her someone elses. This is vital. A campaign needs to define itself before the opposition does it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Before she was vice president or a U.S. senator, Harris was the San Francisco district attorney and then California attorney general. Now more than ever, its vital to keep that badge of honor visible and intact. How often does a candidate get to play the role of a political district attorney facing off against an accused felon? The rhetoric you hear from a candidate is one thing. But when that rhetoric is backed up by the candidates biography, it packs a punch. Prosecuting bad guys was how she made her name, putting people like Trump away. Her most powerful line since becoming the presumed Democratic presidential nominee was when she said on Monday that shes learned to spot Trumps type. I took on perpetrators of all kinds: predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rule for their own gain. So, believe me when I say I know Donald Trumps type. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That is the instinct we expect from a hard-nosed prosecutor, to know the person across the room for what he is: a sex abuser, a bully from the schoolyard, a tyrant looking for a country to lord over. What the civil and criminal cases against Trump have thus far have failed to do is convince the public that his actions both alleged and confirmed matter to them. That is a political assignment and its the job of the Democratic candidate to make it. There is currently a great deal of excitement about Harris. But lets face it. The chances of her upsetting Trump at the ballot box would be a world-class upset. Even before the disastrous debate that ultimately knocked him out of the race, Biden was behind Trump in the polls in battleground states. To win the general election, Harris and her running mate will need to convince not just young, minority voters in the big cities but also those at the citys edge and in the suburbs that a President Harris is much to be preferred to a doubled-down President Trump. When I made the case for Harris in 2020, I used a vital word. It was the same word that Biden himself chose to describe what he wanted in a running mate: simpatico. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Biden got just that in selecting Harris. With all the harrowing political realities they faced together, never so much as a negative story came out between them. They got along well. Harris now needs a running mate who can throw a punch as hard as she can. That means someone who can get headlines by hitting Trump, headlines that stick in both his and the voters minds. 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 Strength is what the voters want in their candidates. The time to go on offense is today, not five or 10 or 15 weeks from now. Youll find none of this in the Constitution: why we need a prosecutor as president, why we need a puncher as a running mate. But we live in interesting, threatening times. We need an upset. We badly need an upset. This is how well get there. 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Go /granny-personals.html An Oakland Police Department car at the scene of an incident in Oakland on April 11. Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking Oakland leaders to reconsider city policy and let officers chase suspects more frequently. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging Oakland leaders to revise the citys police pursuit policy to let officers chase suspects more frequently. The announcement comes just two weeks after he deployed a surge of California Highway Patrol officers to patrol high-crime areas in the city. CHP has brought to my attention that they observed criminals often fleeing with impunity because its common knowledge that the Oakland Police Departments (OPD) pursuit policy allows vehicle pursuits in only very limited circumstances, Newsom wrote in a letter to city officials obtained by the Chronicle. I urge you to reconsider whether OPD should be permitted to pursue suspects in more circumstances. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Newsom is sending the letter to Oakland officials including Mayor Sheng Thao, the City Council and the police department Friday, spokesperson Tara Gallegos said. Oaklands police commission is reviewing the citys policy and is set to recommend possible revisions in the fall. In his letter, Newsom praises the city for initiating the review. In a statement, Thao said she wants the policy changed to bring the department in line with our regional counterparts. Safety is my number one priority, but we know it requires the effort of every part of the system to tackle this complex issue, she wrote. I am tremendously grateful to the Governor and CHP for their continued partnership as we work hand in hand to build a safer Oakland. I encourage the Police Commission to join us in this effort. CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee told the Chronicle he raised concerns about Oaklands policy with the governor after accompanying CHP officers on patrol on July 13. Over four hours, he and CHP officers initiated seven high-speed chases to catch people who tried to flee after breaking traffic laws. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ive been in law enforcement over 26 years, and I was just shocked at the number of people who were fleeing from us, he said. Duryee said he thinks the high rate of fleeing suspects is a consequence of the police departments restrictive chase policy, which bars police from chasing suspects except for violent forcible crimes or crimes involving guns. Police pursuit policies vary from city to city. San Francisco is in the process of expanding when police can chase suspects after voters passed a measure to do so. Duryee said Oaklands policy is particularly restrictive. Newsom called it an outlier. Duryee said he believes the city needs to allow police to chase suspects in more circumstances. Fewer suspects will flee, he said, if they know they will likely be chased. Police chases can be deadly. A Chronicle investigation into police chases earlier this year found that fatal chases have increased dramatically in recent years across the country, and that they tend to be initiated over low-level offenses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Oakland last updated its police chase rules in December 2022, when then-chief LeRonne Armstrong banned pursuits over 50 mph on city streets without special permission. Chases in Oakland dropped significantly after the latest changes to the rules, which came after pursuits killed two bystanders in 2022, according to department data. Any policy on vehicle pursuits must be clear-eyed in balancing the risks and benefits involved, Newsom said in the letter. Duryee said police should stop pursuing suspects if a high-speed chase would endanger bystanders and said CHP officers often stop pursuits for that reason. But he said Oaklands policy prevents police from pursuing suspects for too many different crimes, incentivizing suspects to flee without threat of consequences. The CHP officers deployed to Oakland help respond to 911 calls when local police need backup, but mostly patrol high-crime areas for traffic violations, Duryee said. During the night when he observed their work, he said they chased people who broke traffic laws, including a driver who passed a car unsafely using a bus lane, another driving without headlights on and another who ran a red light. As a result of the chases, they arrested 13 people, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He said the stops were not pretextual, a term for when police stop someone for a minor infraction with the intent of searching their car for evidence of a more serious crime. He said his officers were pursuing people because of the traffic infractions themselves, which put pedestrians, bikers and other drivers at risk. Somebody may argue that a person driving with a headlight out is a pretextual stop, he said. I would argue that driving with a headlight out is unsafe. San Franciscos new policy limiting police pretextual stops, which went into effect this month, prohibits officers from pulling over drivers for having one nonworking tail light. A new state law that went into effect in January, meanwhile, requires police to tell drivers the reason they were pulled over, in an effort to limit pretextual stops. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is said to be on Vice President Kamala Harris short list of potential running mates. Tyger Williams/TNS When Barack Obama, then a young, first-term senator, locked up the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, his campaign felt it needed to balance the ticket: He needed someone older preferably with foreign policy gravitas and, yes, someone white. Enter Joe Biden. No one called Biden a DEI hire, shorthand for diversity, equity and inclusion. Nor did anyone say that about Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clintons 2016 running mate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But that is, essentially, what any vice president is: someone who can broaden the appeal in ways the person in the No. 1 spot lacks. Its almost by definition an exercise in providing diversity and inclusion. Now, as Kamala Harris vets potential VPs, shes seeking to bolster her own strengths in similar ways. Most of the dozen candidates being vetted are white men, including the front-runners, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. And once again, no one is writing those men off as DEI candidates. Instead its Harris herself the candidate with the most experience in the race whos having the phrase thrown at her in a way thats flat-out racist and sexist, not to mention factually incorrect. That hasnt stopped conservatives like Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and conservative Newsmax commentator Sebastian Gorka from describing Harris as benefiting from something other than her ability. Its the latest code word for calling someone the N-word, Steve Phillips, a San Francisco attorney and founder of Democracy in Color, an organization focused on race, politics and building a progressive majority. Theyre trying to feed into this very, very long-standing narrative trope that people of color are where they are, not by merit, but through the use of these unjustified preferences. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thats hardly the case with Harris. San Francisco voters elected Harris twice to district attorney, and California voters backed her twice, to be attorney general and then U.S. senator, where she represented the worlds fifth-largest economy. But much like how previous generations of conservatives used to devalue the abilities of people of color as affirmative action hires, now theyre tagging them as benefiting from policies designed to level an American playing field dominated by white men, who have been 45 of the countrys 46 presidents. Harris has far more political experience than her opponents. Donald Trump held no political office before being elected president. His running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, has served in elective office since 2023. The DEI epithet is also rooted in her connection to former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who openly dated Harris for a year in the mid-1990s when Brown had been separated from his wife for a decade. (Harris and Brown broke up before he took office as mayor.) Brown appointed Harris to two statewide commissions and introduced her to the citys moneyed elite while she held a job as a prosecutor in the East Bay. But that was several years before she began her first run for office. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Around the same time, Brown appointed Gavin Newsom, a young Marina District businessman whose father was a judge and had connections to the billionaire Getty family, to San Franciscos Parking and Traffic Commission in 1996, and to the Board of Supervisors the following year, starting his political career. But Newsom, a white man who didnt have a romantic relationship with Brown, doesnt get tagged as a DEI hire. These nuances and facts get lost in the social media tornado that accompanies a national political campaign. Like when Fox News-turned-SiriusXM radio host Megyn Kelly posted on X this week that Harris actually did sleep her way into and upwards in California politics. A meme circulating on social media shows a photo of Harris and describes her as a woman who seduces men to climb lifes success ladder. Also known as a Jezebel. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jennifer Lawless, author of Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era, and a professor of politics at the University of Virginia, said Harris won statewide in California multiple times. She won nationally as VP. Its just so offensive. The fact that they have to go back 25 years and talk about an appointment to a commission just highlights the straws at which theyre grasping. Wendy Smooth, an Ohio State University professor who is part of the Kamala Harris Project of scholars who have been analyzing the vice president since she took office, said this is taking us back to Mad Men, where women are hyper-sexualized in the workplace or in spaces of leadership. Not to mention it is tarnishing something that is intended to be positive. Diversity, equity and inclusion are aspirations for modern American culture. But theyre trying to make (DEI) a bad word, Aimee Allison, the Oakland-based founder of the She the People organization that advocates for women of color in politics. Its really shorthand for a deep anti-blackness that says that what we want is the opposite of diversity, equity and inclusion a kind of America in which white people have supremacy. While the shortlist of candidates Harris is vetting to be her running mate is dominated by white men, it does include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who seemingly took herself out of the running by saying, Im not leaving Michigan, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the focus is on the white dudes to, in political politesse, balance the ticket. That is because of a long-held assumption that the country, if you will, cant stomach too much progress at one time, like the first Black and Indian American female president, said Kelly Dittmar, director of research and scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. There is no research that backs up whether voters are less likely to vote for or against a woman because of their race or gender, Dittmar said. Its a perception of a perception of what voters think. Yes, theres still racism. Yes, theres still sexism. Yes, it affects evaluations of candidates, Dittmar said. People arent voting for Kamala because shes a woman, and theyre not going to vote against her because shes a woman. What theyre going to vote on on Election Day is (what) party the candidate belongs to. Nevertheless, many expect Harris to pick a white guy as her running mate. And in some cases, for legitimate political reasons. Putting Shapiro or Kelly or Cooper on the ticket could boost the chances of Democrats winning a tightly contested battleground state. So could Whitmer. But dont hold your breath waiting to see an all-female ticket. Kamala probably has to do what Obama had to do, which was to calm peoples fears by choosing a moderate, reassuring white guy, Phillips said. Meanwhile, Smooth, a professor of womens gender and sexuality studies and political science, hopes voters will call out the tropes that are following Harris. And not just for political reasons. Monifa Willis, chief of staff to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. The current victim services unit now reports to Willis, while the prosecution units report to Chief Assistant District Attorney Ana Gonzalez. San Francisco District Attorneys Office San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins decision this spring to promote her former head of victim services to chief of staff marked the first time in the offices history that the role will be filled by someone without a law degree. Monifa Willis, a longtime psychiatric nurse who is also an assistant professor at UCSFs School of Nursing, was initially recruited to the victim service role by Jenkins two years ago amid a personnel overhaul following the recall of former top prosecutor Chesa Boudin and Jenkins mayoral appointment in 2022. Jenkins went on to win an election for the seat later that year. Jenkins praised Willis for her fresh perspectives on how to improve criminal justice in San Francisco. But others have questioned whether a health care practitioner is qualified to lead in an office that relies on legal expertise, and say that Willis work at UCSF has cut into time from one of the offices highest-ranking positions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Willis, who was promoted with little fanfare in March, receives a salary of $289,000; up from the $248,000 she made as the head of the Victim Services Division in 2023, according to city records. She also earned more than $100,000 teaching at UCSF last year, according to a statement of economic interests she filed in March. In an interview, Jenkins said her choice of a leader with experience outside of law enforcement was intentional. I needed somebody who could oversee, in a deep way, our non-prosecutorial work, Jenkins said, noting initiatives involving community engagement, criminal justice and prison sentencing reform and legislative efforts. Willis, Jenkins said, has a long history of working with crime victims, people with mental health issues and juveniles involved with the criminal justice system. So many of the people that we deal with have been traumatized as young people, which is what leads them to commit crime later, or have mental health issues now that we have to address as a part of their disposition, Jenkins said. I felt that she just brought a different lens to the work that I thought was important. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The current victim services unit now reports to Willis, while the prosecution units report to Chief Assistant District Attorney Ana Gonzalez. Willis described her new role as an expansion of her work in victim services, where she said she focused on improving the quality of care for victims, in part by ensuring that their advocates were trained in assisting people whove experienced trauma. Among Willis first endeavors as chief of staff was the launch of the offices new Access to Hope initiative, a mentorship and anti-violence program that connects teens and young adults to career opportunities in criminal justice, as part of a new unit in the office. Willis said her experience brings in a fresh set of eyes to a powerful law-enforcement agency. As a nurse practitioner, we are trained to look at how structural systems impact public health, which in turn impacts public safety, Willis said. Thats ultimately what I feel the advantage is in having a non-prosecutor in this role. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But some of those familiar with Willis work as the head of victim services say their concerns go beyond her lack of legal knowledge, and that she neglected her prosecutors office duties to attend to her teaching job. One former victim advocate who worked under Willis told the Chronicle that Willis was frequently difficult to reach, often working from home or behind a locked door when she came to the office. The source, who spoke to the Chronicle on the condition of anonymity in accordance with its policy on confidential sources, said she witnessed Willis teaching classes online while she was at the district attorneys office. The person said their work was made more challenging by Willis inaccessibility. Willis told the Chronicle that she teaches one course per quarter during the fall, winter and spring, and that it takes place after business hours, for two hours. She said she does not teach during the summer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Asked about allegations that she was working at her second job while at the district attorneys office, a spokesperson for the office maintained that Willis has always taught in the evenings, and when requested for a daytime obligation, she took (paid time off). A UCSF spokesperson confirmed that Willis was a part-time employee, but said the school could not release additional information due to personnel privacy concerns. Sources who spoke to the Chronicle said many believe that its Willis personal relationship with Jenkins, not her experience, that landed her the key position. The two have been friends since high school. Jenkins rejected this assertion, and said its not unusual for office heads to hire people they know. Another source who is familiar with the role of the offices chief of staff said Willis lack of courtroom experience is a disservice to employees. The person in this position is generally expected to be able to view prosecutors motions, review practices in court, take complaints and meet with the presiding judge, according to the source. These duties under Jenkins have generally been filled by Gonzalez, leading to confusion over why the chief of staff role was created. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lateefa Simon, a longtime police-reform advocate who, along with then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, in 2005 created the Back on Track program to help reduce recidivism, fiercely defended Jenkins promotion of Willis. Thats what Kamala did for me. I was a non-lawyer, and she put me on her executive team 20 years ago, said Simon, a BART board director who is running as a congressional candidate for Californias 12th District. Simon said she commended Jenkins on her hire. With Monifa as your chief of staff, your focus is really on survivors and victims, Simon said. Its not even political, like your whole office will be really focused, for the first time ever, in supporting victims. Now that the already floundering Joe Biden is a bona fide dead duck president, the globe is in even more serious danger as the Wests enemies mobilise, utilising the time of weakness for their benefit before the November US election. 1. Joint Military Escalation Recently, the United States and Canada intercepted Russian Tu-95 and Chinese H-6 bombers in international airspace near Alaska. This incident was the first of its kind, marking a significant joint military exercise between Russia and China in the Arctic. This manoeuvre signifies a bold escalation and an apparent test of U.S. defences, highlighting the growing military cooperation between these two major powers. This cooperation in a strategically sensitive region indicates a coordinated effort to challenge U.S. influence and military readiness. 2. Arctic Tensions The Arctic is becoming a flashpoint for geopolitical tensions. In May 2019, then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised Russias illegitimate claims in the Arctic and warned China against leveraging its self-proclaimed status as a near-Arctic power to assert dominance. The Pentagons 2024 Arctic security report, released just before the recent escalation, highlighted enhanced Sino-Russian cooperation and warned of Russias capabilities to disrupt GPS satellites. These developments underscore the strategic importance of the Arctic and the potential for conflict as global powers vie for control over this resource-rich region. 3. Leadership Weakness President Biden is not and was never fit to serve, creating a leadership vacuum in the White House. This terrible predicament certainly emboldens enemies like Russia and China to push the boundaries of U.S. deterrence. The lack of strong and decisive leadership from a dead duck president Biden is an opportunity for these countries to expand their influence and challenge U.S. interests without fear of significant repercussions. This scenario increases the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation in multiple global theatres, including Eastern Europe and the South China Sea. 4. European Threats Russias conventional and hybrid threats to U.S. allies in Europe are intensifying. Recently, fragments of Russian kamikaze drones were found in Romania, a spillover from Russias attack on Ukraines Izmail port. Additionally, French police arrested a Russian chef conspiring with the FSB to sabotage the Paris Olympics. These incidents highlight Russias multifaceted approach to destabilise Europe, using both military aggression and covert operations. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the spillover effects into neighbouring countries demonstrate Russias willingness to test NATOs resolve and readiness. 5. South China Sea Tensions In the South China Sea, despite a fragile truce with the Philippines, Chinas aggressive territorial claims remain a significant threat. Beijings maritime boundary revisionism and suspension of arms control talks with the U.S. over military support for Taiwan exacerbate tensions. China continues to modernise its nuclear arsenal and increase its military capabilities. Taiwans Han Kuang war games, which simulate a Chinese invasion, further strain relations and raise the risk of military confrontation. The U.S.s inability to curb Chinas assertive actions in the region signals a failure to maintain peace and stability in this critical area. 6. Failed Deterrence The U.S. has struggled to effectively deter the parallel aggressions of Russia and China. Despite warnings and sanctions, these countries have continued their aggressive actions. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to Beijing in April 2024 emphasised potential U.S. punishments for Chinas support of Russia in Ukraine. However, these threats have only resulted in minor setbacks, with Russia-China trade slightly declining but not significantly impacted. The persistent strategic and economic cooperation between Russia and China demonstrates the limitations of U.S. deterrence efforts and the challenge of enforcing international norms. 7. Ongoing Military Drills Provocative military exercises involving Russia and China have become increasingly common. In March, Russia, China, and Iran conducted maritime drills in the Gulf of Oman, showcasing advanced anti-ship cruise missiles. Chinas Eagle Assault exercise with Belarus simulated the capture of a Polish airport, indicating preparations for future conflicts in Europe. These drills highlight the deepening military collaboration between these countries and their readiness to confront Western powers. The growing frequency and scale of these exercises raise the risk of miscalculation and unintentional escalation. 8. War Preparations Both Russia and China are preparing for inevitable large-scale conflicts. Russias victories in Ukraine indicate that its military campaigns are far from over. Britains Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker warned that Russia would seek revenge, especially if it loses in Ukraine, and that the U.K. must be ready for global war in three years time or less. Meanwhile, China is stockpiling essential resources, such as agricultural products and strategic materials, indicating preparations for a prolonged trade war or even a military conflict. These actions suggest that both countries are positioning themselves for sustained confrontations with the U.S. and its allies. 9. Historical Parallels Historical examples provide cautionary tales about underestimating adversaries. Germanys invasion of Belgium in 1914 and Japans attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 were based on false assumptions about Western responses. These miscalculations led to world wars with devastating consequences. Similarly, the current weakness of the U.S. presidency will no doubt encourage Russia and China to test U.S. resolve, leading to grave consequences on a global level. 10. High Risk of Conflict The combination of lame dead duck President Bidens weakness and the unpredictability of a potential Trump re-election could create a volatile global environment. Enemies of NATO and the West will invariably be tempted to exploit this period of uncertainty to achieve strategic gains. The high risk of escalation of conflict increases daily as these nations test U.S. boundaries and resolve. In the lead-up to the November elections and their aftermath, cautious intervention is required to prevent unintended escalations. Without proactive steps, the world could face a new era of heightened conflicts and even the escalation of the world war to spread to even more countries. Comrade Starmer is set to begin his much touted EU Reset (Brexit Betrayal) deal by giving away Britains fishing rights in our own waters to the EU, thus losing over 800 million per annum. Because of Brexit, English fishing vessels had 120,000 tonnes more quota a year than we would have had as members of the EU, but this will all be lost when Comrade Starmer betrays Britain and Brexit for ever closer union with the EU. Brexit Betrayal is Ongoing Despite the so-called Brexit, Britain is still under the control of many EU regulations and directives, as well as the ECHR and ECJ. Because of Comrade Starmer, Britain will have to incorporate even more EU regulations and the real controllers of the EU in Berlin want to turn the British prime ministers proposed security pact into a Brexit mega deal, including agricultural rules. EU regulations will also impact all new road vehicles in the UK, which will all have to be fitted with ISA speed limiters. Labour have welcomed this and have already incorporated the EU law which came into effect on July 7, 2024. Manufacturers selling cars across the continent have shown no sign of wanting to provide ISA-free variants for UK buyers. Within a few years of Keir Starmer bending the knee to the EU, there will be talk about rejoining fully because Britain will have already integrated many of the EUs laws anyway. The EU will then demand that for reintegration, the UK will have to ditch the Pound Sterling and incorporate the Euro currency. Researchers from Dalhousie University are collaborating with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) on a two-year, $500,000 project that could help make Atlantic Canada a hub for green hydrogen innovation. Drs. Mita Dasog and Michael Freund of the Department of Chemistry are leading the project that aims to identify and test promising catalysts that could serve as alternatives to the costly precious metals used in the production of green hydrogen. The bulk of the projects funding comes from a $352,000 grant awarded through the NRCs Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge program (MCF). The MCF program is for collaborative research and development and is funded through the NRCs Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation program. Remaining funding will come from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and partners. Shown right: Dr. Mita Dasog. Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia have identified green hydrogen to play a crucial role in meeting net zero goals, says Dr. Dasog, an associate professor and Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Chair. Hydrogen burns cleanly to produce thermal energy and/or electricity. It has the potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as material and chemical manufacturing industries, heavy-duty transport, shipping, and aviation. Producing green hydrogen Commercially, green hydrogen is produced using a process called water electrolysis, in which an electrolyzer powered by a renewable energy source such as wind or solar splits fresh water into hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike other methods of producing hydrogen, which can involve the use of natural gas, coal, or non-renewable energy, green hydrogen does not result in any greenhouse gas emissions. A hindrance to more widespread use is that commercial proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers require precious metals as catalyst materials on its anode (iridium) and cathode (platinum). For green hydrogen production to ramp up, its necessary to replace precious metals with something cheaper and more readily available. If we replace the current metals with other high-performing elements that are also rare, like palladium or rhodium, its still the same problem, says Dr. Dasog, the principal investigator on the project. Our focus is to start replacing precious metals with more abundant elements, but they have to perform as well as current catalysts do. Identifying alternative catalysts Fortunately, there is no shortage of scientific literature discussing catalysts in green hydrogen production, but reading through thousands of research papers is not a task that can realistically be done individually. Enter artificial intelligence (AI). The first step in the project involves developing a Chat GPT-like tool capable of reading human language that will comb through existing research papers and identify potential catalysts free of precious metals that meet certain performance metrics. Dr. Dasog says she and Dr. Freund will collaborate with Dr. Frank Rudzicz, an associate professor in the Faculty of Computer Science, and the NRC teams to develop this tool. Shown left: Dr. Michael Freund. Step two heads back to Dr. Dasogs lab where the catalysts shortlisted by the AI-tool will be made in-house. The literature will provide the recipe to make these, she says. The third step is benchmarking. Once we have made the materials, the Freund lab will test them all under the same conditions, benchmarking protocols that the NRC has developed and are used by other international labs, Dr. Dasog explains. This will give us a more realistic evaluation of how promising these materials are and whether they have a chance of replacing precious metals in electrolyzer components. Another key consideration in this stage is making sure these replacements are resilient to water quality. Current electrolyzers require a certain water-quality standard to operate, says Dr. Dasog. Having an expensive catalyst and needing to spend so much energy purifying water is one of the few reasons why green hydrogen is not as cost competitive as grey hydrogen. The hope is that if the catalysts are water resilient, that will bring down the cost of green hydrogen. Finally, step four involves testing the most promising catalysts in realistic water conditions with the help of an industry partner, World Energy GH2 in Newfoundland. Catalysts that successfully pass the tests will be shipped off to the NRC for further analysis beyond whats capable at Dal. Planning a greener future Dr. Dasog hopes that the project will result in advancement towards making next generation electrolyzers that are cheaper and water-quality resilient. Given the local interest in green hydrogen, it is also important that we create a path to manufacture electrolyzers without significant backlogs, she says. Moving away from precious metals will help mitigate some of the challenges associated with their supply-chain. Everyone wants to produce green hydrogen cheaply, she adds, and proving that it is possible to lower the cost of electrolyzers by lessening their dependence on rare materials should help increase the Atlantic regions adoption of green hydrogen. The NRCs hydrogen research has primarily taken place in Ontario and British Columbia, so the project also provides a chance to train graduate students and other highly qualified personnel from the Atlantic provinces. This project will help strengthen the collaborations between Dalhousie and NRC labs and build a path toward future opportunities to advance green-hydrogen technologies. Students of African ancestry from Dalhousie will join African Nova Scotian community members on a journey to Ghana, West Africa this summer. The trip kicks off this week and is meant to honour and commemorate the final year of the UN-declared Decade for People of African Descent (DPAD). Miguel Nkeng, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Recreation/Bachelor of Management student is looking forward to the trip, which he calls a life-changing opportunity. I was born and raised in Toronto and have never left North American soil. My fathers lineage traces back to Ghana, so this trip will be especially meaningful. Itll give me a sense of where I come from and where my ancestors come from. I feel like it will change my whole perspective, he says. 'Welcome home' The organization known as Connecting to Africa (CTA) is helping to facilitate the 17-day in-country experience. This transformative opportunity will allow participants to further self-development and appreciate other perspectives and experiences as people of African descent. Travelling to Mother Africa provides the opportunity for people of African descent to truly find a place where they feel connected and home," says Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch, an associate professor in the Faculty of Health and and Dal's assistant vice provost equity and inclusion. "Reflecting on a quote that was said to many of us who went to Ghana during the 50th year of Independence by the tourism minister, Welcome home sons and daughters of our strongest ancestors. This quote will aways resonate for me as we continue to provide these opportunities to students and community members. The group will take part in CTAs Learning Project and will work closely with local not-for-profit organizations to share, learn and exchange knowledge about services and resources. Participants will also visit various historical sites and learn more about the history and culture of Ghana. Participants will learn about the people, culture, and history of Ghana on the journey, which will also create dialogue exchanges and participation in several community development activities. Making the trip possible A total of 15 people are going on the trip, including eight from various African Nova Scotian communities and seven Dalhousie students sponsored by Global Skills Opportunity with from the African Nova Scotian Strategy and Dalhousie University. This trip would not be possible for the students without the support of Global Skills Opportunity, the African Nova Scotian Strategy, and Dalhousie University. I am honoured to be the faculty member who gets to experience many of the first with students. Not only do they grow but so do I, said Dr. Hamilton-Hinch. The group leaves July 17 and will return August 7. Mayor London Breed, left, with Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson. Nicholson will step down as the leader of the fire department at the end of August. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson will step down at the end of August, citing unforeseen medical issues, city officials said Friday. Nicholson, who was appointed by Mayor London Breed in 2019, was the second woman to hold the position and the departments first openly gay leader. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the City and County of San Francisco for over 30 years, Nicholson said in a statement. I am proud of the San Francisco Fire Department and the people that work day and night to protect our City and citizens. It has been a great privilege and honor to serve as your Fire Chief for the past 5 years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Breed described Nicholson as an incredible leader for the fire department. She and the Department she leads have kept San Franciscans safe through the COVID pandemic and the challenges of the last few years, while also helping launch groundbreaking and life-saving initiatives, like our nationally recognized Street Response Teams, Breed said in a statement. Chief Nicholson has shown extraordinary leadership and dedication to our great city and we are indebted to her for her service. Nicholson did not elaborate on her current issues, but has frequently spoken about her successful battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Nicholson joined the department in 1994 and worked for more than two decades as a firefighter and as a paramedic, rising to become a captain and a battalion chief. As deputy chief of administration, she oversaw a number of divisions, including homeland security, human resources and investigative services. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her successful battle with breast cancer also raised awareness about the health risks facing female firefighters on the job. Nicholsons resignation will touch off a search for a new fire chief, a decision thats made jointly by the Fire Commission and Breed. The Fire Commission over the next few weeks will select three names for Breed to pick from. If Breed rejects all three candidates, the commission will restart its search and select three more names, according to city officials. A spokesperson for Breed said city officials hope to have a selection in place by the time Nicholson leaves office. If the search takes longer than expected, an interim chief will be selected by Nicholson. Women make up almost half of Canadas workforce (47.4 per cent as of 2023), but within the Canadian tech industry, that dwindles to just 24 per cent. Efforts to increase the number of women and gender-diverse people in STEM fields have been around for decades. Within Dals Faculty of Computer Science, for example, the diversity initiative WeAreAllCS was launched in 2017 to increase applications for tech-related programs from those who have historically been underrepresented in the field. While positive change has progressed, there is still work to be done especially for those from equity-deserving communities. Its a tough nut to crack for Dalhousies Women in Technology Society (WiTS) president Madhulika Reddivari. Computer science is a career path that is very male dominated, she explains. Women need to feel that they can also have a career in tech and feel welcome and feel like a part of this community. Powered partnerships Thats why WiTS, along with Dal's Faculty of Computer Science (FCS), ShiftKey Labs, STEM Connector, and with funding from the Leacross Foundation, launched the first annual Women in Tech Summit in May 2024. FCS and the Leacross Foundation have had a longstanding partnership, with the not-for-profit investing in efforts to increase diversity in computer science through scholarships. This partnership has evolved as both parties have listened to feedback from women students regarding what supports are needed. One such request for support was to provide a safe space for women students to upskill, network, and learn. With topics such as self-advocacy, tips for interviews, panel discussions and upskilling breakout groups, the Women in Tech Summit created that space. Building on the momentum of WeAreAllCS, a diversity initiative to represent the full spectrum of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status, the summit is part of a multipronged approach to make computer science a more welcoming at Dal and in the industry. Creating a safe space The real benefits of a summit like this are that women get to see themselves in their peers and identify and connect with representative role models, says Dr. Angela Siegel, assistant dean, academic outreach in the Faculty of Computer Science. These women know the feeling of being two out of 10. This summit was such a wonderful contrast. Reddivari agrees that the atmosphere is a big part of the events success. These upskilling events and workshops are helpful because they put you on the spot in a safe environment, she says. Nobody's judging you, and were all learning. Emily Fenton, manager of ShiftKey Labs, a partner in this years summit, says the events emphasis on upskilling is important framing for a lot of students. She says many employers have initiatives to hire women, but often with the caveat when all else is equal. Fenton says if men are receiving extra training, women should too. Finding time to do that upskilling maybe doesn't always seem like a priority, she acknowledges. But it's a competitive job market and sometimes you need things on your resume that prove you're willing to learn. Summits benefits extend beyond Dal Around 50 women-identifying and non-binary undergraduate and graduate students attended the inaugural event. Most attendees were Dal students, but some travelled from as far away as Cape Breton to attend the summit. A few students from Cape Breton University shared that this was a first event of this kind that they had been to, and that they were thrilled to be surrounded by so many women in their field, says Dr. Siegel. Other attendees came from the Matrix CODE program through ONE North End, a grassroots organization that helps African Nova Scotians who face barriers to employment learn programming and software development skills. Dalhousie offers an open-credit course to Matrix CODE participants, which covers the basics of computer programming, including designing, writing and testing programs and creating algorithms to solve simple problems. Computer science is the future, says Reddivari. You can do so much with tech health, sports, anything! Its exciting to think of the apps and things women and non-binary people will come up with. From L-R: Rawan Morshed, Sarah Morshed, Fariha Zerin Rabita, Carla Heggie The Dal Solutions series offers an in-depth look at how Dalhousie researchers are collaborating across disciplines to make significant contributions to lives locally, nationally, and around the globe. The Snapshot Canadians have access to a drug that prevents HIV infection, but it's not getting into the hands of those who need it most. Dalhousies Dr. Kyle Wilby is tackling the issue by collaborating with policymakers to make Nova Scotian pharmacists among the first in the country with the ability to prescribe the lifesaving medication. The Challenge Dale Lemieux lives in Nova Scotia and knows very well a frustration shared by many in Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ community: trying to access Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug that could make them nearly impervious to HIV. Dale Lemieux Over the years, I talked to people at the clinics about wanting to get on PrEP, and they said okay, but these are the million steps, says Lemieux. You have to talk to a doctor, you have to get this blood work, then you have to come here, and then you have to do this, and then you'll have to do that again. And then we can't guarantee the time that youll get in. It was just all very daunting. That's why he, like others often do, gave up pursuing PrEP before even getting started. And while antiretroviral therapies have significantly diminished the dangers of HIV, the virus is still very much with us. Statistics Canada counted 1,833 new diagnoses in 2022, a 25 per cent increase over 2021. The pathogen leads to a greater risk of infections, cancers, and cardiovascular and liver disease. The emotional burden of managing and disclosing HIV can seriously impact mental health. And Canadians continue to die of the virus 133 in 2021. For those in the health field, PrEP offers an obvious answer. But the path to get there is complicated. Barriers to access make adoption difficult. Dalhousie health researcher Dr. Kyle Wilby explains that until earlier this month, Nova Scotians who wanted PrEP needed to get a prescription from oversubscribed primary physicians or nurse practitioners. Sexual Health Nova Scotia clinics are also an option, but months-long appointment waits make regular check-ins and blood testing for refills difficult to manage. I know there's definitely people out in the community who havent been able to follow through with getting PrEP, says Lemieux. Were at risk, and that's not something that we should have to deal with when there is something preventative that we should be able to access in an easier way. The Solution As a gay man and pharmacist who worked in Ghana and Qatar earlier in his career, Dr. Wilby says he was confronted firsthand with how a persons sexual identity can limit access to health care. Its a lesson that informs the work of this newly appointed director of Dalhousies College of Pharmacy, including his efforts to increase access to PrEP in Nova Scotia. Dr. Kyle Wilby, Professor and Director of Dalhousie's College of Pharmacy Dr. Wilby started taking PrEP years ago while working in New Zealand. When he moved to Nova Scotia without a family doctor, he quickly found his access to the drug changed for the worse. I was going to walk-in clinics to get my prescription and physicians weren't aware of it or they didn't know about the monitoring. The use of PrEP is still not very common, so they cant be blamed. But the result was disjointed care for a drug that requires regular monitoring and testing for STIs, says Dr. Wilby. He saw a solution at the pharmacists counter. Embedded in every neighborhood, he says pharmacies provide ready access to health professionals who specialize in the proper use of medication. He says giving pharmacists the power to prescribe PrEP is a natural fit with the greater role theyve begun to play in relieving pressure on taxed health care systems. Their function as a release valve became evident during the COVID pandemic when pharmacists stepped up to deliver vaccines. But it can also be seen in their expanded authority to prescribe and refill drugs and manage chronic ailments like diabetes. The Work Our objective was to explore the feasibility and acceptability of PrEP prescribing by pharmacists in Nova Scotia as part of their scope of practice, says Dr. Wilby. In a six-month pilot study supported by Shoppers Drug Mart, Dr. Wilby followed 50 patients at 10 pharmacies, tracking the experience from both sides of the counter. The results were positive, with pharmacists keen to provide the service and patients eager to pursue it in the future. A pill container with PrEP. On July 1, after reviewing the studys findings and a proposal from Dr. Wilby, the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists, which regulates the practice of pharmacy in Nova Scotia, authorized pharmacists to prescribe for PrEP. This makes Nova Scotia pharmacists the first in the country to prescribe PrEP. Bev Zwicker, CEO and registrar of the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists, says the research completed by Dr. Wilby provided the insight to land on the decision. This is about determining when somebody would benefit from a medication for prevention, says Zwicker. So, when Dr. Wilby came to us, it was clear that this would be a role that pharmacists could play in protecting people from HIV. Then it was just a matter of developing the necessary safeguards to ensure that it happens safely. Now that pharmacists have this prescribing authority, planning is taking place so pharmacists can fully implement this scope so the public can benefit. The expectation is that the first prescriptions will be written in early fall. The Impact As one of the studys participants, Dale Lemieux says the experience was transformative. We have been working with the pharmacists and it has been life-changing in the way that we are on top of everything," he says. "I feel safer now. It was what I needed in my life. I think it's needed in a lot of queer peoples lives to have this kind of access. Lemieux, right, at the pharmacy Dartmouth-based pharmacist Yasmine Abdalla, who also participated in the study, says shes happy to see the research led to her professions ability to add further capacity to Nova Scotias health-care system. Extending the scope of our practice is really important, she says. A recent report showed Primary Care Clinics have contributed to a 10 per cent decrease in visits to the ER for non-essential emergencies. That's an achievement. Even if I play a small role in that, I'm happy. Dr. Wilby echoes the sentiment, noting that a key goal of his work is focused on reducing burdens on the healthcare system. But his primarily concerned is improving health outcomes. He says connections between pharmacists and people seeking PrEP will open new doors to care, highlighting that testing conducted for the study already revealed numerous other health issues, including hepatitis B and cases of asymptomatic chlamydia and gonorrhea that were then treated. People might come in for PrEP, but pharmacists might determine they also need support for mental or cardiovascular health, and refer them onward, he says. It offers that first contact with the health-care system that can start that person to on their health journey, hopefully in a more inclusive and accessible way. Volkswagen College: A college built on the industrial chain People's Daily Online) 14:48, July 26, 2024 Among the many departments and colleges of Hefei University, Volkswagen College is the most special. The college is located in the Sino-German Cooperation Innovation Park in HETDA (Hefei Economic and Technological Development Area), with enterprises from the new energy vehicles (NEV) and next-generation information technology industries located just next to it. 53 teachers are involved in teaching at Volkswagen College, providing instruction to its students, with half of them coming from Volkswagen. Just like the college itself, the curriculum offered is very unique. In addition to general courses on NEVs, there are also curriculum modules co-constructed by the university and Volkswagen, covering topics like production and operations at the company. During a students third year of study, the "classroom" will even be transferred to enterprises and training centers for hands-on experience. Aerial view of the Volkswagen College of Hefei University. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jun) In recent years, the automobile industry has been designated as the "first industry" of Anhui Province, and foreign enterprises represented by Volkswagen have gradually increased their capital investment and industrial layout in Anhui. On July 16, 2021, Hefei University (previously known as Hefei Union University), the Managing Committee Of HETDA, Volkswagen Group China and Volkswagen Anhui signed a letter of intent, deciding to cooperate in the establishment of the Volkswagen College at Hefei University. Through a dual system education approach at the undergraduate level, the initiative aims to integrate education, talent cultivation, industry development and innovation chains. The goal is to create a synergy among professional training, industry, and employment, fueling the development of a world-class NEV and intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) cluster in Anhui. This collaboration is set to provide major support for accelerating the provinces automotive industrys ascent. What is dual system education? In the words of Hefei University party committee member and Volkswagen College Dean Wang Xiaofeng, it is a system that puts students in two learning environments, school and industry. Students are taught by tutors in school and engineers in enterprises. Schools and enterprises collaborate to create a cultivation model characterized by multiple scenarios, stages, and objectives to achieve the integration of theory and practice. This model improves students' ability to apply theoretical knowledge to enterprise practice, and cultivates "the most needed talents" for enterprises. Students at Volkswagen College study the subject under the guidance of their teachers (People's Daily Online/Zhang Jun) "At present, Volkswagen College has three majors: intelligent manufacturing engineering, data science and big data technology, and new energy materials and devices, with a total of 194 students across two cohorts," said Wang. Even before the establishment of the Volkswagen College, Hefei University had cultivated engineers for Volkswagen Anhui. Working together, the university and company selected third-year students from across a number of majors based on different job requirements. Selected students underwent a one-year corporate training program with Volkswagen, and were referred to as the seed engineers. Today, 11 of those pioneering "seed engineers" have taken up various roles at Volkswagen. Now Volkswagen College has taken over the responsibility of cultivating the next batch of talents. In July this year, Wang Chengxin, a student majoring in new energy materials and devices at Volkswagen College, just finished her sophomore year. In addition to the academic courses, what impressed her most was the enterprise courses on campus. Wang explained, The courses conducted by corporate instructors were full of useful information, and gave me a much clearer idea of my future career development. For Volkswagen, the use of corporate executives and experts to teach is also an important means to "lead" the talent cultivation process. As of July 2024, Volkswagen Group corporate instructors have completed 53 lectures, with nearly 5,000 attendances. Martin Hofmann, executive vice president of Volkswagen Group (China), said that Volkswagen College is committed to cultivating versatile and applied talents for the future ICV mobility travel industry. This education model requires close collaboration and in-depth exploration between the enterprise and university. In the process of building the curriculum system, Volkswagen Group and the university have engaged in thorough discussions, striving to combine the most cutting-edge technology, products and industry trends with theoretical knowledge, added Hofmann. (Pan Yidan, an intern, also contributed to this article.) (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun) Kayakers line up at the edge of Carnelian Bay on Lake Tahoes North Shore. A week after an untreated sewage spill marred the lakes tourist season, one beach on the bay remains closed. Jeanne Cooper/The Chronicle A week after an untreated sewage spill marred North Lake Tahoes tourist season, one of the two popular beaches affected has reopened. The Carnelian West and Patton Landing beaches in Carnelian Bay were initially closed just before sunset on July 18, when a private contractor, working on a Caltrans project, damaged a pipeline belonging to the North Tahoe Public Utility District. As a result, approximately 125,000 gallons of sewage leaked into a nearby parking lot, with around 85,000 gallons reaching the pristine lake. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Although the pipeline was quickly repaired, ongoing efforts have been directed at cleaning the spill, mitigating shoreline damage and ensuring water quality. A golden retriever goes after a ball thrown into the water at Carnelian Bay in North Lake Tahoe. Jeanne Cooper/The Chronicle In a Thursday update, district officials announced that Patton Landing Beach reopened to the public at 5 p.m. after recent water quality tests at the spill site showed bacteria levels within Californias beach water quality standards. Conversely, bacteria levels at Carnelian West Beach remain elevated and above the state standards, keeping the beach closed. Water quality samples are being taken daily along the Lake Tahoe shoreline, with results typically taking 24 hours to process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An advisory indicates the areas of North Lake Tahoe affected by the untreated sewage spill as of Thursday, July 25. North Tahoe Public Utility District Authorities will assess the daily findings and consider lifting or modifying the health advisory once at least two consecutive days of data confirm that bacteria levels are consistently below state standards. Should future tests indicate rising bacteria levels at Patton Beach or east of the spill site, the original health advisory and beach closure could be reinstated. The spill was caused during the installation of a lighted crosswalk by a private contractor working for Caltrans, Justin Broglio, a spokesperson for the utility district, told the Chronicle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Key Points: The joint flight of Russian and Chinese bombers near Alaska marks the first time Chinese military aircraft have been intercepted in that region and the first instance of Russian and Chinese bombers flying together near Alaska. The incident highlights the deepening military partnership between Russia and China, which has raised concerns among U.S. officials about the potential threat to regional stability. While the bombers remained in international airspace, the joint operation demonstrated Russia and Chinas growing military capabilities and willingness to challenge U.S. dominance in the Arctic. Russian and Chinese Bombers Intercepted Off Alaskan Coast The United States and Canada jointly intercepted four Russian and Chinese bombers operating in international airspace near Alaska on Wednesday, July 24th, 2024. This marked the first time that Chinese military aircraft had been intercepted in that region and the first instance of Russian and Chinese bombers flying together near Alaska. Get alerts: The incident, which has raised concerns about growing military cooperation between Russia and China, occurred within Alaskas Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). While the aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace, the joint flight has been described as a testing of U.S. defenses. The Incident North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked two Russian Tupolev TU-95 strategic bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers operating within the Alaskan ADIZ. American and Canadian fighter jets conducted the interception, escorting the bombers for approximately an hour before they left the area. Growing Military Ties The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the joint operation, describing it as a five-hour air patrol over the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, and the North Pacific Ocean. The ministry highlighted the cooperation between Russian and Chinese crews during all patrol stages and acknowledged the presence of foreign fighters accompanying the air group at specific points. The joint flight underscores the deepening military ties between Russia and China. While both countries do not have a formal defense treaty, their military cooperation has increased in recent years. This incident follows a series of strategic bomber patrols conducted by the two nations, including their first joint patrol in 2019. The growing partnership has raised concerns among U.S. officials, who see it as a potential threat to regional stability. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks noted the increasing Chinese military interest in the Arctic region and Chinas role in funding Russian energy exploitation in the area. She also highlighted the recent combined exercises conducted by Russia and China in the same region. Reactions and Implications The U.S. Defense Department has described the joint bomber flights as not a surprise, suggesting that the operation may have been planned for some time. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that the U.S. closely monitored these aircraft and remains at the ready. He stated that the U.S. will continue to see challenges from adversaries in the region. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska described the flights as an escalation and called for the U.S. to enhance its military capabilities and infrastructure to counter the growing threat posed by Russia and China in the Arctic. Chinas Ministry of National Defence spokesperson, Zhang Xiaogang, said the joint flight was the eighth strategic air cruise organized by the two militaries since 2019. He emphasized that the operation was in line with international law and practice and not intended to target any specific nation. However, reports suggest that the Russian Ministry of Defense referred to the joint flights location as a new area of joint operations, indicating that the countries may plan to conduct similar activities regularly in the North Pacific and Bering Sea near U.S. territory. A Derry man is completing a gruelling running challenge to raise money for the Derry branch of Parkinsons UK. Matthew McClelland is running 4 km every four hours for four days, with his final run on Saturday afternoon at 2pm. Following his father's disease diagnosis in November 2023, the 26-year-old embarked on this task. Mr. McClelland said: The Parkinsons centre in Derry in St. Columbs Park has been a great help for him and the family. It has helped us come to terms with the diagnosis and made him feel like it is not the end of the world and that he can still have a very fulfilling life. "Firstly, I wanted to raise money for Parkinson's in general, and then when I got in contact with Parkinson's, they said they were able to funnel all the money directly to the centre in St. Columbs Park, so all the money raised is going directly to the centre that is helping my dad and so many other people. Usually, when someone tackles a demanding challenge like this, they have had some experience. But Mr. McClelland had only a limited amount of prior running experience, having gotten into it like many during Covid but he didnt sustain it. And as his body gets stiffer and more fatigued after every run the support he has received has pushed him through. He said: It has been a massive help; like, Ive had a good few mates come out and do a few runs with me, other mates on holidays over in Manchester and London who have done virtual runs at the same time as mine. My girlfriend has been incredible. She has supported me through every run and has had to listen to my complaints, so bless her. Even someone just dropping me a message to let me know people are supporting you when you are sore makes it that bit easier to power through. Support for the 26-year-old has been evident in the money he has raised, and he is incredibly grateful for it. He said: Ive raised 3,850 so far. It is quite funny, actually. When I first put the link up in June, I had an initial target of 500, and I think I hit 1000 within an hour and a half. My phone just wouldnt stop. So it is a ridiculous amount of money that has been raised, and it helps make these runs a little bit easier. My family would like to thank everyone for helping a cause that is so close to our hearts. It is amazing to see how kind people are. As pleased as he is about the fundraising that has been done for Parkinson's, he cannot wait for it to be over with a crisp, refreshing pint to celebrate. He joked: Im never coming to this Sainsburys again; I hate this car park. Im probably never going to walk the quay again; Im just done with it all. I am pretty wrecked. Ill just be relieved once it is over. The last run we are running from my house to the Glen bar, or local, a good few people are going to come and meet for a pint to celebrate. Im sure after one sip Ill be on my back. You can donate to his cause through this link, and Mr. McClelland has expressed his gratitude in advance to anyone who does donate or celebrates the completion of his final run at 2pm at Glen Bar on Saturday. A man currently on bail and subject to a curfew fell asleep at a friend's house and missed his curfew Derry Magistrate's Court heard today. Ryan McLaughlin (36) of Broomy Lane in Derry appeared charged with breaching his bail by being out after his curfew time of 11pm. The court heard that police were alerted to the breach of curfew on July 24 by G4S and made six attempts to contact McLaughlin unsuccessfully. McLaughlin was arrested the next day. Bail was opposed due to the fact that the defendant had breached his conditions and the police officer said that the defendant had 'no regard for court orders'. Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott said that his client was on bail since May 3 without incident. He said it was a simple case where he had fallen asleep in a friend's house and missed his curfew and when he realised this he went straight home. The solicitor said that there had been no new offences and asked for bail to be granted with a final warning. Deputy District Judge John Rea said he would accept the breach was 'a genuine mistake' but warned the defendant he had to be 'very careful'. McLaughlin was re-released on bail to appear again on August 1. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Greg Porter is a senior newsroom meteorologist at the San Francisco Chronicle. Porter comes to Chronicle after seven years working as a meteorologist for the Capital Weather Gang at the Washington Post. Porter has also worked as a meteorological technical subject matter expert in for both government and commercial organizations around the world. Porter received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Atmospheric Science from UMass Lowell and the University of Maryland. A native of Boston, Porter has also spent time living in Washington, D.C. and Edinburgh, Scotland. Outside of work, Porter loves to spend time with his wife and very energetic 2 year old son. He also enjoys spending as much time outside as possible and he fancies himself a very average golfer. Sink or surf? VCs weigh in on Taiwan startups facing the AI Tsunami As artificial intelligence reshapes industries globally, Taiwan's startup ecosystem finds itself at a critical juncture. The island nation's historical strengths in hardware and semiconductors offer unique advantages, but adapting to the new AI paradigm also presents challenges. At the AWS Summit Taipei, leading venture capitalists shared insights on how Taiwanese founders can ride the AI wave. Taiwan's dominance in hardware and semiconductor manufacturing has put it squarely in the spotlight of the AI revolution. "Suddenly, everyone from Silicon Valley is asking me about TSMC and how to secure more GPU compute power in Taiwan," noted Tina Cheng, Partner at Cherubic Ventures. This hardware edge extends to the fundamental infrastructure powering AI applications. However, the current AI wave requires a comprehensive approach, encompassing both software and hardware. "With AI now bridging software and hardware, this cross-disciplinary expertise becomes even more valuable," said Dr. Brian Hsu, Partner at MediaTek Capital. Indeed, as AI applications like robotics gain prominence, Taiwan's deep talent pool across hardware, software, and manufacturing could be a key differentiator. Dr. Huang Lee, Managing Partner at Taiwania Capital, noted that many US robotics startups struggle with hardware execution. While Taiwanese founders can now access cutting-edge AI tools as easily as their global peers, competition has intensified. "The technical barriers to entry for AI startups have lowered significantly," Cheng observed. While technical prowess remains essential, "now the differentiator is often go-to-market strategy, which isn't traditionally a strength for Taiwanese and Asian founders." Dr. Lee echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of identifying valuable problems to solve. "With new technologies, we always ask - can this address existing pain points better than before? Understanding industry-specific challenges deeply is crucial." The investors highlighted several promising areas at the intersection of AI and Taiwan's strengths: 1. AI Hardware Infrastructure: As compute demands skyrocket, innovations in chip design, memory, and system architecture tailored for AI workloads present significant opportunities. 2. Robotics: Taiwan's manufacturing prowess combined with AI expertise could yield globally competitive robotics startups, particularly those targeting industrial and enterprise applications. 3. Domain-Specific AI: Rather than competing head-on in general-purpose AI, Taiwanese startups can leverage deep industry knowledge to build vertical-specific AI solutions. 4. AI-Enhanced Traditional Industries: Applying AI to transform established sectors like manufacturing, where Taiwan already has a strong foothold. For startups pivoting towards generative AI, the VCs recommended a measured approach. "Don't get caught up in FOMO (fear of missing out)," Cheng advised. "Assess if embracing gen AI truly aligns with your core business and target market." However, capturing these opportunities requires overcoming certain hurdles. Dr. Lee noted that Taiwanese founders often excel technically but may lack exposure to global market dynamics. "In Taiwan, we often see startups solving problems they encounter locally. The critical question is whether these issues are global in nature. If a problem is universally applicable, the solution's value increases substantially," he stated. The investors also stressed the importance of cross-disciplinary teams. "If you're building AI for factory automation, having team members with actual manufacturing industry experience is invaluable," Dr. Lee explained. Taiwan's startups have a unique window of opportunity in the AI era, but capitalizing on it requires looking beyond technological prowess alone. Understanding global markets, building diverse teams, and honing business acumen will be crucial to translating the island's hardware and AI strengths into world-class companies. For Taiwan's ambitious founders, the message is clear: the AI revolution presents a chance to shine on the global stage, but success will require combining the island's traditional engineering excellence with a more outward-looking, market-driven approach. As Dr. Hsu succinctly put it, "It's no longer about being the best coder or chip designer. In the AI age, the winners will be those who can seamlessly blend technology, market insight, and execution at a global scale." With billions in AI investment flowing globally and Taiwan's critical role in the hardware underpinning this transformation, the island's startup ecosystem stands at an inflection point. The coming years will reveal whether a new generation of founders can seize this moment to elevate Taiwan's tech industry beyond its hardware roots and establish the island as a true AI powerhouse. August Craft Month, a month-long celebration of local craft across the island of Ireland, launches with a host of exciting events taking place throughout Louth. This year August Craft Month returns with a packed programme of over 400 events across all corners of the island. Events include; workshops, exhibitions, open studios and festivals to allow audiences to immerse themselves in local craft. With a whole range of crafts from ceramics to carving, glass to sewing available to be explored. There is something for everyone, of all ages, and all levels of expertise. August Craft Month celebrates a rich craft heritage with artisans keeping ancient traditions alive and new talented makers bringing real vibrancy to the scene. People can enjoy creative craft celebrations on their doorstep, as well as hit the road on a craft inspired adventure or staycation. Led by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Craft NI, the annual celebration is once again part of an island-wide summer programme. This year also sees August Craft Month continue their long-term collaboration with Cork Craft & Design. Local makers such as; Sarah McKenna, Fiona Quigley and Aine Dunne will all be involved in the celebrations and events, to name a few. The programme provides unmissable opportunities to experience, participate in, support, buy and learn about the local stand-out craft sector. Below you will find just a few of the exciting events on offer in Louth: Parent and Child Therapeutic Journaling with Fiona Quigley Location: Bridge Street Studios, 97 Bridge Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth; Price: 60 for 1 Adult & 1 Child; Date & Time: Tuesday 6th August 6pm-8pm Experience the joy and therapeutic value of journaling. This workshop aims to help parent and child connect to their emotions and facilitate personal growth through creativity. No experience necessary, all materials provided. Age 10 upwards. Make a Vase with Soft Slabs with Sarah McKenna Ceramics Location: Bridge Street Studios, 97 Bridge Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth; Price: 50; Date & Time: Thursday 15th August 7pm 9pm Create your own unique vase, using soft slabs of clay which you can decorate and impress with patterns and textures. Vases will be dried, glazed and fired and collected at a later date or Sarah can arrange shipping. To book this event please visit: bridgestreetstudios.com A Practical Guide to Weaving Tapestry Location: An Cruach, Ballymakenny, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland; Price: FREE; Date & Time: Sunday 11th August 10am 2pm Aine Dunne is a tapestry weaver working from her studio in the Boyne Valley on Irelands Ancient East coast. She has produced commissions for hotels, churches, LinkedIn International Offices in Dublin and more recently Pinterests new Dublin offices. As a member of CTA Contemporary Tapestry Artists Ireland, she represents them in this unique hands on tapestry weaving workshop at her studio for August Craft Month. The workshop will introduce participants to the art of tapestry weaving. The participants will explore tapestry design in Ireland and learn techniques that will help them design their own tapestry piece. Participants will prepare looms, weave patterns, finish their tapestry and bring it home from the studio as a keepsake and inspiration into the world of tapestry weaving. Craft NI and Design & Crafts Council Ireland have come together to deliver this important initiative. For the first time ever, people can use the August Craft Month interactive map on the augustcraftmonth.org website to find the closest events happening in your local community. For the full island-wide programme, visit www.augustcraftmonth.org. Share your own craft adventures by tagging @augustcraftmonth24 and use the hashtags #augustcraftmonth2024 #makeseebuy For more information, and to get a feel for the craft events near you and across Ireland, visit www.augustcraftmonth.org. Local history and heritage groups in Louth are being invited to access a new guide to help secure the future of their volunteer organisation. Succession Planning: A Guide for Community Archives and Heritage Groups is a free resource developed by the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN) - a National Museum of Ireland initiative delivered in partnership with the Heritage Council, participating Local Authorities and community groups across Ireland. The Guide looks at ways volunteer groups can address some of the challenges that can influence their future success. Common challenges include attracting new members, getting young people involved; keeping adequate records; or losing access to accounts due to lost passwords or IT crashes. Effective succession planning addresses these challenges so that groups can safeguard their work into the future. iCAN was set-up to support volunteer groups across Ireland to develop and maintain their own community archive. It developed the Guide to provide a simple step-by-step process for good succession planning - from having written goals, objectives and operational procedures to protecting passwords and access to websites and social media accounts. The Guide was officially launched on Thursday at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar. It is now available to download for free from www.museum.ie and www. ouririshheritage.org . Speaking at the launch, Lorna Elms, iCAN Development Officer, said: iCAN works to empower local communities to document their own history, heritage and culture. This Succession Planning Guide is designed for community archives and heritage groups to ensure their work is future-proofed. It provides a structured approach to forward-planning which, if carried out on an annual basis, will help to ensure groups are maintained and continue to thrive. Aalia Kamal, Cultural and Inclusive Heritage Officer with the Heritage Council and a member of the iCAN Advisory Group, also attended the launch. She said: Local heritage groups are doing invaluable work developing archives and sharing knowledge, collections, stories and local history. "The Heritage Council is delighted to support this work through our involvement with iCAN. The Succession Planning Guide we are launching here today is another great resource provided by iCAN to volunteer researchers and archivists in communities. iCAN member Mary OMalley, from the Louisburgh-Killeen Heritage Group in Co. Mayo, also attended the launch. Welcoming the publication of the new Guide, she said: I am delighted this Succession Planning Guide is now available to download for free to groups across Ireland. "iCAN members have drawn on their collective experience and contributed their thoughts and ideas to develop the guidelines, audits and checklists comprised in the guide and I am sure these will provide a very useful tool and resource for groups who are working to document their local history, heritage and culture and make it available to others. Indeed this Succession Planning Guide is a template for any volunteer led community group looking to plan for the future." Marie Mannion, iCAN member and Heritage Officer with Galway County Council, also welcomed the launch of the Guide: There are 36 community archives developed through iCAN with heritage groups across Ireland and this resource will help to promote the long term sustainability of these archives and groups. "It is hugely important to ensure volunteers can continue to access their websites into the future and to prioritise the ongoing feasibility of the volunteer group itself. The Succession Planning Guide provides lots of practical tips, advice and processes for that purpose. Agri Aware is teaming up with farmers to bring tips for staying safe on farms for Farm Safety Week, which ends on July 26. Through its social media channels, Agri Awares Safety In Every Field social media campaign will highlight and raise awareness of dangers on farms and how to be safe while on a farm. Farmers and agri businesses across the agricultural sector will share their farm safety tips on topics including safe livestock handling, tractor and quad safety, working safely with slurry, wearing correct PPE while dealing with chemicals and much more. Raising awareness about farm safety has never been more important. In its annual report released in June, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) revealed that farming continues to have the highest number of fatalities, with 16 out of 43 (37%) workplace accident fatalities 2023. Farm accidents result in physical and emotional consequences for farmers and their families, which is what this campaign aims to highlight and raise awareness through, by showing best practices while working on a farm. The Safety In Every Field campaign for Farm Safety Week aims to raise awareness not only within the farming community but also amongst the general public. With schools recently finished for the summer holidays, children and adults should understand the potential dangers on farms they may be visiting. Cork vet and president of Veterinary Ireland, Hazell Mullins, will be joining us for Farm Safety Week. Hazell, who has a strong following of 17.500 people on Instagram, brings a wealth of veterinary and farming knowledge to her audience. She aims to provide Agri Aware followers with valuable insights into the use of a livestock crush, ensuring safer handling practices. Speaking about the Safety In Every Field campaign for Farm Safety Week, Agri Aware Chairman Shay Galvin said: Highlighting the importance of being safe on farms has never been more essential. Farms can be hazardous, and without sharing knowledge on safe practices, accidents will continue to occur. This social media campaign aims to refresh those working on a farm to be aware of the dangers that are present on farms and how to be safe while working on a farm, be it with machinery or livestock for example. Furthermore, it cant be emphasised enough that farms are not a playground and as such this campaign is very much relevant to those visiting farms, especially now during the school holidays, how they and their families can be safe. The public can access Agri Awares social media platforms, Instagram, X and TikTok to educate and engage with the advice from farmers during Farm Safety Week. In 2024, Agri Aware has been busy in the farm safety space, rolling out its farm safety initiative Safe Farm Futures in primary schools across the country. To date, 23,647 students are enrolled in the programme with 60 workshops completed so far this year across 16 counties. The programme aims to enhance safe farm practices among children to make the countryside and farms a safer place to live and work on. Agri Aware, the independent farming and agri-food educational body, is a charitable trust whose mission is to improve the image and understanding of agriculture, farming and the food industry among the public. Agri Aware is tasked with conveying the importance of the agri-food industry among the public and bridge the gap between producer and consumer. It delivers high-impact educational and public awareness initiatives and projects for students and the public through its school programmes and at events nationwide. Safe Farm Futures is a farm safety initiative created by Agri Aware which aims to enhance safety literacy among children to make the countryside and farms a safer place to live and work on. The Safe Farm Futures programme attends primary school classes to discuss safety around machinery, safe livestock handling and taking care while in the countryside. Agri Aware had its first farm safety demonstration at Flavours of Fingal Show at the end of June and hopes to continue throughout the year to demonstrate common safety issues on farms. Safe Farm Futures has also recorded a series of webinars available on YouTube. One of Cork theatres oldest traditions returned to the stage this week to a sold-out house and a standing ovation. For over two decades, the annual Summer Revels! series was a showbiz mainstay in Cork, and now it has now been relaunched for a whole new generation. On Wednesday evening, the premiere of Summer Revels!, which takes its name from a series of productions which ran through the 1970s and 1980s, opened in Cork Opera House, bringing the audience to their feet after a show-stopping display of comedy, music and dance. The production boasts a company it describes as 100% Cork, and it is led by West End star Claire OLeary, fresh from her recent run at The London Palladium in Andrew Lloyd Webbers new Wizard of Oz, and following her debut in Les Miserables. She is joined by Cork theatre icons Declan Wolfe, from The Den and The Improv Panto, Michael Sands from The Sound of Music, Annie, and The Young Offenders, and Trevor Ryan from the Cork Opera House Panto. The 17-strong professional ensemble also includes several Cork musical theatre performers who have been entertaining audiences nationally and internationally for years, including Marie ODonovan, Therese OSullivan, Alex Glennon, Fiona Kennedy. They are joined by Bandons Alison Arnopp, and emerging Cork artist Precious Abimbola, making her professional debut in the show. Speaking after the opening night, Cork Opera House CEO, Eibhlin Gleeson, said she was delighted to see the return of an important part of Leesides theatre history. We are thrilled to revive and present this show, which was once a cherished feature of our stage for over 20 years. Without doubt, our cast represents the absolute creme of local, national, and international talent, and it is an immense achievement to be able to say that each and every one of them is from Cork, and began their theatrical training here, Ms Gleeson said. Directed by Killian Collins and John OBrien, Summer Revels! runs at Cork Opera House until Sunday, August 4. See www.corkoperahouse.ie for details. A motion calling for there not to be restrictions on the cutting of verges along public roads prompted observations from councillors that the birds and the bees were too clever to make their homes in roadside ditches. The motion was made at a meeting of Cork County Council this week. While the impact of cutting on flora and fauna was mentioned, most councillors focused on the safety of the roads, a number of which had become so overgrown that the grass on the left was meeting the growth on the right. The motion, proposed by Independent councillor Finbar Harrington, who represents West Cork, urged the council to request an amendment to public policy to ensure that there would be no prohibited period for verge cutting on all public roads. Dangerous We all know how dangerous the vegetation growth that encroaches on public roads can be to all users, be they walkers or cyclists or motorists, said Mr Harrington. He pointed out that under current legislation, landowners were prohibited from hedge-cutting between March 1 and August 31 on all uncultivated lands. There are several exceptions to this, one being the grounds of road safety, he said. The problem is that, especially in West Cork, ferns, grass, briers, and brambles and vegetation, they grow at an alarming rate at this time of the year. A road that was OK a month ago is dangerous now. Mr Harrington said that the West Cork region, as a tourism destination, needed better management of its road verges and he detailed a number of examples where he had been contacted by road users whose vehicles had been damaged by overgrown verges. A large number of other councillors echoed Mr Harringtons concerns, and Independent councillor in East Cork Mary Linehan Foley suggested that the motion be amended to include footpaths, many of which were becoming overgrown with vegetation. Deputy Mayor Martin Coughlan, who chaired the meeting, said that he was aware of footpaths in his area, Macroom, that were so overgrown that women pushing buggies were forced to step off the pavement onto the road. Opposition The motion was met with opposition from two Social Democrat councillors, who pointed to the biodiversity crisis. Liam Quaide, representing East Cork, said that widespread and indiscriminate hedge cutting was happening at this time of the year and it was happening with impunity. Our trees and hedgerows have never been more at risk, Mr Quaide said. And this is in the context of a biodiversity crisis which threatens the survival of all species, including human life. In my view, we need to protect the vibrancy and colour and lushness of our roadside verges, as well as their biodiversity value for pollinators. The road-safety implications of roadside verges is drastically exaggerated, in my view. At junctions and other safety pinch-points, by all means cut, but this is not what we see in practice. His Social Democrat colleague, Isobel Towse, said all West Cork councillors would have passed the grassy verges growing along the roadside exiting Bandon on the way to Cork. I do not understand how grassy verges such as these could pose a danger. Treatment was provided for more than 650 cases of problem alcohol use in Cork last year, new statistics show. A new report by the Health Research Board (HRB) shows that nationally, 8,163 cases were treated for problem alcohol use in 2023, the highest number in over a decade. In Cork, however, where 5,707 people have sought treatment for alcohol over the last seven years, numbers decreased by 3% in 2023 compared to 2022, though the report notes that participation in the reporting system is not uniform across Ireland. Commenting on the new report, Brian Duncan, South-West manager for Coolmine Therapeutic Community, said that they saw a slight decrease in people identifying alcohol as a main problem compared to 2022. In 2022, 20% of people identified cocaine as their primary drug, in 2023 it was 25% almost all these people would also be using alcohol, he said. The HRB report shows that nationally, one in four cases reported using another drug along with alcohol, with cocaine the most common additional drug, more than doubling since 2017. Treatment One Cork man who completed three months of treatment in 2023 told The Echo: When I went to treatment, I thought that I would still be able to drink after it, if I gave up cocaine. Its much easier to blame drugs because nobody is supposed to do drugs anyway, but youd be protecting the drink, thinking: How could I ever go to events again without it?. But in treatment, almost instantly I realised drink was my main problem it leads to everything else. Any time I have taken cocaine, Id always have alcohol in my system first. Im clean nearly 18 months now, and I dont think of drugs; if I have a craving its always drink, but if I took a drink it would instantly lead to everything else. Mr Duncan said: With cocaine use, people tend to hit a crisis quicker due to a combination of financial and mental health issues, this means people reach out for help younger. A persons alcohol use is more likely to have been problematic for quite some time by the time they reach out, and people with just alcohol addiction are more likely to present again for treatment at a later date. He added that alcohol has been, and continues to be, by and far the most significant problem substance across society close to half to all presentations to services are in relation to alcohol, that can be missed because its seen as so socially acceptable and its legal. Rise The report detailed a rise in the amount of alcohol consumed and the frequency of alcohol consumption, with 51.5% of the total number treated in Ireland in 2023 having consumed alcohol daily. Mr Duncan suggested that people drinking at home could be a factor in this. People started drinking at home during covid, and the price of drinking out has gone up, he said. When people are drinking at home, theres no closing hours or restrictions; and once it becomes habitual for someone, theyre more likely to drink every day. The Cork man who spoke to The Echo said that this had been his experience. Covid was the first time I drank at home, I always would have went out before; then after covid Id go out, but Id be dying to get back home, he said. You cant kick yourself out of your own house for drinking too much. He advised anyone struggling to seek help before it gets worse. If you think you might have an issue, you definitely do even if you only feel like that after a binge or bender, then three days later you think you have no problem with drink. Works are under way on remedying a fault at the Dunmanway waste water treatment plant, which led to a continuous discharge of sewage into the Bandon River near the West Cork town, an Uisce Eireann spokesperson has confirmed. A video depicting what was described as pure pollution flowing into the river from the towns waste water treatment plant, had already been viewed more than 12,000 times before it was highlighted by a Fine Gael councillor during a meeting of Cork County Council on Monday. The account given by Noel ODonovan, who represents the West Cork Municipal District on the council, prompted several of his colleagues to give accounts of similar sewage related issues in their areas. This led to an unaminous call for Uisce Eireann executives to come before the council to give an account of what the utility was doing to deal with those issues as well as setting out investment plans for developing new plants and upgrading its existing facilities. Overloaded Councillors told of issues surrounding sewage discharge and overloaded plants in Macroom, Carrignavar, Carrigaline, Castletownbere, and Bandon. Mr ODonovan said that he didnt want negative headlines while it was the height of summer and the tourist season in West Cork, but he had to highlight what was happening in Dunmanway. Mr ODonovan said: For anyone whos seen the video, its upsetting. Theres no words to describe how disgusting, how shocking it is, to look at the colour of the water thats coming out of the discharge in Dunmanway. For any of us looking at it, theres no assessment needed to know what that actually is. The waste water treatment plant was put in place in Dunmanway in 2013. After this, new EU guidelines came into effect, and the facility in Dunmanway was no longer complying with these standards. Cork County Council chief executive Moira Murrell told councillors that she had attended a meeting with Uisce Eireann, pointing out she had been told that the utility had invested upwards of 80m in Co Cork over the past eight years. Her colleague Michael Lynch, divisional manager for South Cork, told the meeting that the council had updated Uisce Eireann last weekend about the latest situation regarding the discharges at the Dunmanway plant and would do so again after the meeting concluded. Incidents Councillors called on the executive to seek an urgent meeting with Uisce Eireann about the incident at Dunmanway and a litany of similar incidents in locations around the county. They also called for a letter to be sent to the minister for the environment to voice the concerns expressed at the meeting. In the statement from Uisce Eireann, the spokesperson said the cause of the incident related to air flow to the process units and confirmed remedial works were currently under way. Uisce Eireann is engaging with Inland Fisheries Ireland and the EPA in relation to [the incident] and we will provide further updates as they become available said the spokesperson. Cork South West Fianna Fail TD Christopher OSullivan said it was unacceptable that the town of Dunmanway would have to wait five to 10 years for the solution to waste water capacity. The plant is only 12 years old, Mr OSullivan said. It was built for capacity of 3,400, and the population of Dunmanway is at around 2,500. Theres serious questions that have to be answered as to how we got to this point. Siptu has described as shocking the decision by pharma firm Viatris to wind down its Little Island facility, which employs around 200 people, calling on Government to intervene to save the plant. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment confirmed it had received a collective redundancy notification from Viatris. A Viatris spokesperson told The Echo that a thorough assessment of the site unfortunately concluded it was no longer viable due to challenging market and site dynamics. The spokesperson said there will be no immediate reductions: It is anticipated that the majority of the workforce will remain employed until early 2028 as the company winds down operations over the next several years. Viatris remains committed to treating those impacted fairly and with respect. Unions The spokesperson said the company will work with unions on a plan, including comprehensive redundancy packages. Cork Chamber public affairs director Cathal McSweeney said: The job losses announced at Viatris present a challenging situation for all involved, and we empathise with those affected by this unfortunate situation. Mr McSweeney said Cork has experienced significant business growth and investment in the pharma and life science sectors, and the demand for skilled employees remains high, so they would be optimistic that those affected will find new jobs. Siptu representatives have requested an urgent meeting with the company management, with organiser Ciara McMahon-Flavin saying: This announcement is a shocking development for our members, many of whom have provided decades of loyal service to the company at this plant. She said Siptu is also calling for Government intervention in an attempt to save this plant and its jobs. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said yesterday: In situations like this, our first priority is the workers, we will galvanise all the State agencies to work to support them. Alternative employment Mr Martin pointed out there have been good announcements in Cork recently in terms of new employments such as in Motorola, saying: Hopefully within the broader Cork economy there will be capacity to secure alternative employment for the employees. Fianna Fail TD in Cork North-Central, Padraig OSullivan, said he was deeply disappointed at the news. The only silver lining from this situation is that workers have time to find alternative employment should they seek to do so, he said. Nonetheless, this is an unexpected and significant blow to the employees and the local economy. He welcomed Siptus involvement and added: I echo the Tanaistes comments this morning that the priority must be about the workers, and engagement is needed to work to source alternative employment for them. Concerning Sinn Fein Cork North-Central TD Thomas Gould said: This is extremely concerning for the workers and their families. There needs to be a skills audit to support these workers in finding alternative employment as a matter of urgency. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD in Cork North Central, Mick Barry, said: These jobs are being sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed. Viatris is not in any kind of financial trouble, and isnt going to be any time soon. Between 1922 and 1998, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary ran Bessborough as a mother and baby institution, and during that time 9,768 mothers and 8,938 babies were admitted. According to the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, some 923 children died at Bessborough or after being transferred from there. Burial records exist for only 64 of the children who died in the care of the Bessborough institution or after transfer from it, meaning that the records and remains of 859 children are missing. In 1960, Madeleine Walsh, a pregnant 18-year-old from Co Tipperary living and working in London, was sent back to Ireland, to Bessborough, by a Catholic group called The Crusade of Rescue. While she was in labour, the nuns gave Ms Walsh an injection, and she later developed a large abscess where she had received the injection. Her baby William was born healthy, but when he was three days old, he became suddenly extremely ill and was taken from his mother, who also became very sick. When William was eventually brought to St Finbarrs Hospital, it was too late to save him and he died, six weeks old. His death certificate says he died of septicaemia. Still desperately ill, Ms Walsh was told William had already been buried. Three decades later, visiting Bessborough, Ms Walsh was told he had been buried in the empty quadrant of the nuns graveyard by the Bessborough folly. In 2019, almost 60 years after William died, the fifth interim report of the State commission on mother and baby homes was published. It was scathing in its criticism of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at Bessborough, describing the information the nuns had given the commission as speculative, inaccurate, and misleading. The report also contained distressing details clearly identifying William and showing that he had, in fact, been buried, over half a century earlier, in a paupers grave in the overgrown Famine graveyard on Carrs Hill. Ms Walsh spoke at last months 10th annual commemoration at Bessborough, an event organised by her daughter, Carmel Cantwell. The event was MCd by PJ Coogan, with music by Myles Gaffney. Ms Walsh described the institution as a place of complete horror when she was brought there in 1960. I was stripped, with two nuns looking on, observing what I was taking off, taking every single [thing], even little studded earrings you could hardly see were taken from me, everything. My shoes, everything. She was made to wear a canvas dress and clogs, and she and another girl were put to work in the labour ward. I wasnt aware of the facts of life, I didnt even know where a baby came from, and yet we were put in charge of the labour ward. She said there was very little they could do to help each beautiful Irish girl, frightened out of her life. Her voice faltering, Ms Walsh said she had been coming to the Bessborough folly for years, visiting what she had been led to believe was Williams grave, talking to him, apologising to him, before learning he was somewhere on Carrs Hill. She said the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023, which excludes those who were in an institution for less than six months, was an insult even to those eligible. Around 68,000 people, mothers and babies, are believed to have gone through the religious-run system for unmarried mothers but only 34,000 survivors will be eligible for redress. Reflecting on her time in Bessborough, and remembering all the other girls and women who were put in such institutions, Ms Walsh said so many mothers had been incarcerated, their babies taken from them, and so many babies had died, like her baby William. I wonder, what was it for? Why were we punished? What did we do wrong? she asked. We could have looked after our babies, fed our babies, loved our babies, if we had been given the facilities, but no, everybody hated [us]. It was the church who got onto the parishioners, to put this hatred into their minds about single mothers. Afterward, in a thoughtful address, the former lord mayor of Cork, independent councillor Kieran McCarthy, spoke about the many stories of Corks history, and of Blackrock, the stories he said which had the power to stop people in their tracks. However, Mr McCarthy said, when the story came to that of Bessborough House, the reader would learn of the 19th-century folly, and the Pike family and their steamship industry, and then you turn the page over, and for our story today, the ink disappears. Cork had done a lot, he suggested, to forget about Bessborough and the lives blighted by the institution. PLANNING This gathering is a beacon or a lighthouse to not only tell the stories of what happened here, to tell the human experiences of what happened, but also lead the calls to break the selectiveness of Cork and Irish history and completing the multitude of memory banks that are only partly explored and to learn from all of that. Mr McCarthy said that he believed that the grounds of Bessborough needed to become a large-scale memory site or park. He added that, when the planning process is finished, he believed that Cork City Council, with the help of central Government [would] work with the developer to see what can be done to either directly purchase or CPO (compulsory purchase order) the lands for commemoration purposes. Early last year, MWB Two, the developers behind a proposed 92-unit residential development at Bessborough in Blackrock, lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanala in a bid to overturn Cork City Councils decision to refuse planning permission. A decision is overdue on that appeal. A separate decision from An Bord Pleanala on three separate developments, in total 467 apartments, at Bessborough, outstanding since 2021, is also overdue. Sinn Fein councillor Michelle Gould said creating a memorial park would be so fitting. The call by everyone at the commemoration was that there should be no planning permission, there should be nothing built here, it should be a memorial park, she said. I think all parties and none should come together now, An Bord Pleanala should refuse planning permission, and Cork City Council, with the help of central Government, should CPO it, and the first thing that should be done is that the grounds be scanned for human remains. A 33-year-old mother died after Cork University Hospital, when she first presented to the emergency department failed to detect that she had swallowed her denture, the High Court has heard. The case of Beata Kunicka from Kanturk, Co Cork who was wrongly discharged home has now led to changes in hospitals across the country. The High Court today heard Cork University Hospital (CUH) has apologised to her family for the deficiencies in the care provided to Beata. Ms Kunicka had returned to CUH seventeen days after first being discharged from the emergency department, when she collapsed at home and was vomiting blood. She died over twenty hours later on October 12, 2021, and hours after the embedded denture was removed from her oesophagus. The familys counsel Gabriel Gavigan SC instructed by Tracey Solicitors told the court that liability was never contested by the HSE and the proceedings brought by Ms Kunickas partner Kamil Jarzembski were settled for 450,000 after mediation. The young mother first went to the hospital A&E on September 25, 2021, complaining of chest pain and reporting that she believed she had recently swallowed her denture which was two front teeth , supportive pallet and wiring. A plain film X-ray of her chest was arranged, and she was given a small test meal to assess her ability to swallow. She was also given painkillers to treat her chest pain. However, no foreign body showed up on the X-ray and Ms Kunicka, who was able to eat and drink was discharged. LETTER Counsel told the court in a letter to Ms Kunickas partner Kamil Jarzembski last year, the hospital CEO David Donegan said an external review into the care of Ms Kunicka makes clear that we failed to identify that her dental plate had indeed been swallowed and as such wrongly discharged her when she first presented to ED. Medical staff, the letter said, were not aware at the time that some denture plates will not show up on X-ray and mistakenly decided that because she was able to eat and drink it was safe to discharge her. It added that CUH has taken action to highlight these risks nationally to regulators and the HSE and amended its own local clinical training. Counsel said Ms Kunicka returned to CUH on October 12 after 1am. She was not assessed in the ED until 7am and she was vomiting blood. It was ordered she be given blood and a CT scan was arranged. She collapsed again and later underwent surgery where the embedded denture was removed. However, she suffered severe bleeding and had to be again stabilised. It was claimed that there was a delay in further treatment due to there being disagreement as regards the diagnosis and in the hours that followed there was prolonged discussion of the case. Ms Kunicka became critically unstable and was haemorrhaging form her ear nose and mouth. She continued to deteriorate and went into shock and died from cardiac arrest after resuscitation efforts failed. Counsel told the court the letter from the hospital CEO stated that the review also outlined the care of Ms Kunicka in the hospital when she returned there on October 12. It said it was a complex and challenging presentation but It is clear that a number of elements for care were not delivered promptly enough. Furthermore, clinical differences of opinion about the source for continued bleeding, the right course of corrective action and the availability of the necessary expertise to deliver it, all delayed her receiving the care she needed. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds offered her condolences to Mr Jarzemnski and their young daughter Julia over the very tragic series of events and she hoped they took some comfort from the review and that the recommendations have been shared nationally to ensure such an incident does not happen in an Irish hospital again. A judge commented that a mans previous convictions totalling more than 500 may well be a record but his defence solicitor said it stemmed from a car crash 27 years ago when six members of his family were killed. Richard OBrien, 53, of 14 Ardshanavooley, Killarney, County Kerry, pleaded guilty to two more public order charges at Cork District Court. He admitted being drunk and a danger and engaging in threatening behaviour during a recent incident in Cork city. Sergeant Aisling Murphy said he had a total of 544 previous convictions. Of those, 342 were for being so intoxicated that he was a danger to himself or others and 56 were for engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace. Judge Mary Dorgan said on hearing this, Ah now, Mr Collins-Daly (defence solicitor), that must be a record. Shane Collins-Daly solicitor said the defendant did tell him he had more than 500 convictions but he gave an explanation. He says his life was ruined by drink going back a long time. He lost six members of his family 27 years ago in a Road Traffic Accident, Mr Collins-Daly said. Sgt. Murphy outlined the background to the latest incident: On June 29 outside Gallaghers pub on MacCurtain Street, he was threatening members of the public and staff at the premise. When the gardai arrived he was verbally abusive to them. Judge Dorgan said, Obviously, it is caused by trauma. It would be helpful if you (the accused) could get help for your drinking, while you are in custody. It does not help matters. The judge imposed a prison term of two months on Richard OBrien on the threatening charge. Munster Technological University (MTU) has been nominated for two awards for its dedication to entrepreneurship. The nominations come as part of the Triple E Awards. The Triple E Awards are a global recognition of efforts towards the quest for entrepreneurship and engagement in higher education. It is the first set of awards to focus specifically on different dimensions of the universities third mission. The Triple E Awards aim to foster change in universities and to emphasise their role in their communities and ecosystems. These awards are organised in four regions around the world (Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific). This year, the award ceremonies will be hosted in Sao Paulo (Americas awards), Lisbon (European and African awards) and Kuala Lumpur (Asia-Pacific awards). MTU has been shortlisted in two categories: The team-level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activators of the Year and the initiative-level EDI Community Engagement Initiative of the Year within the European category. The combined success of four different initiatives earned MTU its nomination in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activators of the Year category. The Innovative Product Design Initiative, the Student Inc Entrepreneurship Programme, the Innovation Challenge, and the MTU Prize for Innovation all helped MTU to make the shortlist for the awards. These four elements have been developed at MTU to ensure that they are complementary to each other, such that each of them focuses on a different aspect of educational entrepreneurship and engagement. More than 5,000 people have benefited from the programmes over the last two decades. The course coordinator for biomedical engineering in MTU, lecturer Hugh ODonnell, said: For many years, our team has provided a range of interlinked opportunities for students at all academic levels to express their creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial talents. We are delighted that the team has been recognised by being shortlisted for the Triple-E award category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activators of the Year. MTU received its nomination in the EDI Community Engagement Initiative of the Year for its leadership in fostering youth entrepreneurship in rural and urban community initiatives, while increasing access to such initiatives for young people. The university demonstrated this through its MTU Enterprise Camp and Goalmine programmes. Both camps are free to attend and particularly encourage student participation from primary- and secondary-level students in regional and lower socioeconomic areas. These programmes demonstrate outstanding community engagement, directly impacting over 1,600 individuals since 2012. Rebecca Robinson, a researcher at the MTU Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence, said: Having delivered the MTU Bishopstown Entrepreneurship Summer Schools programme for the past four years, it is incredibly rewarding to see the dedication of our team and the programmes positive impact ... acknowledged through the Triple E Awards nomination. In 2023, MTU was named as a finalist of the Engaged University of the Year Award earning fourth place. The university was beaten by category winners Corporacion Universitaria Minuto de Dios Uniminuto, Colombia. Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, US, earned second and third place in the Engaged University of the Year category. Awardees are selected through a two-stage process. After the shortlisting of the top five entries in each category in each region, additional information needs to be submitted which will serve as the basis for the final ranking of the entries and the selecting of the category winner. By Cillian Sherlock, PA A former British soldier living in Germany has had his 50th birthday wish come true after being reunited with his biological mother in Ireland. Mark Balls, now 53, was adopted as a baby and was raised well by his adoptive parents in London. He was told by his adoptive father that he was adopted when he was 10-years-old but, out of respect for the man and woman who raised him, he chose not to pursue his biological family until after his adoptive parents had died. Mr Balls, who has six children and now lives in Paderborn in Germany, said that while he knew some information about his biological mother, he could only get so far. In the run up to his 50th birthday, his daughters asked him what he would like. He said: I told them how far I got with my search and that maybe because theyre a bit more media savvy than I am I asked if they could find out more? They conducted their own research but were unsuccessful. His daughter Amanda then decided to give him a gift of a MyHeritage DNA test which would ultimately set him on a path that would finally see him connect with his Irish family. The way I understood it is that if I do the DNA test and theres other people with a close DNA match to me, they might have information on where my mother would be. The mystery was not immediately solved but the results provided Mr Balls with a path to follow. I got the results and there were a couple of close connections. So I sent a few emails to people who unfortunately couldnt help me. Michael Condon, Phyllis ONeill, Mark Balls, and Joe Condon (Amanda Gaese/PA) Time went by and there was a new match, with someone who had done a test and had a 10% match with me. I sent her a message and told her I was looking for my birth mother and it turned out her dads name was Condon the same surname as my birth mothers maiden name and that he had a sister called Phyllis. Through a complicated chain of messages involving his newly discovered cousin in Greece as well as other relatives in Australia and Reading, Mr Balls eventually received an email to say that Phyllis ONeill was his mother and that he had two blood brothers in Limerick, Ireland. I was in work when I checked my emails. I got all choked up. Mr Balls mother was 18 and living in Hampstead, London when she gave birth to him. Fearing judgment over the situation, she kept the pregnancy secret and gave him up for adoption to an Irish family who lived less than 30 minutes away. She and Mr Balls father later married and had two more children. Five weeks after receiving the news, Mr Balls travelled to Fedamore in Limerick to meet his long-lost Irish family. Jason ONeill, Mark Balls, Phyllis ONeill and James ONeill (Amanda Gaese/PA) Mr Balls said that he believed his biological mother had felt guilt about the adoption process, but he said he assured her he had no bad feelings. It was put to her that she was very young to be bringing up a child and that wasnt the done thing. It was very different times, he said. My intention for this whole reunion was to get to know my mother and let her know I had no bad feelings. It was unbelievable. I was taken in straight away and accepted as one of the family. It was like a missing piece of a jigsaw, it felt so natural and like we had always known each other. On the six-day visit, Mr Balls stayed in the spare bedroom of one of his brothers. He said he connected with them over common interests and shared stories about their childhood, and he also met his uncles. He said that because his adoptive mother was from Lissycasey in Co Clare, he knew how to fit in: I knew the Irish side of things, that I had to drink and socialise! Mr Balls also brought his two daughters and youngest son as well as one of his grandchildren. Ms ONeill did not think she was a grandmother yet, so she was additionally surprised to learn she was a great-grandmother. Asked if he would recommend the process to other people in the same situation, Mr Balls said: Im aware that not every story has a good ending and that curiosity kills the cat. However, if you dont do it youll regret it. You dont want to look back and think I should have done that, or realise that you have left it too late. Mr Balls said he will absolutely be coming to Ireland more often, as he has yet to meet all his relatives. DNA test and historical records are available through MyHeritage.com. 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. According to official figures, last year Irelands data centers consumed more electricity than all of the countrys urban homes for the first time, reported The Guardian. The expanding number of data centers used 21 percent of the countrys electricity, a fifth more than in 2022, the Central Statistics Office said. In 2023, electricity used by residences in cities and towns made up 18 percent of total power consumption. Eirgird, Irelands grid operator, predicted electricity supply challenges for the country this decade, partially because of growth of demand driven by large energy users and data centres, AFP reported. The sudden rise in demand for electricity to power the data centers could thwart Irelands as well as Europes climate goals, experts have said, according to The Guardian. Googles European headquarters are in Ireland, and the company said its data centers drove a 48 percent surge in its total emissions last year, as compared with 2019, putting its green targets at risk. In 2023, more than 50 percent of Irelands electricity came from fossil fuels. Wind made up 34.6 percent and solar 1.2 percent. Irelands low corporate taxation policy has supported its explosion of tech companies and data centers. Ireland has been incredibly successful in attracting these data centres, professor Paul Deane, a University College Cork senior research fellow, told the Irish Examiner. Its accounting for one fifth of all electricity demand in Ireland. At a global level, were closer to 1% of demand, so Ireland is an outlier. Increased data processing demands, driven by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), mean data centers in Ireland could use roughly 31 percent of the countrys electricity in the next three years, the National Energy and Climate Plan said, as reported by The Guardian. If we already had lots of wind and lots of solar, it wouldnt be a problem, Dean told the Irish Examiner. Were still so reliant on fossil fuels. We need to be able to build up renewables very quickly. Were good at building large datacentres quickly but not as good at building renewables. The training for AI-powered chatbots, for instance, demands enormous amounts of electricity for the powering of data centers, as well as a good deal of water to cool them down, The Conversation reported. AI can be a double-edged sword, said Felippa Amanta, a Ph.D. candidate at University of Oxfords Environmental Change Institute, in The Conversation. It can be a powerful tool for climate action, improving the efficiency of the energy grid, modelling climate change predictions or monitoring climate treaties. But the infrastructure needed to run AI is energy- and resource-intensive. And while AI is useful for making systems such as home cooling and heating more energy efficient, that efficiency can sometimes encourage the use of more power as people become accustomed to fine-tuning their environments. In fact, the true scale of AIs impact on the environment is probably underestimated, especially if we focus only on the direct carbon footprint of its infrastructure. Today, AI permeates almost all aspects of our digitalised daily lives. Businesses use AI to develop, market and deliver products, content and services more efficiently, and AI influences how we search, shop, socialise and organise our everyday lives, Amanta said. These changes have massive implications for our total energy consumption at a time when we need to actively reduce it. And its not yet clear that AI will support us in making more climate-positive choices. 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. Peru's Manu National Park was part of the study on tree bark's ability to absorb methane. David Gonzalez Rebollo / iStock / Getty Images Plus Trees arent just important for carbon sequestration. According to a new study, trees can also help remove methane from the atmosphere through their bark. Researchers determined that some tree bark contains microbes that can take up methane from the atmosphere at a rate similar to the sequestration power of soil. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature. The main ways in which we consider the contribution of trees to the environment is through absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, and storing it as carbon, Vincent Gauci, lead researcher of the study and a professor at the University of Birmingham, said in a press release. These results, however, show a remarkable new way in which trees provide a vital climate service. The team analyzed methane exchange between the atmosphere and different heights of trees in tropical forests in the Amazon rainforest and Panama, temperate forests in Oxfordshire, UK, and boreal forests in Sweden. They found the greatest methane absorption in tropical forests, which offer optimal conditions for microbes. Researchers used tools to measure gases around the tree trunks, Energy Voice reported. They found that trees may emit small amounts of methane lower on the tree, close to the soil, but higher up the trunk, there is a greater exchange of methane and the trees take in methane. While methane doesnt have as big of an impact in the long term as carbon dioxide emissions, it is still a powerful greenhouse gas that impacts our planet. As the Environmental Defense Fund explained, methane emissions are around 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide for the first 20 years they are released into the atmosphere. Methane has contributed to around 30% of global warming since the Industrial Revolution, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated in its Global Methane Tracker 2024 report. The new findings revealed that preserving and restoring forests could have even bigger benefits than previously thought. The research team estimated 10% higher climate benefits from the methane absorption by tropical and temperate trees. The Global Methane Pledge, launched in 2021 at the COP26 climate change summit aims to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by the end of the decade, Gauci said. Our results suggest that planting more trees, and reducing deforestation surely must be important parts of any approach towards this goal. As a next step, the researchers plan to investigate whether deforestation has contributed to increasing amounts of methane in the atmosphere. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. A man works his job as a charcoal production torcher in 104F heat in Diyarbakir, Turkiye on July 18, 2024. Bestami Bodruk / Anadolu via Getty Images As global temperatures continue to rise, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a worldwide call to action for more effective protection of the billions of people who are exposed to extreme heat. The urgent appeal follows the highest temperature ever recorded for the planet, as well as deadly heat waves in the United States, the Middle East, Africas Sahel and Europe that have caused the deaths of several hundred people, including 1,301 Hajj pilgrims this summer. Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That is 122 degrees Fahrenheit halfway to boiling, Guterres said during a press conference at New Yorks UN Headquarters, according to a press release from the UN in Turkiye. The message is clear: the heat is on. Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures. Guterres pointed out that while crippling heat is everywhere, its effects are not felt by everyone equally. Those who are most at risk include pregnant women, older people, children, those with disabilities, those who are suffering from illnesses and the poor and the displaced, who frequently live in substandard housing with no access to cooling. UN estimates say that deaths related to extreme heat for those over 65 have increased by roughly 85 percent in the past two decades. Currently, 25 percent of children are exposed to frequent heat waves, a number that could rise to nearly 100 percent by 2050. We must respond by massively increasing access to low-carbon cooling, expanding passive cooling such as natural solutions and urban design and cleaning up cooling technologies while boosting their efficiency, Guterres said in the press release. He also emphasized the need to scale up worker protections. More than 70 percent of the worlds workforce 2.4 billion people are put at substantial risk by extreme heat, a new report by the UNs International Labour Organization said. The situation is especially severe in the Arab and Africa regions, where upwards of 80 and 90 percent of workers are at risk, respectively. Three out of four workers in Asia and the Pacific the most populous region in the world are also exposed to extreme heat. Excessive heat is the cause of almost 23 million workplace injuries worldwide, Guterres said in another UN press release. We need measures to protect workers, grounded in human rights. And we must ensure that laws and regulations reflect the reality of extreme heat today and are enforced. Guterres pointed out the necessity of boosting the resilience of societies and economies, citing the impacts of crop failures, infrastructure damage and increased demand on water supplies, electric grids and health systems, UN in Turkiye said. The levels of heat we now routinely see around the world put every part of society under extreme pressure, directly harming our health while also affecting food and water security and much of our vital infrastructures, said Alan Dangour, climate and health director at UK-based science foundation Wellcome, as Climate Change News reported. Cities are under severe pressure, as they experience heating at two times the average global rate, said the UN in Turkiye press release. In order to confront these challenges, Guterres said that specific and comprehensive action plans rooted in scientific data would be crucial for nations, cities and sectors. We need a concerted effort to heatproof economies, critical sectors and the built environment, Guterres said in the press release. Guterres reiterated the essential nature of recognizing the multitude of symptoms other than extreme heat, including droughts, wildfires, floods, rising sea levels and hurricanes. The main issue is the worlds reliance on fossil fuels coupled with climate inaction, the UN chief said. He stressed that governments in particular G20 nations, cities, regions and the private sector must adopt climate action plans for limiting the rise of temperatures worldwide to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Countries must also end new coal projects and impose an urgent phase-out of fossil fuels. They must act as though our future depends on it because it does, Guterres said. Apple has joined several other tech companies in agreeing to abide by voluntary AI safeguards laid out by the Biden administration. Those who make the pledge have committed to abide by eight guidelines related to safety, security and social responsibility, including flagging societal risks such as biases; testing for vulnerabilities, watermarking AI-generated images and audio; and sharing trust and safety details with the government and other companies. Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI were among the initial adoptees of the pact, which the White House announced last July . The voluntary agreement, which is not enforceable, will expire after Congress passes laws to regulate AI. Since the guidelines were announced, Apple unveiled a suite of AI-powered features under the umbrella name of Apple Intelligence . The tools will work across the company's key devices and are set to start rolling out in the coming months. As part of that push, Apple has teamed up with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence . In joining the voluntary code of practice, Apple may be hoping to ward off regulatory scrutiny of its AI tools. Although President Joe Biden has talked up the potential benefits of AI, he has warned of the dangers posed by the technology as well. His administration has been clear that it wants AI companies to develop their tech in a responsible manner . NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting samples from Mars since 2021, but one of its most recently collected rocks could help it achieve its goal of finding evidence of ancient life on the planet. Nicknamed Cheyava Falls after the tallest waterfall in the Grand Canyon, the 3.2 feet by 2 feet sample contains "chemical signatures and structures" that could've been formed by ancient microbial life from billions of years ago. Perseverance collected the rock on July 21 from what was once a Martian river valley carved by flowing water long ago. The sample, which you can see in close up below and from afar at the center of the image above, exhibits large white calcium sulfate veins running along its length. They indicate that water did run through the rock at one point. More importantly, it contains millimeter-size marks that look like "leopard spots" all over its central reddish band. On our planet, those spots could form on sedimentary terrestrial rocks when there are chemical reactions that turn hematite, one of the minerals responsible for Mars' reddish color, to white. Those reactions can release iron and phosphate, which could've served as an energy source for microbes. The rover's Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) tool already determined that the black rings around the spots contain iron and phosphate. However, that doesn't automatically mean that the rock truly did serve as a host for ancient microbes. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS The spots could've been formed by non-biological processes, and that's something scientists will have to figure out. "We cannot say right now that we have discovered life on Mars, Katie Stack Morgan, the deputy project scientist, said. "But what we are saying is that we have a potential biosignature, which is a set of features that could have a biological origin but do need further study and more data." NASA still has to bring back the samples Perseverance had collected to our planet, including Cheyava Falls. As The New York Times notes, the Mars Sample Return mission is years behind schedule and would not be able to bring back rocks from the red planet until 2040 instead of in the early 2030's like originally planned. NASA recently asked aerospace companies for alternative solutions on how to get the samples to Earth much sooner and will finance their studies due later this year. Scientists will also have to conduct extensive testing to rule out contamination and non-biological processes, as well as other possible explanations for how the leopard spots had formed, before they can proclaim that they're indeed evidence of ancient Martian life. A grand jury in Kansas City has indicted Rim Jong Hyok, a North Korean intelligence operative who allegedly used ransomware to attack health providers' systems in the US, according to AP News. The State Department said Rim is part of a group called Andariel that's controlled by the North Korean intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Rim is not in the US government's custody. The agency is now offering a $10 million reward for information that would lead to his location or the location of a foreign operative who "engages in certain malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure." A Kansas medical center alerted the FBI about an attack that blocked personnel's access to patient files and lab test results, as well as prevented them from operating hospital equipment with their computers, was back in 2021. It's a common MO of Rim's Andariel group, which would infiltrate a computer system and infect it with Maui ransomware. The group would then ask their target for payment and would threaten to release sensitive information if they don't pay up. In the Kansas hospital's case, the group demanded a ransom in Bitcoin worth $100,000 within 48 hours. The group allegedly used the money it gets to buy more computers and servers to fund more cyberattacks. The FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of the Treasury issued a joint cybersecurity warning in the midst of Andariel's attacks on healthcare providers in 2022. "The North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors likely assume healthcare organizations are willing to pay ransoms because these organizations provide services that are critical to human life and health," they wrote. Federal investigators said they followed the ransom the Kansas medical center paid across blockchains and found that someone had transferred the Bitcoin to an address belonging to two Hong Kong nationals. Based on the court documents seen by AP, the money was then transferred to a Chinese bank and withdrawn from an ATM in China close to the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge connecting the country to North Korea. Andariel and Rim are being accused of infiltrating 17 entities across 11 states, including four defense contractors, two US Air Force bases and NASA. The group was reportedly able to stay in NASA's computer system for three months and steal 17 gigabytes of classified information. During one of its operations that targeted a US defense contractor in November 2022, the State Department said the group was also able to extract over 30 gigabytes of data that include information on the material used in US military aircraft and satellites. The greatest British zombie rom-com in film history will return to theaters for another run to the Winchester in honor of its 20th anniversary. Focus Features announced that Shaun of the Dead starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will get another theatrical run starting on Aug. 29 for US theaters and Sept. 27 for UK theaters. Shaun of the Dead tells the story of a British slacker named Shaun who gets dumped by his girlfriend Liz, played by Kate Ashfield, on the eve of an undead apocalypse. His best friend Ed, played by Nick Frost, takes him out for a night of drinking just as the zombies start to emerge to help him get over the breakup and remind him its not the end of the world. They wake up to a George Romero-esque world overrun by lifeless, shuffling cannibals and a hangover that makes them blissfully unaware of the carnage surrounding them. The hilarious, continuous shot of Shaun walking from his flat to the corner store and back without once noticing the bloody state of the world around him is worth seeing on the big screen. Shaun of the Dead is returning to US theaters in August and UK cinemas in September to celebrate 20 bloody years! For US tickets: https://t.co/Jgw0aZNTys For UK tickets: https://t.co/MQRs85fJmp pic.twitter.com/8ask97HwvZ Focus Features (@FocusFeatures) July 25, 2024 Shaun of the Dead became one of the sleeper hits of 2004 and marked the first film in the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy starring Pegg and Frost and directed by Edgar Wright. The trio first worked together on another British cult comedy with the two-season TV series Spaced when a zombie themed subplot line in an episode inspired them to make a proper British zombie comedy in the style of Romeros Dead movies. The action cop parody Hot Fuzz in 2007 and the alien invasion pub crawl adventure The Worlds End in 2013 rounded out the rest of the trilogy. The ice cream refers to the flavors of Cornetto ice cream treats that make Easter egg appearances in each movie: the red strawberry flavor for Shaun of the Dead, the blue vanilla flavor for Hot Fuzz and the peppermint flavor for The Worlds End. The movie also sparked the start of Peggs acting career in America as an inspired Scotty in J.J. Abrams Star Trek film trilogy and Hughies father on the Amazon prime superhero satire The Boys. The US is in the middle of another hotly contested and seemingly close presidential election. This election is also happening in this new age of widespread access to artificial intelligence and easily disseminated misinformation. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says his office tracked the source of one key piece of election misinformation back to Xs Grok chatbot. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Xs premium chatbot service is passing along erroneous information about the deadlines for states presidential ballots including Minnesota. When Grok is asked Which states presidential ballot deadlines have passed?, Grok claims Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington have passed their presidential ballots. Grok then sources its information to an X post published on Sunday by user and conservative pundit @EvanAKilgore, which does not include a correction or warning about election misinformation. In Fun Mode, Grok repeats the incorrect information and source with the comment, So if youre planning on running for president in one of these states, you might want to check if theres a write-in option. Or, you know, travel back to before the deadlines passed. Another response to the same question said These states have already passed their deadlines to get on the presidential ballot, which means they're probably just sitting around, twiddling their thumbs, wondering what to do now that Joe Biden has dropped out. But hey, at least they've got their ballots ready to go, right? Grok insinuates that President Joe Bidens name cant be replaced on these nine states ballots because the deadlines have passed. President Biden was the presumptive nominee until he announced he would no longer seek a second term on Sunday. The Democratic Party will choose its nominee through a virtual roll call vote ahead of its convention and states dont start printing ballots until after both conventions. Also, Minnesota's ballot deadline isn't until Aug. 26. Several fact checks from more reputable news outlets refute the claim that Bidens name is etched into stone on these states ballots. Politifact rated a similar claim with the same list of nine states as False. Simon says members of his staff tried to inform X about the misinformation their chatbot was spreading on its platform but could not reach a media relations representative. The response he says he received was equally concerning. [They] got what I can only verbalize as the equivalent of a shoulder shrug, Simon said to the Star Tribune. We reached out to X's press email for comment and only received a reply that read, "Busy now, please check back later." July 25, 2024: Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to North Korea recently was a masterpiece of revisionist history. During the visit Putin and North Korean leaders boasted of their long partnership, mutual friendship and cooperation in military matters. Before Putin arrived in North Korea, he wrote an article for a North Korean newspaper praising the long tradition of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. North Korea had recently sold weapons, including North Korean ballistic missiles, to Russia for use in Ukraine. While Russia and North Korea glorified the long relationship between Russia and North Korea, the reality was that the two countries had stopped cooperating in the 1950s and their relationship did not go beyond maintaining embassies and ambassadors in each others capitals of Moscow and Pyongyang. It was Russian leader Joseph Stalin who ordered North Korea to invade South Korea in 1950, triggering a three year war where the South Koreans, backed by the United States and American allies defeated the initial North Korean attack and counterattacked with an operation that seemed likely to destroy the North Korean military and government and reunite Korea under a democratic, free market South Korean rule. Communist China and the Russian communist Soviet Union would not tolerate that and China sent in several hundred thousand soldiers they described as volunteers while Russia supplied large quantities of weapons and munitions. By 1953 this had caused a stalemate and both sides agreed to an armistice with the dividing line between the two Koreas being where troops of both sides were fighting a form of World War I trench warfare. This line was called the Demilitarized Zone. It was four kilometers wide and devoid of troops from either side. A garrison of American troops remained to ensure that the North Koreas did not restart the war and to restrain South Koreans who were still eager to reunite Korea. The armistice never turned into a peace treaty and technically the two Koreas are still at war. Currently Since 1953 South Korea has created a functioning democracy and one of the top ten economies in the world. North Korea, still adhering to Juche, or self-reliance, and a North Korean form of socialism that had turned the country into a poverty stricken place where food, freedom and hope for a better future are all in short supply, By the 2020s the South Korean economy provided more benefits for its citizens that North Korea could provide for its subjects, The starkest evidence was the calculation that per capita income in South Korea was twenty times what it was in North Korea, and South Koreans could travel freely around the world and many have migrated to the United States and other Western countries, North Korea is a prison where leaving is unlawful and those who try and are caught are sent to labor camps for years as punishment. Many North Koreans do not survive a few years in a labor camp. While life is arguably adequate in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, that is an anomaly because the rest of the country is mired in poverty with people willing to risk their lives to cross the border into Chia and eventually get to South Korea, which most North Koreans consider a prosperous place to be where the people speak Korean, although with a notably different accent than northerners. Fewer than 40,000 North Koreans have made it to South Korea since the 1990s, mainly because the border with China is guarded by North Korean troops with orders to shoot to kill anyone trying to leave North Korea. Until recently there was little trade between North Korea and Russia. China has long been North Koreas major trading partner. Even that was sometimes disrupted by the poor relations between the Kim dynasty in North Korea and the Chinese communist government. China has become the second largest trading nation, after the United States, in the world. This was because Chinese leaders decided to adopt free market economic rules in the 1980s. Chinese leaders proclaimed that it was not glorious to get rich, as long as you did not disobey your Chinese communist rulers. There is no democracy in China but new leaders are chosen every five or ten years when senior Chinese officials decide among themselves who will be the supreme leader. For the last ten years that has been Xi Jinping, who has apparently decided to keep the job for life. That is working, so far. In North Korea there have been three generations of leaders belonging to the Kim family. Kim Il Sung, the first leader, was approved by the Soviet Union, where he had lived for several years. Kim spoke good Russian and not much Chinese. Kim Il Sung died in 1994 as North Korea was undergoing a famine that killed about ten percent of the population because, after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the generous aid the Soviets had long supplied ceased. North Korea refused to accept aid offered by South Korea because Kim Il Sung and his successor, Kim Jong Il (and son North Korea is the worlds only Communist monarchy), continued the ruinous economic policies that continued to impoverish North Korea. Kim Jong Il died in 2011. The only major accomplishment of Kim Jong Ils rule was the development of nuclear weapons and more ballistic missiles to use against South Korea or the United States. North Korean leaders were not suicidal and knew that attacking South Korea with conventional or nuclear weapons would bring retaliation that would eliminate Kim family rule in the north. China was annoyed because the North Korean nuclear tests were conducted at an underground site near the Chinese border and China detected dangerous levels of radioactivity on their side of the border. The Chinese forcefully suggested that North Korea carry out its future underground nuclear tests far from the Chinese border. In 2o11 Kim Jong Il died and was succeeded by his son Kim Jong Un, who had spent a lot of time living in the west and acquired a taste for the finer things in life. As a result, Kim Jong Un imported more luxury items for himself and his senior political and military associates. Kim Jong Un, like his predecessors, did little to improve the lives of most North Koreans and maintained a formidable secret police force to deter any violent protests of North Koreans. Kim Jong Un was always alert to economic opportunities. When Russian leader Vladimir Putin came looking for weapons to use in Ukraine, Kim offered what North Korea had and would provide as much as Russia could pay for. That meant cash up front and not sales on credit. China would not sell Russia weapons but would provide non-military and dual-use items, as much as the Russians could afford. The Chinese and North Korean weapons and military equipment were useful to Russia in Ukraine, but not decisive and the Russian are still losing lots of troops and find themselves trapped in a war they cannot win but cannot just abandon. Ukraine received, at no cost, over $100 billion in military aid from NATO countries that included the United States. North Korea and Russia have both done poorly because of the war in Ukraine and the continued difference in living standards between North and South Koreans. Worse, South Korea has become a major supplier of modern weapons and has exported over $20 billion dollars of those weapons to NATO nations supporting Ukraine. This was with the understanding that these weapons would not be used in Ukraine. That was no problem because NATO countries like Poland sent weapons they already had to Ukraine and replaced them with new weapons from South Korea. Russia was not pleased with this but did not want to antagonize South Korea, which had become a major trading partner with Russia, or NATO countries, which were sending equipment but not troops to Ukraine. Russia did not want to go to war with NATO but was going broke paying for all those North Korean weapons while the Russian economy was suffering from the economic sanctions imposed by NATO countries for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Wayne Brady is a new father again! Well, he has been for some time now. According to 'Page Six,' the stand-up comedian and his ex-girlfriend welcomed a baby boy into the world back in 2022. The two managed to keep the event discreet from the media. Brady and his ex-girlfriend Tina had an on-again-off-again relationship during the pandemic. Brady, 52, discussed his family's new addition, Val Henry, in an interview with 'PEOPLE' prior to the release of his reality television show 'Wayne Brady: The Family Remix.' "When I first found out ... I was floored. A 51-year-old dad? I didn't see it coming. So was I happy? No,' he recalled. "Because I was in shock." The comedian's ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, and daughter, Maile Masako Brady, were reportedly conflicted about the news. Reports suggest that the toddler's mother Tina and Taketa, 48, do not particularly get along. "Tina and Wayne had been broken up a year," Taketa said. "Then [his] grandma Val passes away, so we go to her funeral in the Virgin Islands, then we come back. Something happened you fill in the blank. Then, two weeks later, we get a phone call from Tina that she's pregnant with Wayne's baby." "Tina does not live her life in complete honesty," Maile, who attends Loyola Marymount University, said. "The string of events is suspicious. I don't enjoy her presence." Brady, who hosts CBS' 'Let's Make a Deal,' is determined that Val Henry feels nothing but love, despite any family tension. "I never want Val to grow up thinking that he should be ashamed or look back and go, 'Oh, my dad didn't want me or he was ashamed of me.' Because I want him, in his own way, to know that I love him as much as I love Maile, who is of me and that I had a part in creating." Brady publicly identified as pansexual in August 2023. He told 'PEOPLE' how he "had to do research and find out what it was that I was." "What the definition basically boils down to is, regardless of gender, regardless," he continued. "So that means that I am happily free to fall in love with anybody here. If you're gay, if you're straight, if you're non-binary, trans, I don't care." An elder white man has been labeled a "male Karen" after being caught on video harassing an Amazon employee as she delivered packages to a store kiosk. The video, which has been gaining traction on social media, shows the man recording the Amazon worker while accusing her of chatting on the phone instead of focusing on her duties. The footage begins with an off-camera woman questioning why the man is bothering the worker, who is seen placing packages in the kiosk's lockers. "No, she is doing something; she's talking on her phone," he can be heard saying. "Instead of doing her work, she's talking on her phone so I'm taking a video of this." The Amazon worker responds to the off-camera woman, saying, "I've been doing my work." When the woman asks the man if he plans to send the video to the worker's supervisor, he confirms, "Absolutely, because that's what she said to do." The woman then suggests that he express his concerns quietly, to which he insists he is already being quiet. When she points out that he's "yelling" and "causing a disturbance," he counters by saying she's the one causing interference and dares her to have him removed from the store, which would prevent him from receiving his package. "The point is that she's multitasking and talking on the phone when she should be focused on completing the job," the man complained. "Instead, she's wasting time on the phone." In the video, the woman off-camera mentions that the Amazon worker is now talking to her, while the man insists the worker is still on the phone. The worker explains she's speaking with her stepfather, prompting the man to shout "No!" before the video ends. Social media users reacted strongly to the man's behavior, criticizing him as "miserable" and labeling his actions typical of a "Karen." Many defended the Amazon worker, noting that employees often need to use their phones for work-related tasks. Some pointed out that the man was the one causing a disturbance, not the worker. Neither the man or employee has been identified. It's unclear what occurred after the video stopped. (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) America del Norte, 26 de julio de 2024.- Although for many years the offshore model has been a cost-effective option for North American companies, it can be overwhelming to manage. This is due to a variety of factors, including geographic distance, cultural contrasts, language barriers, and regulatory and legal differences. For this reason, many companies have turned to nearshoring solutions as an alternative to reduce costs and simplify management. In this area, Novacomp presents a wide variety of innovative business solutions through its nearshoring consulting service. Thus, the firm has positioned itself as a benchmark in the market, working in various industries. An outstanding track record as a provider of nearshoring services Novacomp is a company with more than 25 years of experience, which is formed by a team of experts in nearshoring solutions. Through its knowledge, this company has successfully executed more than 6,000 IT projects, satisfying the needs of more than 250 clients. In this regard, the firm has developed a smooth, fast and quality-focused talent acquisition process. This allows organizations to enjoy the benefits of nearshoring strategies without the drawbacks associated with the offshore model. Novacomp's nearshoring services include Staff Augmentation, Agile Team as a Service, IT Consulting, QA and Software Testing, Cybersecurity, Cloud Services, App Development. In this way, the consulting firm seeks to help companies accelerate their adaptation to digital transformation in order not to lose competitiveness in a dynamic and fast-paced economic scenario. As a result, Novacomp has grown exponentially in recent years, providing nearshoring solutions for sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing. Nearshoring benefits Digital transformation needs have been a driving factor for many U.S.-based companies to seek more cost-effective outsourcing options. In this regard, Novacomp highlights the main benefits of nearshoring solutions. Among them is the possibility of keeping production in a nearby country, which helps to avoid the high costs involved in the offshore method. At the same time, this modality allows North American companies to have trained and experienced developers in Latin America. Likewise, this type of strategy favors better communication and greater control, enabling successful project execution and optimal organizational management. In short, the nearshoring outsourcing model for digital transformation is a cost-effective, efficient and much simpler option than offshore. For its implementation, Novashore offers a specialized service, with a team of more than 800 collaborators working in more than 20 countries in Latin America. DATOS PUBLICOS: Contacto Emisor: Novacomp Contacto: Gabinete Periodistico Email de contacto: comunicados@prensaymedios.com July 26, 2024: While Myanmar became quieter for a while after the military government allowed democracy to return in 2010, by late 2023 there was a major outbreak of violence by northern rebels against soldiers stationed in the north. This led to chaos in the north where non-tribal residents fled south and large groups of armed and angry tribal rebels moved south. The army never expected this and now fighting continues in the north outside, and sometimes inside, towns where there is an army garrison. With few troops left in the area, the Myanmar military sent its warplanes to bomb towns believed to be occupied by rebels. This was an imprecise operation and many civilians were killed. Myanmar is still subject to violence from tribal separatist militias in the north plus radical Buddhist groups. There was another military coup in early 2021, a decade after the military government since 1962 finally gave in to demands for freedom and democracy. By 2010 the army had failed at running the economy or dealing with the rebellious northern tribes. The military negotiated a deal with the democrats that left the military with some of their political power as well as immunity from prosecution or retribution for a long list of past crimes. Once elections were held, the generals realized they had underestimated the degree of popular anger at the decades of military misrule. After 2011, with Myanmar governed by a government answerable to the people, not a military caste, there were calls for canceling the political privileges the military had retained as part of their agreement to allow peaceful transfer of power. The late 2020 nationwide elections put into power a government that finally had the votes, and determination, to cut the military down to size and make them much less capable of another coup. The generals moved faster than the new government and once more took control of the country on February 1st. That military government remains in control at the end of 2021, mainly because of support from China. There is growing armed and unarmed opposition to the military which has resulted in over a thousand dead, nearly 12,000 arrested. The economy is in shambles but, despite that, the population resists and the survival of the military government depends on how much China wants to spend saving them. China refused to contribute more than token assistance, while the rebel militias in the north became more powerful and the Myanmar army began to collapse, along with the military government when there was another major uprising in late 2023 that started in the north and is ongoing. Meanwhile in the northwest the fighting between tribal rebels and the army in Rakhine State has intensified, and because of this several hundred thousand villagers have fled their homes. Many traveled all the way to the state capital, which is seen as the safest spot in the state. The army also revived Internet restrictions which had been lifted earlier. The result was that most cellphone users in Rakhine State get only slow (2G) Internet speeds. This made it difficult to access pro-rebel websites, and most others as well. Most of the rebels involved belong to the AA (Arakan Army). Many AA attacks are ambushes or raids on road traffic, outposts or border posts. Control of the roads is essential for the army, which depends on regular deliveries of all sorts of supplies. The army also has some air support, mostly surveillance but also occasional airstrikes. The rebels know the mountains and forests, which the army enters and moves through more slowly. The war up here is about driving away locals who can provide support for the rebels. Most of these civilians have nothing to do with the rebels and see themselves as innocent victims of random military violence. There is some truth to that because troops often loot abandoned villages or rape female refugees they catch up with. The rebels have another advantage in that their attacks are more precise and involve much less firepower. The soldiers spend most of their time wandering around in the forests seeking rebels who move faster in the bush and usually detect the troops before the soldiers can spot any rebels. Hiring, or forcing, local hunters to guide the troops rarely works because the local guides hate the troops and know that the rebels wont forget if such guides and trackers cost them casualties. Rebels attack outposts and border posts for loot. These attacks are not just about stealing some weapons and other gear, it is also intimidating the border guards and troops into backing off on border security. A major source of income for the AA is getting illegal drugs from nearby Shan State, where most illegal drugs in the country are produced, into Bangladesh. The AA also works with Myanmar Rohingya refugees just across the border in Bangladesh. The AA has support from one of the rebel coalitions, the NA, or Northern/Brotherhood Alliance tribal rebels, who refuse to attend peace talks unless the government allows the Arakan Army, or AA, to attend. The AA and the army have been fighting for over six years with no end in sight. The government, pressured by the army, declared the AA an outlaw organization in early 2020. The other tribal rebels disagreed and saw the army as the true outlaws. No long-term peace deal is possible without the NA and some NA members are still engaged in combat with the army. All NA members agree that if the AA is not allowed to attend peace conferences, neither will any NA member. The NA consists of four tribal militias: TNLA (Tang National Liberation Army), AA, MNDAA (Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army) and KIA (Kachin Independence Army). The NA exists because its members refused to sign the 2015 Myanmar Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Those who did sign the NCA have made progress in working out differences with the government and military. The army, which tends to do as it likes in the tribal areas of the north, is the primary cause for violence. China is also involved because Northern Alliance members survive via their access to China. The access is tolerated as long as these Myanmar rebels do not let the fighting spread into China or interfere with Chinese commercial operations in Myanmar. This includes the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) project, which NA members object to. So do other tribal rebels and the largest such group, the UWSA (United Wa State Army), boycotts peace conferences and otherwise tries to get their point across to the army and the government. Army leaders have become more outspoken about foreign support the tribal rebels are receiving. The generals wont come right out and name China, but it is no secret that China has done little to curb Chinese weapons dealers from selling all manner of military small arms to tribal rebels and getting it across the border into Myanmar. That cannot be done without the acquiescence of the Chinese government. In this way the Chinese are sending a message to the Myanmar generals, who the Chinese see as equally responsible for the violence in the north, sometimes right on the Chinese border. Both the rebels and the army are often using Chinese weapons and ammo against each other. There are not a lot of casualties and most of them are from army convoys being ambushed or the army firing into pro-rebel villages to drive the civilians, and any rebels, out and into the bush. The army does not have enough troops to occupy all the territory they push tribal rebels, and civilians, out of. Often the rebels, if not the civilians, at least not right away, come back and resume attacking convoys and patrols. Rebellions in Rakhine and down along the coast are nothing new in this area. Long known as the Arakan coast and similar names hinting at an interesting past. In recent years there have even been calls for the restoration of the Arakan Empire, which ceased to exist 235 years ago. This is a renewal of ancient feuds over who should control the northwest coast of Myanmar, an area with a long history as an independent Arakan state. For example, in late 2017 ARSA (the new Islamic terror group in Myanmar) called for Rohingya to join with al Qaeda to fight the Myanmar army and establish Rakhine State as the independent Moslem Arakan. This refers to the Arakan region, which is the coastal area that includes Rakhine State and the coastal area along the Bay of Bengal from eastern Bangladesh down deep into Myanmar. Some 1800 years ago Arakan became an independent Hindu state but 500 years later Islam spread to the area in part because Arakan was one of the many branches of the ancient Silk Road from China. The population was largely Bengali and Myanmars. In the 18th century the Myanmar kingdom to the east conquered the area but lost it to the British colonial forces a century later. After that most of Arakan became part of the post-colonial nation of Myanmar. When the British left in the late 1940s they had created a Myanmar with unique borders and many citizens who were not ethnic Myanmar. For Islamic radicals Arakan, like Spain, Portugal and parts of the Balkans are still considered part of the Caliphate (Islamic Empire) because they had once been ruled by Moslems. The current inhabitants of these lost territories are now largely non-Moslem and have no interest in becoming Islamic states again. Despite that groups like al Qaeda see an opportunity in Myanmar. Islamic terrorists first showed up in late 2016 and August 2017 when there were attacks by a Rohingya Islamic terrorist group called ARSA. Its founder (a Rohingya expatriate) and much of the cash came from Saudi Arabia. Myanmar prefers to call groups like ARSA Islamic terrorists but until ARSA and the Saudi cash showed up there had not been much, if any, religious aspect to the armed Rohingya resistance. ARSA was openly calling for Rohingya worldwide to support a war against Myanmar for the bad treatment the Rohingya have received, especially since 2012. Until the 2017 announcement ARSA had denied any connection with al Qaeda but that eventually changed. The ARSA leader, Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi or just Ata Ullah, has received more attention now that Islamic terror groups like al Qaeda are calling for its members to help ARSA and the Myanmar Rohingya any way they can. Since August 2017 there have been no more large scale ARSA attacks but there have been some clashes with security forces. For the moment ARSA is largely a force on the Internet, not on the ground. Since 2018 Rakhine State has been the scene of soldiers fighting the Arakan Army rebels for control of territory. Along the west coast in Rakhine and Chin states the fighting is mainly about the army effort to control and tax illegal activities by tribesmen. The tribes have been mistreated by the military for so long it is difficult to generate a lot of trust and put an end to the armed resistance. The Arakan Army had been avoiding soldiers since a series of clashes in late 2015 ended badly for the rebels. Clashes resumed in early 2016 as troops moved into territory where Arakan Army rebels were known to operate. All this was unexpected because the northwest coast has not had as much tribal violence as states to the east. In this case the Arakan Army had help from Kachin State tribal rebels and have become a problem on both sides of the Bangladesh border. The government ordered the army to increase its efforts to destroy the Arakan Army and the successful clashes in late 2015 led to the military working with police to find and arrest the many Arakan Army supporters in the area. Unlike most tribal militias in the north, the Arakan Army was never given official recognition, in large part because the Arakan Army was more of a gangster operation than tribal rebels. All this police activity was unpopular but at least it was less arbitrary and lawless than in the past when soldiers would torture and kill people they picked up. That sort of behavior has always been illegal but few violators were prosecuted. In 2020 those illegal practices returned in a big way as the army sought to shut down the Arakan rebels once and for all. The government at the behest of the army continues to block more foreign aid groups from operating in Rakhine State. The army accuses some foreign aid groups of aiding rebels and Islamic terrorists as well as contradicting government reports of what is going on in the area. There are still some Rohingya refugees in Rakhine State living in camps and supported by local and foreign aid. Another source of casualties in the north, along the Bangladesh border, are the landmines and booby traps set by both the army and the rebels to make it more difficult to get hit with a surprise attack. Nearly 60 percent of these casualties are in Rakhine State where the AA and army have been fighting for several years now. Most of the landmine casualties are civilians, who often dont know the army or AA has planted some mines in an area. Both sides do often record and remove mines they have placed. But the point of mines is surprise and civilians traveling through mined areas do so without being warned that mines are there. The mine danger is another reason the army prefers to use artillery to clear civilians out of an area and sometimes to clear mines. Since 2017 Myanmar Rohingya refugees, currently nearly a million of them, have been an involuntary presence in Bangladesh. All efforts to get Myanmar to take them back have failed. Apparently, Myanmar is OK with the refugees becoming a permanent presence just across the border. The refugees were initially welcomed by Bangladesh when they arrived in large numbers during 2017, After about a year the presence of nearly a million displaced Rohingya in an already crowded country became a problem. Most of the Rohingya refugees are in an area called Coxs Bazaar and their presence tripled the local population. At first the locals were eager to help fellow Moslems, for a few months at least. But that expected short visit has gone on for three years and there is no end in sight. The growing number of criminal gangs in the camps are a growing problem. The gangs specialize in smuggling things in and out of Myanmar. This is a problem for governments on both sides of the border. The smuggled goods range from consumer items, to drugs, to Chinese weapons to illegal explosives. At one point police seized a truck in Kachin State that crossed the border with 17 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Sales and imports of ammonium nitrate are regulated because this fertilizer can easily, with the addition of some fuel oil and a detonator, be turned into a powerful explosive. There are still over 100,000 Rohingya refugees on the Myanmar side of the border living in camps that are less livable than those in Bangladesh. Refugees on both sides of the border are waiting for an opportunity to return to their homes. Gangs of Myanmar Buddhist nationalists still prevent this, as well as attacking any Rohingya returning from Bangladesh. Myanmar is regularly condemned in the UN for this but with China as an ally, the Chinese UN veto can prevent any serious sanctions against Myanmar. In the northwest Sagaing Region, west of Kachin State NCSN-K (National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Khaplang), tribal rebels based in Kachin state have long been hunted on both sides of the border by Indian and Myanmar forces that coordinate these operations. This has led to an unprecedented number of Indian tribal rebels, especially leaders, being arrested in northwest Myanmar and returned to India as per earlier border security agreements. Indian and Myanmar Naga rebels continue to maintain bases on the Myanmar side of the border. The Sagaing region has long been used as a refuge for Indian rebels but since early 2019 Indian and Myanmar forces have been coordinating efforts to shut down the border camps for good, or at least for a long time. Until early 2020 Indian and Myanmar troops would periodically search remote areas on both sides of the border. While this hurt the Naga rebels it did not destroy the rebel groups, who returned to the border area once the troops had ceased their activity. In response Myanmar troops began to patrol the area for several months, or as long as it took for India to certify that the Naga rebels had suffered serious and long-term damage. Indian troops were also active on their side of the border to ensure that the Naga rebels, both the Indian and Myanmar ones, have nowhere to go and that situation will last so long and after several months many of the rebels will desert and return to their villages. Other rebel groups have been cornered by Indian or Myanmar troops and dispersed or destroyed. These clearance operations do not always work exactly as expected because after years of intense border patrols NSCN members are still active on both sides of the border. Most of the Naga people are Indian but some live in the Myanmar far north of Sagaing Region and belong to the NSCN which wants to form an independent Nagaland, including Indian and Myanmar territory and Naga people from both countries. Many of the camps being sought in Sagaing belong to the NSCN-K faction of the NSCN. At the start of 2019 there were believed to be about 5,000 active rebels in NSCN with about ten percent of them Myanmar Naga. Operations since then sought to reduce the size of NSCN by a significant amount. These operations are not just going after the NSCN but also smaller groups like the Ulfa-I, NDFB and Manipur rebels. The Naga are actually about two million people from a collection of tribes that share many Myanmar-Tibetan characteristics and traditions. About ten percent of the Naga live in Myanmar but most of the rebel violence occurs in Indian Nagaland. For years the Naga rebels have used bases in Myanmar to train and rest before returning to fight in India. After much diplomatic pressure the Myanmar army finally went after the Naga rebel camps and have now shut most of them down or at least made them very difficult to maintain. The Naga rebels do not fight the Myanmar soldiers but always retreat. For this new operation Myanmar soldiers have orders to pursue and capture or kill any rebels they encounter. If the rebels head for India the Indian Army is alerted and moves troops into position to confront any rebels crossing the border to escape Myanmar troops. All these border patrols have involved thousands of soldiers and border police in both countries. There have been casualties, but they have been low. The rebels prefer to flee rather than fight but there are occasional clashes often as small groups of rebels seek to slow down troops so that most of the rebels can get away. The ban on the live export of animals has come into effect, meaning it is now illegal to export livestock for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act applies to journeys from, and transit journeys through, GB to destinations outside of the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. The legislation, which was created by the previous Conservative government, does not apply to Northern Ireland. While the ban affects the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses for fattening and slaughter from GB, it does not prevent the export of livestock and horses for breeding or competitions. Defra said this ban, which came into law in May 2024, would protect animals from enduring stress, exhaustion and injury on long and unnecessary export journeys. It added the legislation would "ensure that animals are slaughtered domestically in high welfare UK slaughterhouses, reinforcing our position as a nation of animal lovers and a world leader on animal welfare, boosting the value of British meat and helping to grow the economy." The new Labour government said it was committed to introducing the "most ambitious" programme for animal welfare, including banning "brutal practices" such as puppy smuggling and farming, and the use of snare traps. Baroness Hayman of Ullock, who was appointed parliamentary under-Secretary of State at Defra earlier this month, said: For too long, animals have been left to suffer in silence. I have fought for many years for this legislation to be implemented. It represents a huge win for animal welfare, ending the cruel practice of exporting live animals for slaughter and fattening. No longer will British animals endure stress, exhaustion, and injury on long and unnecessary journeys abroad. "These are just the first steps in our plans to implement the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. Government data shows up to 40 million farm animals, including sheep, calves and pigs, have been exported from Britain for further rearing or slaughter since the 1960s. At its height, one million animals were being exported annually - and animals have travelled from ports such as Dover, Ramsgate and Brightlingsea. Elsewhere in the world, Australia has committed to end the export of sheep by 1 May 2028. Last year, a Brazilian court banned the export of live cattle from the countrys ports. Farmers and landowners are being urged to look out for the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, a serious pest of spruce trees first found in 2018. Defra has issued an update on new outbreaks of the pest, which has been recorded on sitka spruce trees within the demarcated area covering much of East Anglia and the south east. Farmers, woodland managers, landowners and the public are being urged by Defra and the Forestry Commission to look out for the pest. Although preferring stressed or dying trees, scientists say that under the right conditions the beetles will attack healthy trees, with the potential to cause significant damage. In the UK, the pest is most commonly found on Norway spruce, but all spruce species are vulnerable to attack, alongside fir species such as the Nordmann fir and pine species. Fallen, cut, damaged or generally unhealthy trees are the main target of the pest as they have little or no defence system, scientists say, However, healthy trees can also become infested if environmental conditions see beetle numbers increase significantly. It is thought that the recent outbreaks are most likely due to natural dispersal of the pest from mainland Europe, and there is no evidence of spread within the UK. Farmers and landowners in the south east of England are being encouraged to proactively remove spruce and replant with other non-susceptible species. They may be eligible for funding if their land is in the proactive spruce removal area. NFU plant health adviser Dr Alison Warrington has advised that farmers with spruce on their land, particularly those growing for the Christmas tree industry, should take care to check fallen and damaged trees for signs of the pest. She added: Use the Forestry Commission guidance to help identify the signs and symptoms. This is especially important for those within or near the demarcation area. This pest has the potential to cause significant damage to healthy trees, therefore identification and eradication as quickly as possible is key. Farmers and landowners served with a statutory plant health notice due to an outbreak on their site may be eligible for grants to support felling and restocking activity through the Tree Health Pilot. A year on from a law change allowing farmers to profit more easily from glamping revenues, an insurance expert is reminding them to check health and safety on pop-up sites. The law, which came into force in July 2023, allows farmers and landowners in England to operate a temporary camping or glamping site for up to 60 days without planning permission. The law change significantly reduces the burden of paperwork and planning for farmers looking to run simple, pop-up campsites. But rural insurance risk specialist Lycetts says farmers still need to be aware of the potential pitfalls of launching new business ventures before breaking ground. With glamping bookings up 67% in 2023, demand in the UK is at an all-time high as the public look to get back to nature without breaking the bank. Mobile glamping structures such as yurts and bell tents that can be easily moved arent normally considered permanent structures and can provide a lifeline for struggling farmers looking for additional revenue streams. James Cuthbertson, from Lycetts, said: Inviting members of the public on to your farmland makes written health and safety risk assessments, along with measures and procedures to ensure a safe environment, an essential consideration at the design stage. This would include creating adequate boundaries between the working farm and public facilities, appropriate signage, hygiene facilities, emergency procedures including evacuation plans and the safe separation of visitors from animals and machinery. Farmers should also regularly inspect and maintain structures, pathways, and communal areas to prevent accidents and claims. This includes checking the stability and storm proofing of temporary structures. Public liability insurance is also essential, he added, and insurers may request site inspections to ensure that quality standards and requirements are being met. "In some cases, new glamping projects may also see farmers employing staff for the first time, resulting in a new requirement for employers liability cover. Livestock marts have launched an initiative to promote health and safety in markets, offering staff training and advice on best practice to minimise accidents. The MartSafe training programme, which is now in its third year, addresses the responsibilities within agricultural markets. The initiative, by the Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA), aims to provide specialist advice, training and information to mart staff. The health and safety training programme has been met with praise from across industry and government, with the LAA delivering sessions to over 2,000 participants within the first two years. Zanna Dennis, LAA development officer, said: Since launching the initiative, we have developed the curriculum, year-on-year, incorporating recaps of core topics from previous sessions. This year, we are pleased to be working with the DPJ Foundation to include a specialist training unit based around mental health and suicide awareness for market staff." Designed to support market staff to recognise the signs of poor mental health or suicide, and provide signposts to further professional support, this new module is a key addition. Livestock markets are seen as a crucial touchpoint for the farming community, as auctioneers, or market staff, are often seen as a shoulder to lean on, Ms Dennis said marts also often the only ear for farmers to share their concerns or anxieties, and often these are concerns hidden from family and colleagues. She said: To provide training for our market staff to identify and be aware of issues that may well manifest into something more serious, we feel is a very welcome addition to our training programme. It also lends itself to the wider issue of safety in the workplace, and looking after yourself." Kate Miles, charity manager of the DPJ Foundation, who is supporting this new training unit, said that livestock markets were a vital hub for farmers. "It provides a chance to connect, share concerns and update on the industry. Staff play a vital role as familiar and trusted faces and are really well placed to notice if someone is not themselves. When the LAA asked to work with us on creating their MartSafe module, we jumped at the chance as this is a key way to build confidence amongst market staff and reach more people within the industry." Alongside the new mental health awareness training unit, MartSafe continues to cover the four core training units of animal behaviour, safe handling, people behaviour and animal welfare. Each unit includes new content such as, low stress handling and the impact on carcass quality, safe handling of machinery and equipment and public perception. A 46 million agri-food investment initiative has been described by Northern Irish farm leaders as a 'very positive development' for the province. Food and drink processors of all sizes are eligible to apply for the scheme, which was officially opened earlier this week. Developed by Invest Northern Ireland, it has been designed to improve the overall competitiveness and productivity of the agri-food and drink processing sector. Agri-food processing makes a significant contribution to local communities throughout NI, particularly to rural communities. By targeting support to this sector, the scheme aims to promote regional balance, with capital investment helping companies adopt greener technologies and boost productivity. The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) said the scheme would have 'positive knock on affects' for rural communities and the farming industry. UFU president, William Irvine, said: Our local agri-food and drink industry is Northern Irelands largest manufacturer, supports approximately 113,000 jobs and feeds some 10 million people across the globe. The success of which is built upon our food producers including our farmers, who produce nutritious food to the highest environmental, animal health and welfare, and food safety standards. As part of the scheme, the maximum aid intensity that can be granted to small businesses is 35% of the eligible investment costs and the minimum project size is 300,000. For medium businesses, the maximum aid intensity that can be granted is 25% of the eligible investment costs and the minimum project size is 1,000,000. And the maximum aid intensity that can be granted to large businesses is 20% of the eligible investment costs. Kieran Donoghue, chief executive of Invest NI, said the aim of the initiative was to improve the overall competitiveness of Northern Irelands agri-food and drink processing sector. He said: To this end, we are particularly seeking projects which are innovative and demonstrate how they will improve the productivity and sustainability of the business. It is now open to applications from all eligible agri-food and drink processors in NI, and I encourage businesses in the sector to avail of this significant opportunity to invest for future growth. Lea Michele latest pregnancy experience has been "very different" to her first. Lea Michele is expecting her second child The 37-year-old actress is expecting her second child with husband Zandy Reich, and Lea has now revealed how her two pregnancies have differed. The Hollywood star - who already has son Ever, three, with Zandy - told PEOPLE: "It was an incredibly different experience, being pregnant with Ever. We were in California, and we were in a pandemic. "So it was a lot of just hanging out at home and very minimal activity. And now, it's New York, it's the busy streets. I'm working, I'm a mom, and it's very different." Lea loves that she's now able to share her pregnancy experience with her friends and family. She explained: "None of my friends saw me pregnant, ever. "You know, my best friend, Jonathan [Groff], never saw me pregnant. He wasn't with me, and my dad was in New York, he was on the East Coast [during] the pandemic. So to be able to have this experience and share this time with my friends and family has been really wonderful, and not something that I got to do before." Meanwhile, Lea previously admitted that motherhood has changed her entire outlook on life. The actress - who is best known for playing Rachel Berry in the hit TV series 'Glee' - suggested that she's become less career-focused since she gave birth to her baby boy. During an appearance on 'The Drew Barrymore Show', Lea explained: "It was all about my career. I've been so career-focused my entire life, I think to a fault. "I think I have this sense of drive that created a lot of blind spots for me in my life." Pharrell Williams' star-studded Olympics party in Paris on Thursday night (25.07.24) was disrupted by animal rights protesters. Pharrell Williams' glitzy party in Paris was disrupted by PETA protesters The musician-turned-fashion designer hosted a glittering event for Louis Vuitton at the brand's headquarters in the French capital on the eve of the launch of the 2024 Olympic Games in the city on Friday (26.07.24) but the The Prelude To The Olympics bash was stormed by two supporters of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) who waved signs urging him to stop using animal skins in his designs for the company. PETA Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor said of the protest: "While Pharrell lives it up at celeb-filled soirees, the vulnerable animals sentenced to die for his fashion choices languish in pain and filth on factory farms and at slaughterhouses, where theyll be hacked to bits or skinned alive. "PETA is calling on Pharrell to stop being complicit in cruelty and help pull Louis Vuitton out of the dark ages by shunning the antiquated use of animal skins and fur." The protesters held up signs emblazoned with the words "Pharrell: Stop Killing Animals for Fashion" before they were bundled away by security guards. The event - held at the Louis Vuitton Foundation - was attended by stars including Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Snoop Dogg and Serena Williams. Pharrell has been Louis Vuitton's men's creative director since last year and he previously incurred the wrath of PETA by creating a $1 million made-to-order crocodile-skin bag. PETA's US Senior Vice President Lisa Lange invited the musician to tour a crocodile factory farm to see how the creatures are treated prior to slaughter. She said: "Wed like to invite you on a less-than-luxurious tour of a filthy (for thats what they are) crocodile factory farm with us to see the living origins of your Millionaire bag. "Youd want to bring along nose plugs and high boots to wade through fetid, waste-filled water. If we go to an indoor tank, also bring a flashlight, because you wont see daylight. There are no blurred lines here. Killing wildlife for a bag isnt cool its cold." Stevie Nicks was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night after being struck down with a mystery infection. Stevie Nicks has opened up about her health scare The 76-year-old Fleetwood Mac star was staying in a "fabulous castle" in Scotland prior to her gig in Glasgow on July 6 but she pulled out of the show at the last minute explaining she needed surgery on her leg - and now she's revealed she was actually seriously ill with an infection and was rushed to hospital by her butler. During her rescheduled gig at Glasgow's OVO Hydro venue on Wednesday (26.04.24), Stevie explained the cancellation to the crowd. In a video from the gig posted on YouTube, she told the audience: "When I got here, I was just really so excited to be in Glasgow. And then I don't know what happened, I just got this weird infection, and it just went crazy. "And I'm staying at this fabulous castle ... we get here days early because we want to be here for a few days before [the gig] and I finally just looked at my assistant it was like two in the morning and I said, I think we need to go to emergency [room]. And she looked at me and I said, Im not kidding! I think we need to go to the hospital." Stevie went on to reveal her butler ended up driving her to the hospital in the middle of the night. She added: "And so our butler this wonderful man, his name was Simian throws us in his BMW Sedan which was so great and off we sped through the night to a hospital. And I was there for two days . "They let me go back to the castle, and we cancelled this show and I've been fighting this throughout this whole thing, this whole tour, fighting what started here, and I would be damned if I wasnt coming back here." As well as cancelling her show in Glasgow, Stevie also called off a gig at at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester and the tour changes were put down to a leg issue which required surgery. A statement previously posted on X explained: "Due to a recent leg injury requiring a minor surgical procedure that will need a few days of recovery time, Stevie Nicks scheduled performances in Glasgow Saturday 6 July and Manchester Tuesday 9 July have been postponed." Stevie played the rescheduled Manchester show on July 16. Chinese scientists research on protecting, restoring high-altitude wetlands Xinhua) 14:57, July 26, 2024 CHENGDU, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists are conducting monitoring, evaluation and research on biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration of the alpine wetlands in southwest China, harnessing the significant role of the wetlands in carbon sequestration and climate change adaptation. The Zoige Wetland Ecology Research Station, established by the Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province, went operational on Friday. The station is expected to provide scientific and technical support and policy recommendations for regional ecological protection and sustainable socio-economic development in southwest China, and also make scientific explorations for global wetland protection, according to Gao Yongheng, head of the research station. The Zoige plateau, one of the main distribution areas of high-altitude wetlands in China, serves as an important ecological barrier. With the backdrop of global climate change, the region is facing significant ecological challenges, including biodiversity loss and a weakened wetland ecosystem, scientists say. China lacked long-term monitoring and research on the ecology of high-altitude wetlands. The systematic scientific research, technological development and promotion of sustainable agricultural and pastoral development in the Zoige region are still weak, said Zhu Dan, deputy director of the station, who has conducted research in the Zoige region for nearly two decades. The Zoige region is the most populous area for yaks on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and the yaks are a vital source of energy and materials for the local herdsmen, Zhu said. In addition, the Zoige wetland is the world's most concentrated area of alpine peatlands, which are similar to huge loose sponges able to hold water up to eight times its own weight. During the dry season of the Yellow River, the Zoige wetland could provide 40 percent of the downstream flow, according to Zhu. "If the Zoige wetland is not properly protected, it might become a source of sandstorms in south China, posing a threat of ecological degradation," Zhu said. Peatlands play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, carbon fixation and climate change mitigation due to the slow decomposition rate of carbon dioxide in peat soils, Zhu explained. Zhang Hui, an assistant researcher at the station, said peatlands, often in a state of being submerged or semi-submerged, contain a large volume of water but with little air and low soil fauna content. If peatlands degrade, there would be an increase in soil animals such as earthworms, as well as microorganisms, leading to peat decomposition and causing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, thereby exacerbating global warming trends. "Our research has illustrated that the unique climatic conditions of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, with its low temperatures, inhibit carbon decomposition, thereby possessing a strong carbon neutralization function," said Ju Peijun, who is also conducting research in the Zoige region. "Previously, people only focused on the ecological functions of wetlands in terms of water conservation and biodiversity protection. We hope to draw people's attention to the carbon fixation function of wetlands," said Liu Xinwei, another assistant researcher at the station. The new station, focusing on the Zoige wetland and covering typical wetland distribution areas of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the adjacent regions, adopts an interdisciplinary approach to mainly carry out monitoring, research and experimental demonstration works on the conservation and sustainable utilization of high-altitude wetland ecosystems. The research mainly includes observation of wetland and grassland ecological elements, high-altitude ecosystem structure, function and processes, as well as wetland and grassland resource conservation and utilization. The research station has set up field observation instruments and equipment at altitudes ranging from 3,400 meters to 4,100 meters, and utilizes efficient storage and automated information transmission methods to improve the accuracy and density of field data monitoring, as well as the comprehensiveness of observed parameters. The researchers also established a climate change simulation platform to investigate the mechanisms of aboveground vegetation, underground soil microorganism and soil carbon processes in alpine wetlands in response to climate change. Scientists will also comprehensively explore the relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as investigate grassland degradation and restoration in high-altitude wetlands. Their experiments involve studying the impacts of environmental change such as warming, nitrogen deposition and grassland degradation. Chinese researchers have engaged in exchanges and cooperation on wetland ecological protection with scientists from the United States, Canada, Australia and Croatia, as well as neighboring countries such as Russia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Afghanistan. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Chai has always been a part of Mira Maneks life. The London-based author and entrepreneurs journey is a series of reminiscences. Memories of drinking ukaro chai as a child in London, travelling with cups of tea, it seems, from one chaiwala to the next through India, being buoyed by chai through lonely days in university, making it her happy place when travelling and living abroad in Dubai and Uganda. After her marriage ended and she came back to London, Mira fell into a food and wellness career almost by chance. By popular demand, she began making a chai spice mix and her business Chai By Mira came about. In short order, she launched her cafe Chai By Mira in a central London yoga studio serving everything from Rose Chai and Chai Latte as well as wholesome Ayurvedic food (one of Miras previous books is Prajna: Ayurvedic Rituals For Happiness).It is truly as if Mira took the personal the comfort she received from her own ritual of brewing tea with spices and made it social in the form of the cafe and then went entrepreneurial. Her Chai By Mira brand goes to cafes, hotels and restaurants in the UK, and is available worldwide. She finally translated it into her third book, The Book Of Chai: History, Stories And Recipes (Hachette India).The cafe has since shut down, the chai brand is doing very well, thank you, and Mira has put her vivid memories associated with tea from her childhood and youth into this book. The Book Of Chai is a vehicle to tell my personal stories, to delve into my treasure trove of memories, to encapsulate the details from my grandmothers childhood to share and preserve them with chai as the thread that weaves these stories together. Mira with her grandmother Bhanuben The book explores the history of tea in India, how masala chai was born, the fascinating fact that, although tea is the countrys national drink, it wasnt drunk in India until the 1900s, and a slew of teas from across India. There are also recipes different types of regional teas, snacks to be relished with tea (think pakoras and the more unusual handvo cupcakes) and dishes to be made with tea and the associated spices. But what distinguishes The Book Of Chai most is the Mira in it, in the form of her India travel stories centred around chai. Stories in which she delves into her grandmothers childhood memories of growing up in a village in Gujarat, of milking cows, and other interesting stories woven around the blends. It was the stories I started writing first; the rest, the history and recipes and the structure, all came after. Deciding which recipes would go into the book was not easy. I wanted to feature as many, if not all, the regional teas or chais I could find, and there really are so many from the salt chai or namak-wali chai up North, closer to the Himalayas, as well as a yak butter tea, to a stronger more gingery and sweeter blend in Rajasthan and Gujarat, the cutting chai of Mumbai, and the Kashmiri kahwa. Snacks to have with chai were just as important, of course. In this book, its a mix of typical dishes such as chilli cheese toast to my own creations such as corn fritters. Lastly, I wanted there to be a celebration of spices in food, so there is everything from Carrot Cake Masala Chai Cupcakes to Chai Spiced Overnight Oats and Saffron Biscuits. Is talking about tea to Indians like selling ice to Eskimos? Chai is an emotion; it means different things to different people. It is something to slow you down, to take a moment and breathe, to feel the spices warm the body, to feel the tea awaken the senses and the sugar send a rush of energy to the brain. And I think most Indians will identify. For many to whom Ive spoken, chai is home, it takes them back to family, to rituals, to memories. Ive tried to encapsulate chai through my stories in different parts of India, on train journeys, in the monsoons, the cities and the villages I hope readers will connect with the memories and emotions encapsulated in these stories. She hopes to inspire readers to travel and create your own stories and memories. The India Connection Although Mira is based in London, India has always been a second home. Ive travelled all over India, but have spent more time in Mumbai as well as Gujarat. I still come a few times a year and often spend a month at a time there. Theres a sense of feeling at home when I land in India, like my soul or some part of me just belongs there. And each part of India is so different, so diverse, both in culture, customs and food. It is India that truly feeds my soul, gives me spiritual fulfilment, and in which I find inspiration. The One That Got Away In hindsight, Mira would have liked to have added a simple but pretty awesome recipe a chai butter. Ive made it many times using my blends and it is delicious! Also Read: Mira Manek: Inspired By Spices Mira Maneks Treats With Tea: Golden Spiced Blended Oats Mira Maneks Treats With Tea: Chilli Cheese Toast Mira Maneks Treats With Tea: Carrot Cake Masala Chai Cupcakes Mira Maneks Treats With Tea: Chai Fudge Chiang Mai, Thailand--(Newsfile Corp. - July 25, 2024) - Straight UP! Digital proudly announces the launch of its latest product series, uniquely crafted in the vibrant cultural hub of Chiang Mai. Representing a significant milestone in the company's quest for quality, autonomy, and innovation, the new offerings reflect Straight UP!'s commitment to excellence in digital marketing solutions. Straight UP! Product Series At the core of Straight UP! Digital's new series is a relentless dedication to superior quality in SEO, advertising, and social media services. The company's independent approach ensures unparalleled quality control and rapid responsiveness, setting a new industry benchmark. The launch coincides with the expansion of Straight Chat, which further enhances media presence and brand credibility for clients. This growth underscores Straight UP! Digital's commitment to providing holistic, cutting-edge solutions in the digital marketing realm. "The independence allows us to maintain superior quality control and quick response times," says Sebastian Stroeller, Founder of Straight UP! Digital. This philosophy extends to Straight Chat, their next-generation AI chatbot. Yet, it is Straight UP! Digital's passion for dogs that finds the most innovative expression. The company's brands, Zoe Paws and Zoeta Dogsoul, epitomize their deep commitment to canine welfare. Zoe Paws serves as an educational and entertaining platform for dog owners, while Zoeta Dogsoul showcases their unique, energy-based dog training method. Combining traditional techniques with an understanding of canine communication, Zoeta Dogsoul offers a holistic approach to dog training. The integration of AI technology into its dog training programs further exemplifies the company's forward-thinking approach. The development of a dog training app for iOS and dog training app for Android, featuring an AI Training Assistant in 95 languages, demonstrates the company's commitment to leveraging technology for enhancing training methods and outcomes. Shifting to local production in Chiang Mai symbolizes the company's innovative spirit and dedication to leveraging the city's rich cultural heritage to inspire creativity and excellence. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/217770 SOURCE: Straight UP! Digital Industry experts to discuss ways we can achieve net-zero in the world of global manufacturing Sydney, Australia, July 25, 2024 When we measure carbon footprints, certain large industries capture much public scrutiny, including energy, iron and steel production, transportation, and construction. But there's another less obvious sector that has significant environmental impact. Households - representing the average consumer buying everyday things like phones, clothes, furniture, computers, and toys - according to the International Society of Industry Ecology account for more that 60% of global emissions. While the complexities of this sector have proven difficult for governments to tackle, specialised individuals are stepping up to the challenge. Professor Peter Ralph from the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is one example. He says, "I'm a research scientist by background, but my goal is to use science to help all industries decarbonise." Professor Ralph's research uses algae to remove carbon from the atmosphere and integrates it into industrial production processes. "Effectively," he explains, "I'm remaking the things people want and need using net zero technologies." Achieving net-zero in the world of manufacturing is the next topic of discussion in the UTS Global Game Changers series, entitled The Big Carbon Rethink. On 8 August, Professor Ralph will sit down with Vice President of Manufacturing at global technology conglomerate, Siemens, Dr Gunter Beitinger; co-founder of innovative plastics-alternative company Uluu, Dr Julia Reisser; director of brand and marketing at iconic Australian swimwear group Piping Hot, Amy Low; and fellow UTS researcher and marine ecologist, Dr Alex Thomson. With well-known ABC 'War on Waste' host, Craig Reucassel, leading the conversation, discussants will examine factors driving consumer behaviour and enabling companies to transition to net zero. "We recognise," says Piping Hot's Amy Low, "that a successful transition is as much about creating a sense of value in the product as it is about eliminating emissions in the production process. Industry structures and the way we consume products both need to change." In pursuit of the most innovative and sustainable outcomes, Piping Hot Australia has commissioned the UTS research collective directed by Professor Ralph - The Climate Change Cluster (C3) - to develop a new biomaterial derived from algae that can sequester carbon from the ocean and reduce the environmental impact of synthetic fibres. To produce Piping Hot's environmentally sustainable and popular consumer products, experts representing business, technology, design, and science have gathered. "We're dealing with complex problems, and the best way we can approach them," says UTS C3's Manager of Industry Engagement, Dr Alex Thomson, "is through large cross-disciplinary teams." Dr Gunter Beitinger concurs saying, "Due to my different roles and tasks at Siemens, the Estainium Association, and as a member of the World Economic Forum, I have had the opportunity to listen to many interest groups to understand them better. What I have seen when it comes to carbon emissions is that the only way to make a powerful impact is if governments, private sectors, independent organisations, and academia work together and collaborate." Innovative Western Australian company, Uluu, co-founded by Dr Julia Reisser, is another example of scientists applying their expertise in the world of business. An oceanographer who specialised in ocean plastic pollution, Dr Reisser was one of the early founding members of The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch not-for-profit developing technology to remove plastic from the seas. Determined to do more than "simply tackle the symptoms of plastic pollution", Dr Reisser examined the market saw that unlike renewable energy, "there were no persuasive alternatives to plastics made from fossil fuels. So," she says, "I decided to try to produce a material that acts like plastic but is made from seaweed." Uluu's breakthrough product is as innovative as it is sustainable. It can be generated as a rigid substance - think furniture, consumer electronics, and car interiors - and in more flexible forms - think films, foams, and coatings. Its versatility and nature-based durability has caught the attention UTS scientists. UTS and Uluu are now looking forward to an exchange of research ideas. Professor Ralph and Dr Reisser support collaborative "discovery science", which explains Reisser "broadens our knowledge and has the potential to be transformational." Professor Ralph adds, "We both recognise the need for translational R&D, which takes fundamental science and finds a place for it in the market, so UTS and Uluu working together makes sense." Even the most challenging of problems seems within reach when expert collaborations come into effect. Take for example Scope 3 emissions. Notoriously tricky to measure and track, Siemens has developed a process to query, calculate, and transfer Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data along the supply chain and combine this with a company's own carbon emissions data. "Siemens cross-industry Estainium network," explains Dr Beitinger, "is linking up manufacturers, suppliers, customers, and others in the supply chain to exchange the 'whole picture' PCF information set." Professor Ralph explains, "Once a manufacturer knows which components of its product have the highest embodied carbon, they can look to source lower carbon equivalents and reduce the PCF. In general, we need more visibility of green feedstocks, and sector-wide awareness, not just the more progressive companies. It's a global project that impacts everyone." The upcoming Global Game Changers - the Big Carbon Rethink is one step towards broader public engagement. Join the conversation. Expert UTS Contacts: Professor Peter Ralph, Director of the UTS Climate Change Cluster, email Peter.Ralph@uts.edu.au Dr Alex Thomson, Industry Engagement Manager of the UTS Climate Change Cluster, email alexandra.thomson@uts.edu.au and mobile +61 (0) 482 164 796 Attachment LEM HOLDING SA / Key word(s): Quarter Results LEM with significant sales decline in Q1 2024/25 - first signs of stabilization in China 26-Jul-2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Geneva, 26 July 2024 - LEM (SIX: LEHN), a global leader in electrical measurement for automation, e-mobility, renewable energy, power network and railroad applications, announces its results for the first quarter 2024/25 (April-June): Sales declined 27.9% to CHF 81.0 million (Q1 2023/24: CHF 112.3 million); at constant exchange rates, the decrease was 26.9%. LEM recorded significant sales declines in the EMEA region of 32.3%, in Rest of Asia of 33.8% and in the Americas of 28.8%. China was down 20.3% year-on-year but showed first signs of stabilization due to improved bookings in the Automotive and Renewable Energy businesses. Compared to the previous year's level, bookings decreased to CHF 65.1 million (CHF 81.0 million); the book-to-bill ratio was 0.80. Nevertheless, bookings increased over the last three quarters. EBIT decreased by 71.4% to CHF 7.5 million (CHF 26.2 million); the EBIT margin stood at 9.3%. Net profit fell to CHF 4.8 million, resulting in a net profit margin of 5.9% (CHF 20.5 million; 18.3%). LEM expects business in Q2 2024/25 to be on a similar level as in Q1 2024/25. Based on feedback from customers and projects wins, sales should pick up during the second half of the financial year. Frank Rehfeld, Chief Executive Officer, said: "LEM operates in markets where the investment climate has deteriorated significantly due to the economic downturn. This trend intensified with the ongoing reduction in inventories. Structurally, a further shift of the renewable energy and automotive industries towards Asia can be observed, which is intensifying price competition in all regions. Thanks to the cost initiatives introduced and the acceleration of the innovation process with joint developments with leading customers, LEM won important projects in various industries and markets that will become visible in our future sales. We were able to further develop our business and will continue to benefit from fundamental, environmentally friendly trends in the increasingly competitive areas of electrification, renewable energies and e-mobility." Andrea Borla, Chief Financial Officer, commented: "The first quarter, with a decrease in sales of 27.9% and an EBIT margin of 9.3%, is the worst result in the recent history of LEM. Sentiment has not yet improved in our end markets, but the various measures introduced have shown initial measurable success. Furthermore, the sequential increase in incoming orders over the last three quarters is encouraging, albeit at a low level." Sales by business in CHF millions Q1 2024/25 Q1 2023/24 Change Business Scope Automation drives, robots, tooling machines, elevators, HVAC 23.6 34.3 -31.1% Automotive battery (EV & CE), motor control, onboard charging 19.9 27.4 -27.2% Renewable Energy solar, wind 14.1 21.0 -32.9% Energy Distribution & High Precision charging stations, smart grid, energy storage, high precision 12.2 15.6 -21.5% Track trains, metro, trackside 11.1 14.2 -21.3% Total 81.0 112.3 -27.9% Automation The business contracted in a difficult economic environment and was also slowed down by the ongoing reduction in stock levels as well as the rescheduling of certain orders. In China, where sales initially started to weaken during the current cycle, there were first signs of stabilization. Automotive The Automotive business showed weak sales momentum overall. In China, the most important market, a significant part of our business depends on exports, and this had been negatively impacted. However, LEM was able to grow in line with the domestic market thanks to the cost initiatives implemented and the increased customer focus. LEM won new business in China, e.g. from a leading EV manufacturer, and regained market share. Demand in the Rest of Asia region suffered from weak demand and high inventory levels. Europe performed well with new projects for battery management being ramped up. Renewable Energy The business recorded a decline across the board, with signs of stabilization in China due to stable domestic demand and the reduction of inventories at manufacturers and distributors. LEM was able to maintain its market share due to better customer proximity and competitive pricing. Thanks to an accelerated innovation process and co-developments with customers, important projects were won. The remaining regions were characterized by high inventories and project postponements. Energy Distribution & High Precision The DC meter business for charging stations recorded a significant decrease, driven by a slowdown of the installation speed and due to some of LEM customers losing market share in Europe. The development of the US charging infrastructure also stagnated. Only in China did LEM see an increased demand for DC meters from manufacturers of charging stations for export to Europe and the USA. Products for smart grids developed more cautiously due to a generally lower level of investment. Track The business, which is characterized by long investment cycles, has returned to its usual growth path. It was still supported by the regular retrofit business for the replacement of energy meters for locomotives in several smaller EU countries, with more to follow. Track also recorded stable growth in China and India. Sales by region in CHF millions Q1 2024/25 Q1 2023/24 Change Region Scope China 31.8 39.8 -20.3% Rest of Asia Japan, South Korea, India, South-East Asia 13.6 20.5 -33.8% EMEA Europe, Middle East & Africa 26.7 39.4 -32.3% Americas NAFTA & Latin America 9.0 12.6 -28.8% Total 81.0 112.3 -27.9% China The environment in China showed signs of stabilization in the first quarter of 2024/25, particularly in the Automation and Renewable Energies businesses. Sales growth compared to Q4 2023/24 reached 40%. Thanks to the measures taken to improve flexibility, cost efficiency and customer proximity, LEM was able to acquire promising new customers and projects in the automotive, solar and energy distribution industries, which will support growth in the coming quarters. Track also performed well. Rest of Asia The other Asian markets, particularly Korea and Japan, experienced a broad-based downturn due to the general economic weakness, weak exports and high inventory levels. The Indian market was stable. The new production site in Penang enables LEM to supply the Asian markets as well as the USA and Europe from Asia and has brought further production lines into operation. EMEA Europe experienced a broad-based slowdown in demand, which was exacerbated in part by high inventories in the DC meter and solar industries and in the automation business in general. Orders were postponed and some canceled in those areas. In the Automotive segment, starting from a low base, LEM was able to benefit from the start of production for major orders and acquired two large orders for battery management systems. Overall, there was a high level of design-in activity with customers for new platforms in all business areas. Americas The Americas region was not immune to the generally subdued investment activity that has persisted since the second quarter of 2023/24. This led to order postponements in the Automation business and increasing price pressure in the Automotive business. On a positive note, the region will benefit from a large order for battery management from a European car manufacturer in the second half of the year. Profitability under pressure Gross profit for the first quarter of 2024/25 dropped by 30.5% to CHF 36.0 million (CHF 51.8 million). The gross profit margin decreased from 46.1% to 44.4%. The main reasons were a negative product and geographical mix and the under absorption of production fixed costs due to the lower volume. SG&A costs increased by 7.6% to CHF 18.6 million (CHF 17.3 million). This increase was due to LEM's investments in digitalization, such as the go live of the new ERP system in several sites, and build-up costs for the new production facility in Malaysia. LEM continued its investment in future applications. R&D costs increased by 19.2% to CHF 9.9 million (CHF 8.3 million) due to new and expanded R&D centers. EBIT decreased by 71.4% to CHF 7.5 million (CHF 26.2 million); the EBIT margin stood at 9.3%. Net profit fell to CHF 4.8 million, resulting in a net profit margin of 5.9% (CHF 20.5 million; 18.3%). Outlook LEM expects business in Q2 2024/25 to be on a similar level as in Q1 2024/25. Based on feedback from customers and projects wins, sales should pick up during the second half of the financial year. Financial calendar The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March 11 November 2024 Half year results 2024/25 7 February 2025 9 months results 2024/25 27 May 2025 Full year results 2024/25 26 June 2025 Annual General Meeting for the financial year 2024/25 1 July 2025 Dividend ex-date 3 July 2025 Dividend payment date LEM - Life Energy Motion A leading company in electrical measurement, LEM engineers the best solutions for energy and mobility, ensuring that our customers' systems are optimized, reliable and safe. Our 1'800 people in 17 countries transform technology potential into powerful answers. We develop and recruit the best global talent, working at the forefront of megatrends such as renewable energy, mobility, automation and digitization. With innovative electrical solutions, we are helping our customers and society accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1986, the company's ticker symbol is LEHN. www.lem.com Investor contact Andrea Borla, Chief Finance Officer +41 22 706 1250 investor@lem.com Media contact Dynamics Group Thomas Balmer, +41 79 703 87 28, tba@dynamicsgroup.ch Christian Wolf, +41 79 457 72 05, cwo@dynamicsgroup.ch Appendix ATTACHMENTS: Press Release (pdf): LEM Q1 2024/25 If you do not wish to receive further media releases from LEM, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the following link: One-click-delete If the email looks unformatted, please use this alternative link . End of Inside Information AI-enhanced solution will help Eisai accelerate data review and reconciliation by 80% Medidata, a Dassault Systemes brand and leading provider of clinical trial solutions to the life sciences industry, today announced Eisai Inc. ("Eisai"), the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., as one of the first customers to harness its recently announced AI-driven Medidata Clinical Data Studio. Eisai Inc., will leverage this innovative data experience to gain unprecedented control over its clinical data, enable the execution of scalable and complex clinical trials, and enhance patient experience. "We've included Medidata's Clinical Data Studio in our clinical trial management platform given its ability to break down data silos and seamlessly integrate into our current software stack, while maintaining quality and integrity across all data sources," said Shobha Dhadda, Ph.D. chief clinical science operations officer, at Eisai. "Having a suite of technology solutions capable of processing diverse clinical and patient data types provides increased efficiencies without sacrificing quality or needing additional resources." Clinical Data Studio is powered by the Medidata Platform, the industry's only unified platform that centrally manages all data sources, improving data reliability across the entire clinical trial ecosystem. By seamlessly integrating data from both Medidata sources, including Medidata Rave EDC, and non-Medidata sources, such as labs or another electronic data capture system, Clinical Data Studio streamlines the import process and enables automatic validation through configured data transfer agreements. Utilizing AI, it mitigates challenges posed by disparate data systems and offers up to 80 percent faster data review while providing a comprehensive view of patient data that can be concurrently reviewed, visualized, and acted on. "Through Clinical Data Studio, Eisai is enabling healthcare stakeholders to overcome the complexities of modern clinical trials and foster collaboration on cleaner, more actionable data," said Janet Butler, executive vice president, global head of sales, Medidata. "By delivering a unified AI-driven data management and analytics experience, we are enabling study teams to identify potential data issues faster and gain a more accurate understanding of the patient." About Medidata Medidata is powering smarter treatments and healthier people through digital solutions to support clinical trials. Celebrating 25 years of ground-breaking technological innovation across more than 33,000 trials and 10 million patients, Medidata offers industry-leading expertise, analytics-powered insights, and the largest patient-level historical clinical trial data set in the world. More than 1 million registered users across 2,200+ customers trust Medidata's seamless, end-to-end platform to improve patient experiences, accelerate clinical breakthroughs, and bring therapies to market faster. A Dassault Systemes brand (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA), Medidata is headquartered in New York City and has been recognized as a Leader by Everest Group and IDC. Discover more at www.medidata.com and follow us @Medidata. About Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The beauty of the Experience Economy is that it is a human-centered economy for the benefit of all -consumers, patients and citizens. Dassault Systemes brings value to more than 350,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com. Dassault Systemes. All rights reserved. 3DEXPERIENCE, the 3DS logo, the Compass icon, IFWE, 3DEXCITE, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, CATIA, CENTRIC PLM, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, MEDIDATA, NETVIBES, OUTSCALE, SIMULIA and SOLIDWORKS are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes, a European company (Societas Europaea) incorporated under French law, and registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry under number 322 306 440, or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Use of any Dassault Systemes or its subsidiaries trademarks is subject to their express written approval. About Eisai Inc. Eisai Inc., a human health care company, is the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd. headquartered in Nutley, N.J. Dedicated to oncology and neurology, its U.S. operations include research development; manufacturing; global supply logistics; and commercial activities. Learn more: https://us.eisai.com; Follow us on X and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240724837236/en/ Contacts: Medidata PR Medidata.PR@3ds.com Analyst Relations Medidata.AR@3ds.com Real-world data demonstrating vaccine effectiveness against mpox of up to 90% after two MVA-BN doses and a significant reduction of the risk of mpox-related hospitalizations COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 26, 2024 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the approval of a type II variation for IMVANEX (MVA-BN) smallpox and mpox vaccine, including real-world effectiveness data from the use of the vaccine during the global 2022 mpox outbreak in the marketing authorization. In the absence of real-world data before the 2022 outbreak, the European marketing authorization of MVA-BN, granted in 2013 for smallpox prevention and extended in 2022 to include mpox, was based on efficacy data in non-human primates and immunogenicity data from numerous studies involving more than 4,000 healthy and immune-compromised individuals. These data demonstrated that MVA-BN had a favorable safety profile and induced immune responses that were non-inferior when compared to traditional smallpox vaccines, which are known to confer cross-protection against mpox and other orthopoxviruses. After a systematic review and analysis of data from real-world observational studies conducted in vaccine-eligible individuals and published after the onset of the global mpox outbreak in 2022, Bavarian Nordic submitted an application to EMA in late 2023 for a type II variation, representing a major change to the marketing authorization for MVA-BN. In the real-world studies, vaccine effectiveness against mpox disease was demonstrated at least 14 days after vaccination, with adjusted vaccine effectiveness estimates ranging from 35% (95% CI, -2-59) to 89% (95% CI, 76-95) after one MVA-BN dose and from 66% (95% CI, 47-78) to 90% (95% CI, 86-92) after two MVA-BN doses. Furthermore, in a surveillance study, MVA-BN was shown to reduce the risks of mpox-related hospitalization. Compared with unvaccinated mpox patients, the odds of hospitalization were 0.27 (95% CI, 0.08-0.65) after one MVA-BN dose, and 0.20 (95% CI, 0.01-0.90) after two MVA-BN doses. The estimated relative risk reduction was 73% after one MVA-BN dose and 80% after two MVA-BN doses. "The 2022 global mpox outbreak provided an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of our vaccine in at-risk populations across different geographies, both before and after exposure to the mpox virus, and we are pleased to receive the recommendation to include real-life data in our marketing authorization in Europe, which confirm a high effectiveness of up to 90% after two doses of the vaccine as recommended by the authorities. It is furthermore encouraging that data show the vaccine to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalizations, thus confirming our vaccine as an important and versatile tool in the fight against mpox globally," said Paul Chaplin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bavarian Nordic. About the MVA-BN smallpox and mpox vaccine MVA-BN or Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (marketed under the brand names JYNNEOS, IMVANEX and IMVAMUNE) is a non-replicating smallpox and mpox vaccine. The vaccine is approved by the FDA, EC, Health Canada, MHRA and Swissmedic and has also obtained emergency use authorization in other territories for use during the mpox outbreak. The vaccine was originally developed in collaboration with the U.S. government to ensure supply of a smallpox vaccine for the entire population, including immunocompromised individuals who are not recommended vaccination with traditional replicating smallpox vaccines. Bavarian Nordic has been a long-term supplier of the vaccine to the U.S. and Canada as well as several other countries as part of their national biological preparedness. During the 2022-2023 mpox outbreak, Bavarian Nordic has furthermore supported governments and supranational organizations by expanding access to the vaccine to more than 70 countries worldwide. For a full list of adverse events and information on dosage and administration, contraindications and other precautions when using IMVANEX, please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics . About Bavarian Nordic Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated vaccine company with a mission to protect and save lives through innovative vaccines. We are a global leader in smallpox and mpox vaccines, supplied to governments to enhance public health preparedness and have a strong portfolio of vaccines for travelers and endemic diseases. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com . Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance, and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Contacts Europe: Rolf Sass Srensen, Vice President Investor Relations, rss@bavarian-nordic.com , Tel: +45 61 77 47 43 US: Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors, graham@paddockcircle.com , Tel: +1 781 686 9600 Attachment FirstGroup Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, July 26 FirstGroup plc Transaction in own shares FirstGroup plc ("FirstGroup") announces that, in accordance with the terms of its share buyback programme (the "Programme") announced on 8 June 2023, it has purchased the following number of its ordinary shares of 5 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") through RBC Europe Limited. Date of Purchase 25 July 2024 Number of ordinary shares purchased 202,660 Weighted average price paid (p) 169.10 Highest price paid (p) 170.50 Lowest price paid (p) 167.50 Following the above purchase, FirstGroup holds 134,115,165 Ordinary Shares in treasury. The total number of Ordinary Shares in issue excluding shares held as treasury shares is 616,579,850. FirstGroup initially intends to hold the purchased shares as treasury shares but may cancel them in the due course. The total number of voting rights in FirstGroup, excluding treasury shares as at 25 July 2024 is 616,579,850. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, FirstGroup under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. Contacts at FirstGroup: Marianna Bowes, Head of Investor Relations David Blizzard, Company Secretary corporate.comms@firstgroup.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 20 7725 3354 Contacts at Brunswick PR: Andrew Porter / Simone Selzer Tel: +44 (0) 20 7404 5959 Contacts at Panmure Liberum: Nicholas How / John Fishley Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000 Contacts at RBC Europe Limited: James Agnew / Jack Wood Tel: +44 (0) 20 7653 4000 Transaction details Issuer name: FirstGroup PLC LEI: 549300DEJZCPWA4HKM93 ISIN: GB0003452173 Classification: 2.4. Acquisition or disposal of the issuer's own shares Intermediary name: RBC Europe Limited Intermediary Code: ROYCGB22 Timezone: GMT Currency: GBp In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation), a breakdown of the individual trades made by RBC Europe Limited on behalf of FirstGroup as part of the Programme is detailed below: Aggregate information: Venue Weighted average price (pence per share) Aggregated volume XLON 169.00 53,669 BATE 169.00 3,631 CHIX 169.21 130,892 TRQX 169.00 1,762 Aquis 169.00 12,706 Individual transactions: JZ Capital Partners Ltd - Compulsory Redemption of Shares and Total Voting Rights PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, July 26 JZ CAPITAL PARTNERS LIMITED (the "Company") (a closed-ended investment company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 48761) LEI 549300TZCK08Q16HHU44 Compulsory Redemption of Shares and Total Voting Rights 26 July 2024 Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalised terms used in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the circular of the Company dated 30 May 2024 (the Circular). Completion of Compulsory Redemption of Shares Further to the announcements made by the Company on 3 July 2024 and 10 July 2024, the Company today announces that, on 25 July 2024 (the Redemption Date), it effected a compulsory partial redemption of 9,803,921 Ordinary Shares (the Redemption), which will result in the return of an aggregate amount of US$39,999,997.68. On this basis, approximately 12.65% of the Company's total issued share capital has been redeemed pursuant to the Redemption. The Redemption was effected at a price of US$4.08 per Ordinary Share (the Redemption Price) from all Ordinary Shareholders pro rata to their existing holdings of Ordinary Shares as at the close of business on 25 July 2024 (the Redemption Record Date). The Redemption Price, which was determined by the Board, represented the NAV per Ordinary Share as published on 21 June 2024 (being the most recently published month-end NAV of the Company prior to the announcement made by the Company on 10 July 2024). Following the Redemption, the Company now has 67,673,293 Ordinary Shares in issue and, with effect from today, the Ordinary Shares will trade under the new ISIN number: GG00BT3MVL31. Shareholders' existing share certificates for the Ordinary Shares subject to the Redemption will be cancelled and new certificates will be issued for the balance of their holding of Ordinary Shares. It is expected that new share certificates will be dispatched by 1st class post at the risk of Shareholders by 8 August 2024. It is expected that payments of Redemption monies will be paid either through CREST (in the case of Ordinary Shares held in uncertificated form) or by cheque (in the case of Ordinary Shares held in certificated form) by 8 August 2024. As mentioned in the announcement made by the Company on 10 July 2024, with respect to any potential further returns of capital in the longer term, Shareholders should note that the Board retains absolute discretion as to the execution, extent and timing of any further potential returns of capital. Further, the Company remains committed to its investment policy and specifically the strategy of realising the maximum value of investments and, having repaid all debt, returning capital to Shareholders, subject always to retaining sufficient funds to cover existing obligations and support certain existing investments to maximise their value. To that end, the Company will continue to assess its ability to make further returns of capital to Shareholders (as well as the manner in which they are made), and will seek to do so as and when it has sufficient cash reserves that are not otherwise required to support its existing investments to maximise value and/or to meet its existing obligations such as operational expenses. Total Voting Rights In accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules the Company also notifies the market of the following: The total number of ordinary shares in issue as at 8.00 a.m. on 26 July 2024 was 67,673,293 with each ordinary share carrying the right to one vote. The Company does not hold any shares in treasury. Therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 67,673,293. This figure may be used by Shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. ___________________________________________________________________________________ For further information: Kit Dunford / Ed Berry FTI Consulting +44 (0)7717 417 038 / +44 (0)7703 330 199 David Zalaznick Jordan/Zalaznick Advisers, Inc. +1 212 485 9410 Hannah Hayward Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited +44 (0) 1481 745 417 Important Notice This announcement contains a number of "forward-looking statements". Generally, the words "will", "may", "should", "continue", "believes", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "forecast", "plan" and "project" or in each case, their negative, or similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the relevant company's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Many of these risks, assumptions and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the companies' abilities to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, changes in general economic and business conditions, introduction of competing products and services, lack of acceptance of new products or services and the behaviour of other market participants. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Shareholders should not, therefore, place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this document to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. The transaction would see Masdar become a partner for 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy assets in Spain, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions Masdar will invest 817m to acquire a 49.99% stake in 2GW of solar energy plants, with a potential BESS hybridization for up to 0.5 GW Masdar has also signed an MoU with Endesa to explore an alliance aimed at jointly developing renewable energy projects in Spain One of Spain's biggest renewable energy transactions in recent years, the partnership is expected to play a significant role in helping Spain meet its NECP targets and the EU's net zero by 2050 target Agreement cements Masdar's position in Spain, one of EU's largest solar markets, advancing growth plans in Europe as company targets global capacity of 100GW by 2030 ABU DHABI, UAE and MADRID, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC - Masdar ("Masdar"), the UAE's clean energy leader, announced today that it has reached an agreement with Endesa S.A. ("Endesa") to become a partner for 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy assets in Spain, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions. The transaction would see Masdar invest 817 million to acquire a 49.99% stake, with an enterprise value of 1.7 billion, representing one of Spain's biggest renewable energy deals. The portfolio Masdar plans to acquire consists of 48 operational solar plants of 2GW aggregated capacity. Endesa and Masdar aim to add 0.5GW of battery energy storage system (BESS) to the projects. The partnership reinforces Masdar's reputation as a trusted global energy partner for governments, investors, developers, and communities. The deal demonstrates Masdar's commitment to accelerating the energy transition in Spain and Europe, and these solar projects will play an important role in supporting Spain to meet its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and the EU's net zero by 2050 targets. In addition to the acquisition Share Purchase Agreement (SPA), Masdar and Endesa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore an alliance aimed at jointly developing renewable energy projects in Spain. The deal reflects Masdar's ambitious growth plans in Europe, having recently announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with Greece's GEK TERNA SA and other shareholders of TERNA ENERGY SA to initially acquire 67% of the company's outstanding shares, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions. With a strong portfolio of projects in Greece and Europe, TERNA ENERGY is targeting renewable energy operational capacity of 6GW by 2030. In March this year, Masdar and Spain's Iberdrola also reached financial close on the 476MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind project located in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Germany. Masdar's existing presence in Spain includes the Almenara 1.2GW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the Castilla la Mancha region of Spain currently under development. Masdar is jointly owned by TAQA, ADNOC, and Mubadala; Endesa is a subsidiary of the Italian energy giant Enel. HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Chairman of Masdar and COP28 President, said: "Building on Masdar's global expertise and pioneering approach to renewable energy innovation and development, this partnership underscores our commitment to unlocking clean energy capacity in Spain, Europe, and around the world, supporting the global mandate enshrined in the COP28's UAE Consensus to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 enabling a just, orderly and equitable energy transition. Masdar is accelerating its ambitious growth plans as we target 100GW of renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade." Flavio Cattaneo, CEO of Enel Group, said: "We are pleased that Enel, through its subsidiary Endesa, has started this partnership with a major player such as Masdar and, looking ahead, we hope that we will be able to carry out similar transactions in other geographies." Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, commented: "By forging a strategic partnership in Spain with Endesa for 2.5GW of solar and battery storage assets, we are taking a significant step forward in our ambitious growth plans in one of Europe's largest renewables markets. This deal with Endesa will play a significant role in supporting Spain and the wider EU in meeting their net-zero ambitions. We are delighted to also sign an MoU with Endesa to become their preferred partner for future solar projects." Advisors: Masdar has retained BNPP as its transaction advisor, Linklaters as legal advisor, UL as technical advisor, PwC as its tax advisor, and PexaPark as PPA advisor. Banks: The acquisition was partially funded via acquisition financing from BNPP, Santander, Intesa, ADCB, FAB and SMBC. Lenders were advised by Ashurst. About Masdar Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) is one of the world's fastest-growing renewable energy companies. As a global clean energy pioneer, Masdar is advancing the development and deployment of solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage and green hydrogen technologies to accelerate the energy transition and help the world meet its net-zero ambitions. Established in 2006, Masdar has developed and invested in projects in over 40 countries with a combined capacity of over 20 gigawatts (GW), providing affordable clean energy access to those who need it most and helping to power a more sustainable future. Masdar is jointly owned by TAQA, ADNOC, and Mubadala, and is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of 100GW by 2030 while aiming to be a leading producer of green hydrogen by the same year. For more information please visit: https://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar. About Endesa Endesa is a leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. It undertakes end-to-end business including the generation, distribution and retailing of electricity. It also offers electric mobility services, where it is one of the main operators of charging stations in Spain, and other value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy uses in homes, companies, industries and public administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power Espana, the digitalization of grids through e-distribucion and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,000 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2469453/Masdar_Partners_with_Endesa.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1973446/Masdar_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/masdar-partners-with-endesa-in-1-7-billion-renewable-energy-transaction-in-spain-302207382.html Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus. Im Schatten des Basispreises notieren Goldproduzenten aus der zweiten Reihe sowie Explorationsunternehmen noch weit weg von ihren historischen Hochststanden entfernt und bieten dadurch erhebliches Aufholpotential. In diesem kostenlosen Report geben wir Ihnen Favoriten an die Hand, die aufgrund von Sondersituation die Chance auf eine Kursvervielfachung besitzen. Handeln Sie Jetzt! Fordern Sie jetzt den brandneuen Spezialreport an und profitieren Sie von dem weiter steigenden Kurs des Edelmetalls. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihren kostenfreien Report. EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Spiritfilled, a leader in the premium spirits industry, proudly announces the opening of Braeside Bond, a state-of-the-art bonded warehouse located in the heart of the Lowlands. This new facility is designed to meet the growing demands of spirit maturation, storage and distribution, offering unparalleled services to distillers, cask owners and importers across the globe. Braeside Bond is strategically situated to take advantage of Scotland's rich heritage in whisky production and its robust logistics network. The facility boasts 20,000 square feet of secure storage space with a capacity to house over 14,000 casks, Braeside Bond is poised to become a pivotal hub for cask maturation. Key Features of Braeside Bond: Enhanced Security Measures: State-of-the-art security systems, including 24/7 surveillance, access control and fire suppression systems ensure that all stored products are protected. Customizable Storage Solutions: Whether you need short-term storage or long-term aging solutions, Braeside Bond offers flexible options tailored to meet your specific requirements. Efficient Logistics: Located near major transportation routes and ports, Braeside Bond facilitates seamless distribution and export processes, reducing lead times and operational costs for our clients. Russell Spratley, CEO of Spiritfilled, expressed his enthusiasm about the launch, stating, "Braeside Bond represents a significant milestone for Spiritfilled. We are committed to providing our clients with the highest standards of storage and maturation facilities. This new venture not only supports the growth of our business but also reinforces our commitment to improving our client experience." About Spiritfilled: Spiritfilled is a renowned provider of premium spirits, dedicated to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction. With a diverse portfolio of products, Spiritfilled has established itself as a trusted name in the spirits industry, delivering exceptional experiences to connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike. CONTACTS: Russell Spratley: info@spiritfilled.co.uk or +44 208 126 1760 Website: spiritfilled.co.uk Social Media: @spiritfilledltd Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2468273/Spiritfilled_Ltd.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/spiritfilled-announces-the-launch-of-braeside-bond-a-premier-bonded-warehouse-for-spirits-302205324.html MUNICH, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trina Storage, a leading provider of integrated energy storage solutions, is proud to announce that it has been recognized as a Tier 1 energy storage supplier by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BloombergNEF) for three consecutive quarters. This prestigious recognition is a testament to Trina Storage's comprehensive capabilities and its active contributions to the global energy transition. BNEF's Tier 1 status is awarded to manufacturers that meet rigorous standards for product performance, bankability, and customer satisfaction. Trina Storage's strong financial health, cutting-edge technology, and extensive project portfolio have positioned it as a trusted leader in the energy storage industry. Innovative Solutions Driving Success Trina Storage's success is built on its comprehensive approach to energy storage, providing solutions from cell to pack to container. The company's vertically integrated manufacturing process ensures high-quality control and consistency, while its expertise in system design and engineering commissioning delivers optimized, turnkey energy storage systems tailored to customer needs. Commitment to Sustainability and Innovation Trina Storage remains at the forefront of the energy storage industry through continuous innovation and a strong focus on sustainability. A significant contributor to this success is the Elementa 2 - Trina Storage's latest innovation in energy storage technology. Elementa 2, the new generation, cutting-edge battery storage system equipped with in-house Trina Storage cells, offers enhanced performance with a cycle life of up to 12,000 cycles, higher energy density, and improved safety features, helping customers achieve greater efficiency, stability, and sustainability in their energy usage. "We are honored to be recognized as a Tier 1 energy storage manufacturer by BNEF for three consecutive quarters," said Helena Li, Executive President of Trina Solar. "This achievement reflects our relentless dedication to providing superior energy storage solutions that meet the highest standards of performance and reliability. It also validates the hard work and innovation of our team, as well as the trust and support of our customers and partners worldwide." Looking Ahead As Trina Storage continues to expand its global footprint, the company remains committed to its mission of driving the clean energy revolution. With a strong pipeline of innovative projects and a growing portfolio of satisfied customers, Trina Storage is well-positioned to maintain its Tier 1 status and lead the energy storage market into a sustainable future. About Trina Storage Trina Storage, a business unit of Trina Solar established in 2015, is a global leader in energy storage products and solutions, dedicated to transforming the way we provide energy. Our mission is to lead the renewable energy transition through cost-competitive storage and to provide Solar For Everyone by expanding solar generation at scale. Leveraging over 27 years of expertise in solar manufacturing, we offer cost-effective and flexible storage solutions to meet the diverse needs of our global customers. More information is available on the Trina Storage website, Facebook and LinkedIn. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2468242/Tier_1_in_Q3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/trina-storage-achieves-tier-1-status-for-three-consecutive-quarters-by-bloombergnef-302205663.html Oxford Instruments Plc - Annual General Meeting 2024 Results PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, July 26 26 July 2024 Oxford Instruments plc Annual General Meeting 2024 Results The Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") of Oxford Instruments plc (the "Company") was held at Ashurst LLP, London Fruit & Wool Exchange, 1 Duval Square, London E1 6PW on 25 July 2024 at 11am. All resolutions were voted upon by a poll and the resolutions proposed at the AGM were all passed by shareholders with the necessary majorities. The full text of each resolution is contained in the Notice of Annual General Meeting, which is available on the Company's website (oxinst.com). The number of votes for and against each of the resolutions put before the AGM and the number of votes withheld were as set out in the table below. Resolution Votes for % Votes against % Total votes cast (excluding withheld) % of issued share capital voted Votes withheld 1. To receive the 2024 Annual Report and Financial Statements 47,399,464 100.00 25 0.00 47,399,489 81.82 96,703 2. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report 46,643,409 98.21 849,741 1.79 47,493,150 81.98 3,042 3. To declare a final dividend 47,495,865 100.00 225 0.00 47,496,090 81.98 102 4. To re-elect Neil Carson as a director of the Company 45,803,032 96.44 1,691,842 3.56 47,494,874 81.98 1,818 5. To elect Richard Tyson as a director of the Company 47,493,675 100.00 1,199 0.00 47,494,874 81.98 1,818 6. To re-elect Gavin Hill as a director of the Company 47,489,935 99.99 4,939 0.01 47,494,874 81.98 1,818 7. To re-elect Alison Wood as a director of the Company 46,129,577 97.12 1,365,493 2.88 47,495,070 81.98 1,622 8. To re-elect Mary Waldner as a director of the Company 46,196,957 97.27 1,297,957 2.73 47,494,914 81.98 1,778 9. To re-elect Nigel Sheinwald as a director of the Company 46,197,261 97.27 1,297,613 2.73 47,494,874 81.98 1,818 10. To elect Hannah Nichols as a director of the Company 46,430,704 98.13 886,588 1.87 47,317,292 81.67 179,400 11. To re-appoint BDO LLP as auditor of the Company 47,495,144 100.00 523 0.00 47,495,667 81.98 1,025 12. To authorise the Audit and Risk Committee to agree the auditor's remuneration 47,495,974 100.00 134 0.00 47,496,108 81.98 584 13. To authorise political donations and expenditure 47,135,050 99.24 360,562 0.76 47,495,612 81.98 1,080 14. To authorise the Board to allot shares 46,096,520 97.05 1,398,811 2.95 47,495,331 81.98 1,361 15. To authorise the disapplication of pre-emption rights * 46,185,476 97.24 1,309,947 2.76 47,495,423 81.98 1,269 16. To authorise the additional disapplication of pre-emption rights * 45,017,877 94.78 2,477,346 5.22 47,495,223 81.98 1,469 17. To authorise the purchase of own shares * 47,309,584 99.61 183,815 0.39 47,493,399 81.98 3,293 18. To authorise the calling of a general meeting of the Company on not less than 14 days' notice * 47,115,543 99.20 381,024 0.80 47,496,567 81.98 125 * Indicates a special resolution. For all resolutions, as at close of business on 23 July 2024, being the time at which shareholders who wanted to attend, speak and vote at the meeting were required to have their details entered in the register of members, the issued share capital of the Company with voting rights consisted of 57,934,037 ordinary shares of 5 pence each. The Company did not hold any shares in treasury. Ordinary shareholders have one vote for each ordinary share held. Please note a "vote withheld" is not a vote under English law and is not counted in the calculation of votes "for" or "against" a resolution. Votes "for" and "against" are expressed as a percentage of votes received, rounded to two decimal places. Votes "for" include those at the Chairman's discretion. In accordance with UK Listing Rule 9.6.2R, a copy of all the resolutions passed have been submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority via the National Storage Mechanism and in due course will be available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism . This notification is made in accordance with UK Listing Rule 9.6.3R. LEI number of Oxford Instruments plc: 213800J364EZD6UCE231 Enquiries: Sarah Harvey Company Secretary Sarah.harvey@oxinst.com PORT VILA, Vanuatu, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading multi-asset broker, Vantage Markets ("Vantage") is delighted to announce the release of the fifth episode of The Vantage View , "The Future of HealthTech". The Vantage View video series is produced in collaboration with Bloomberg Media Studios and offers insightful financial analysis and perspectives. This latest episode features Arnaud Bauer, Partner at L.E.K. Consulting, and delves into the transformative potential of healthcare technology as well as its promising investment opportunities. Bauer starts by discussing the rapid growth in healthcare data production, stating, "By 2025, the world is expected to produce 15,000 exabytes of healthcare data annually, versus only 2000 in 2020." According to the research by L.E.K. Consulting, the healthcare industry alone accounts for approximately 30% of the world's data volume. Additionally, the global healthcare data analytics market is projected to reach $1.5 to $2 billion by 2030. Highlighting the potential of investment opportunities within the markets, Bauer explains, "Healthcare data is increasingly used by pharma and medtech companies to bring new innovations to market, monitor products with available evidence data, and is now being leveraged by tech and AI companies. The breadth and depth of data, its longitudinality, and the quality of underlying data are key factors driving its value." Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy and Trading Officer at Vantage, says, "We're excited to unveil this latest episode, putting the spotlight on HealthTech. The focus on healthcare technology aims to provide a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving sector, while uncovering hidden opportunities in an area that many investors haven't fully explored yet. We're confident the intersection of healthcare and technology is poised to drive significant innovation and investment potential." Previous episodes of The Vantage View have explored topics like A.I., the space economy, the circular economy, and sustainable mobility, featuring insights from leaders such as Dr. Ayesha Khanna, Simon Gwozdz, Dr. Seeram Ramakrishna, and Andrey Berdichevskiy. Tune into the latest episode of The Vantage View to explore the dynamic world of HealthTech and its investment possibilities. About Vantage Vantage Markets (or Vantage) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 14 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app , and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play. trade smarter @vantage About Bloomberg Media Bloomberg Media is the world's leading multi-platform media company for business and finance, which draws on the editorial resources of more than 2,700 editorial professionals globally in more than 120 countries. Bloomberg Media is the consumer-facing media organization of Bloomberg L.P. https://www.bloomberg.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2467992/Image.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vantage-markets-reveals-the-future-of-healthtech-in-the-latest-episode-of-the-vantage-view-302206095.html LONDON, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading multi-asset broker, Vantage Markets ("Vantage UK") is delighted to announce the release of the fifth episode of The Vantage View , "The Future of HealthTech". The Vantage View video series is produced in collaboration with Bloomberg Media Studios and offers insightful financial analysis and perspectives. This latest episode features Arnaud Bauer, Partner at L.E.K. Consulting, and delves into the transformative potential of healthcare technology as well as its promising investment opportunities. Bauer starts by discussing the rapid growth in healthcare data production, stating, "By 2025, the world is expected to produce 15,000 exabytes of healthcare data annually, versus only 2000 in 2020." According to the research by L.E.K. Consulting, the healthcare industry alone accounts for approximately 30% of the world's data volume. Additionally, the global healthcare data analytics market is projected to reach $1.5 to $2 billion by 2030. Highlighting the potential of investment opportunities within the markets, Bauer explains, "Healthcare data is increasingly used by pharma and medtech companies to bring new innovations to market, monitor products with available evidence data, and is now being leveraged by tech and AI companies. The breadth and depth of data, its longitudinality, and the quality of underlying data are key factors driving its value." David Shayer, CEO of Vantage UK, remarks, "Exploring the HealthTech sector provides us with valuable insights into an area with significant growth potential. As healthcare and technology continue to merge, there are numerous opportunities for investors to consider." Previous episodes of The Vantage View have explored topics like A.I., the space economy, the circular economy, and sustainable mobility, featuring insights from leaders such as Dr. Ayesha Khanna, Simon Gwozdz, Dr. Seeram Ramakrishna, and Andrey Berdichevskiy. Tune into the latest episode of The Vantage View to explore the dynamic world of HealthTech and its investment possibilities. The information is provided for educational purposes only and doesn't take into account your personal objectives, financial circumstances, or needs. We encourage you to seek independent advice if necessary. About Vantage UK Vantage UK (or Vantage Markets) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 14 years of market experience, Vantage UK transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. trade smarter @vantage https://www.vantagemarkets.co.uk/ Risk warning: CFDs and Spread Bets are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and Spread Bets with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs and Spread Bets work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Please seek independent advice if necessary. About Bloomberg Media Bloomberg Media is the world's leading multi-platform media company for business and finance, which draws on the editorial resources of more than 2,700 editorial professionals globally in more than 120 countries. Bloomberg Media is the consumer-facing media organization of Bloomberg L.P. https://www.bloomberg.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2467993/Image.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vantage-uk-shines-a-light-on-healthtech-innovations-in-latest-episode-of-the-vantage-view-302206090.html Today, J. William Reynolds, Mayor of the City of Bethlehem, and Chair of the Bethlehem World Heritage Commission speaking on behalf of all four historic Moravian communities announced that Moravian Church Settlements has been inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India, July 21-31, 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240726407698/en/ Moravian Church Settlements Delegation at the World Heritage Committee meeting. Pictured here (from left) are Jean Manes, U.S. Deputy Representative to UNESCO; Moravian University President Bryon L. Grigsby; Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds; Johnathan Putnam, Acting Chief, Office of International Affairs National Park Service; Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler; Mr. Clemens, Saxon State Minister of the Chancellery (Photo: Business Wire) The historic Moravian Church Settlements of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania/USA; Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK; and Herrnhut, Germany now join Christiansfeld, Denmark (already inscribed in 2015) as a single World Heritage site that represents the outstanding universal value of these historic settlements and the worldwide influence of the Moravian Church. "We would like to express our appreciation to our respective governments of the United States, Denmark, Germany, and Northern Ireland/UK for their efforts on behalf of Moravian Church Settlements," said Mayor Reynolds. More information can be found on moravianchurchsettlements.org, launching today. Moravian Church Settlements is a transnational extension of Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement in Denmark founded in 1773 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015. The Moravian Church is a Protestant denomination in the free church tradition centered in Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany. The extension includes three additional component parts: Bethlehem (USA) was established in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1741. This highlights the early transatlantic dimension of the Moravian Church phenomenon during a prolific settlement-building decade and added the cultural dimension of the Moravians' outreach to Native Americans. Gracehill (UK) was founded in Northern Ireland in 1759. It represents the significance of the Moravian Church in the UK and exemplifies a unique series of 'ideal' urban plans that demonstrate a notable gender axis. This is showcased by the division of the town plan into a sisters' side and a brothers' side, which directly reflects the fundamental functional structure of Moravian society. Herrnhut (Germany) is considered the 'mother' or 'founding town' of the Renewed Moravian Church. It was established in 1722 in Saxony and evolved in line with the development of Moravian theology and societal ideals. This town defined the principles of all Moravian Church settlements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240726407698/en/ Contacts: MEDIA CONTACTS Bethlehem: Craig Larimer, larimerc@moravian.edu Christiansfeld: Steen Rosenvinge Lundbye, srl@museumkolding.dk Gracehill: David Johnston, johnstonni@aol.com Herrnhut: Friederike Hansell, friederikehansell@gmail.com Multiparty legislative elections herald continued work on reform agenda TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan (CEC) has fixed the election date for parliamentary elections that follow on last year's successful constitutional referendum. Citizens will go to the polls on October 27 to elect a total of 150 parliamentary deputies and almost 6,000 members of local councils. This election represents the first time since 2019 that parliamentarians have had to seek a new mandate from voters, and the first since the 2023 constitutional referendum, which vested more power in the parliament than ever before. Additionally, this election makes a change from an exclusively "first past the post" method to a majority-proportional (mixed) system. This time, 75 of the 150 deputies of the Legislative Chamber will be elected from single-member constituencies under the "first past the post" system, while the remaining 75 will be chosen through proportional representation; that is, on the basis of votes given to party lists, with a threshold of 7%. Nizamkhodjaev Zayniddin, chairman of the CEC, explained the importance of the elections in garnering public confidence in democratic processes. "Today, our citizens are not only witnesses of major transformations, but also active participants in transformation processes through genuine representation of the interests of citizens and civil society institutions. The elections push forward with the liberalization of socio-political relations, the accountability of public institutions at all levels to the population, the democratization of public administration, and of course the strengthening of institutions of parliamentary control over the activities of officials." Several parties are expected to participate. A provision for more political competition in the Constitution approved just last year stipulated that the basic law of the country must guarantee the freedom of political opposition in parties as well as public associations, mass movements, and representative bodies of state power. There are also quotas for women, who should number at least 40% of the candidates nominated from a political party in single-mandate constituencies, while on the party list, at least two out of every five sequential candidates must be women. An "E-Elections" information system has been put in operation, allowing all CEC activities, as well as their interaction with political parties, candidates, observers and mass media to be fully automated. This secures openness and transparency of the process while reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. Public interest in the election is expected to be higher than in the past, because the legislature is no longer a rubber stamp, but rather a strengthened political force that executes significant checks and balances on the Presidency and the judiciary. As per the pre-election calendar, parties have certain thresholds to meet. For example, they must collect 40,000 voter signatures for the CEC to grant permission to participate in the elections, Then, the parties have to nominate candidates and certify their election manifesto. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/uzbekistan-central-election-commission-announces-parliamentary-elections-for-october-302207410.html The surge in adoption of structural parts across various end-use industries is significantly propelling the styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) market size. WILMINGTON, Del., July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global styrene maleic anhydride market stood at US$ 3.5 billion in 2023, and the global market is projected to reach US$ 5 billion in 2034. The international styrene maleic anhydride market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3.5% between 2024 and 2034. The global styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) market is witnessing robust growth, driven by its extensive applications across various industries and the rising demand for advanced materials. SMA, a versatile copolymer, is prized for its excellent adhesion properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance, making it a preferred choice in numerous applications. One of the primary drivers of the SMA market is its increasing adoption in the automotive and construction industries. In automotive applications, SMA is used in the production of structural parts, coatings, and adhesives due to its durability and performance under stress. Request a PDF Sample of this Report Now! https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=86127 The construction sector similarly benefits from SMA's properties, employing it in sealants, coatings, and composite materials that enhance the longevity and strength of buildings and infrastructure. Another significant factor propelling the SMA market is the burgeoning battery manufacturing sector. SMA is used in the production of advanced battery components, which are critical for the performance and lifespan of modern batteries. The rise in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the expansion of renewable energy storage solutions are fueling investment in battery technology, consequently driving the demand for SMA. Moreover, the packaging industry contributes to the market's growth. SMA is utilized in various packaging materials due to its excellent barrier properties and compatibility with different substrates. As the demand for sustainable and high-performance packaging solutions increases, so does the use of SMA. Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region dominates the global SMA market. Countries such as China, India, and Japan are experiencing rapid industrialization and urbanization, leading to increased demand for SMA in construction, automotive, and electronics applications. Additionally, these countries are major hubs for battery manufacturing, further boosting the market. Key Takeaways of Market Report Global styrene maleic anhydride market to generate absolute dollar opportunity worth US$ 5 billion until 2034. Global styrene maleic anhydride market is valued at US$ 3.5 billion in 2023. Asia Pacific is forecasted to hold the largest share in 2023. Styrene Maleic Anhydride Market: Growth Drivers SMA copolymers, known for their enhanced material performance, high mechanical strength, and excellent thermal stability, are increasingly used as additives in manufacturing structural parts across various industries. This has propelled their adoption in the automotive and construction sectors, driving the styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) market development. SMA copolymers serve as effective compatibilizers and electrolyte modifiers in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. With lithium-ion batteries powering a wide range of electronic devices, major battery manufacturers are investing heavily in battery cell production to meet the demands of electronics, electric vehicles, defense, and aerospace industries. This investment surge is expected to augment the demand for SMA polymers, further fueling the dynamics of the SMA market. Styrene Maleic Anhydride Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period? 2024-2034 Base Year? 2020-2022 Size in 2023 US$ 3.5 Bn Forecast (Value) in 2034 US$ 5.0 Bn Growth Rate (CAGR) 3.5 % No. of Pages 308 Pages Segments covered By Type, By Application, By End-use Industry, By Region Styrene Maleic Anhydride Market: Regional Landscape Asia Pacific emerged as the leading region in 2023, fueled by a significant expansion in the construction sector. The region's progress is further bolstered by initiatives such as India's National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), launched in 2020 to accelerate infrastructure development and investments. The rising demand for electronic products and electric vehicles is expected to positively impact the SMA market share in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. As countries in the region continue to invest in infrastructure and sustainable technologies, the demand for SMA, a key component in various applications including construction materials and electronic devices, is projected to experience substantial growth, consolidating Asia Pacific's position as a dominant player in the global SMA market. Unlock Growth Potential in Your Industry! Download PDF Brochure: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=86127 Styrene Maleic Anhydride Market: Key Players In 2023, INEOS introduced a novel range of SMA copolymers with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties. This advancement addressed the growing demand for high-performance SMA materials in industries such as automotive, construction, and electronics, further consolidating INEOS's position as a leading provider of specialty chemicals. In 2023, Aurorium contributed to the SMA market with the development of an innovative SMA-based compatibilizer specifically designed for lithium-ion battery manufacturing. This new compatibilizer improved the performance and durability of battery materials, meeting the increasing demand for reliable energy storage solutions in applications ranging from portable electronics to electric vehicles. Aurorium's breakthrough technology positioned them as a key player in the evolving landscape of sustainable battery technologies. Styrene Maleic Anhydride Market: Segmentation By Type Alternate SMA Random SMA By Application Polymer Modification Resin Modification Chemical Intermediates Surface Sizing Agents Compatibilizers Others By End-use Industry Automotive Chemicals Building & Construction Others By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America Buy this Premium Research Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=86127